If the last few months have proved anything, it is that collaboration is more important than ever.
I think it is fair to say that since March, it has often felt as though the sky is falling. But in any crisis, there are two options: panic or take control.
From conversations with colleagues, clients and candidates during lockdown, it became clear that we had all been completely blindsided and no one was left unaffected.
It also became clear that there was no common place where those in the purpose-built student accommodation, build-to-rent, co-living, co-working, residential property management and hospitality sectors could come together to share their experiences, best practice and knowledge.
This led to the creation of a collaborative platform – a safe space where we could all come together to tackle the crisis head on and take back control.
‘Covid Collab’ was set up as a private LinkedIn support group to help developers, operators and service providers working in these sectors to deal with the impact of the pandemic. The sole purpose is to enable businesses to collaborate by sharing information, resources, advice and encouragement.
The focus has been on enabling quality conversations and sharing thoughts with each other, regardless of the fact that in normal circumstances many members would be competitors.
It has seen people giving practical insight into how their businesses are overcoming current challenges. There has also been a sharing of ideas on how to address future challenges presented by Covid-19.
In the words of one member: “Covid Collab was the perfect way of bringing industry minds together quickly in a time of crisis. None of us has all the answers, so the group has allowed the sharing of ideas that could be adopted to enhance the wellbeing and stewardship of our communities.”
The true impact of the crisis is yet to be realised and while many questions remain unanswered, Covid Collab has cemented the fact that we see the best results when we are working together.
There is no reason that the group cannot evolve during and beyond the Covid recovery period into an arena for making new connections and sharing best practice.
Kevin Redman is co-founder of the Property Recruitment Company
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