The Atlanta Lawyer June/July 2020 Vol. 19, No. 1 | Page 28

MEMBERSHIP How “Thinking Small” Can Help You Adapt and Thrive In Times of Change The Power of Small Steps to Implement Big Change. THEODORE "TED" BLUM Greenberg Traurig , LLP [email protected] I recently came across a sign that read, “Many small people who in many small places do many small things that can alter the face of the world.” This rings true now more than ever before. These are uncertain times and we have already seen ways that businesses have reacted and reshaped the way they work. As we navigate through this pandemic, my first priority has been, and continues to be, the health, safety, and best interests of our clients and workforce. Yet, as we face these changing realities and companies begin bringing more employees back to work, as business leaders we have control over how we operate and what we focus on to help us navigate the road ahead and move forward in our “new normal.” Adaptive Leadership Responding to these times of change has forced most client-facing businesses to shift to a remote environment. Conducting meetings over a multitude of web-based platforms, negotiating documents online, and holding virtual mediations quickly became the new way of doing business. Now, as many companies begin to return to work and start to think about what comes next, businesses are facing the realities of a hybrid return to physical offices with the new challenges of social distancing guidelines and staggered work schedules. Regardless of what the work environment looks like, adaptive leadership allows for innovation that enables businesses to continue to successfully serve clients and colleagues alike. Business models that allow you to recognize the need to adapt, adjust, and successfully move forward will continue to make these uncertain times more certain. By focusing on small, actionable items that help keep business moving, you can find success in working collaboratively – regardless of the location – and continuing 28 June/July 2020