Lessons from Remote Working #4 – Embracing vulnerability

It’s amazing how powerful a human connection can be when we see beyond someone’s professional façade and catch a glimmer of their real life in all its chaotic, mundane glory.
After five weeks in lockdown, the surprise appearance of small children in business video conferences now feels completely normal. People’s pets regularly grace my screen. I’ve seen piles of washing-up in my colleagues’ kitchens, and they’ve seen mine.
I’ve received new business calls, and not felt a hint of shame in warning that I’ll need to go if my daughter wakes from her nap. I’ve had frank conversations with clients about the emotional toll of life under lockdown. I’ve exchanged honest stories with colleagues that two months ago might have felt like oversharing.
Through necessity rather than choice, we’ve all had to reveal parts of ourselves that in normal circumstances would be neatly hidden away, out of sight from our professional spheres. And in the process of revealing some of these vulnerabilities, we’ve created stronger connections with the people we’re working and doing business with.

We’ve seen many more of these incidents during lockdown
I think there’s an important lesson for brands in this. As humans, we are all looking for connection. Connection to a person. Connection to a book. Connection to an animal. Connection to a piece of music. It’s no different for brands, and the brands that have done well in the last six difficult weeks have been those who’ve been brave enough to open-up and share their challenges in an honest and open way.
Revealing your vulnerabilities as a brand might feel counterintuitive, risky even, but it’s a good thing. We talk a lot in comms about the importance of brand authenticity, and sharing vulnerability is a critical part of this. A brand that has the confidence to reveal the highs and lows of its journey will create an emotional bond with its community, who will become invested in that brand’s progress and success.
In the post-Covid world that we’re all desperately longing for, comms professionals should think back to the moments of real connection they found during these difficult times. It probably wasn’t with carefully curated images or tales of perfection. More likely, it was the moment when someone let us into their imperfect world and shared what was really going on. We need to encourage brands to do the same, and not just during times of crisis.

The future of payment – the revolution of mobility technology
Phasing out petrol and diesel cars and introducing EVs is a great option in...
More information
Claire Brady on Net Zero Hero Podcast
Some people think that ‘circularity’ simply means recycling, but it is so much more...
More information
Earth Day
Earth Day provides an opportunity to take stock of our progress towards addressing the...
More information
When it comes to making sustainability claims, getting it wrong can cost organisations the earth
According to Robin Hicks, “2022 was the year that policymakers started to take greenwashing...
More information
Less is more: How low alcohol brands are targeting their Gen Z consumers
Dry January may be over, but giving up alcohol definitely hasn’t gone out of...
More information
Beyond B Corp: Breaking up with Barclays
Last year we became a certified B Corp, and to do so we had...
More information
Three takeaways from the IPCC’s ‘final warning’ report
This week has seen the release of the latest IPCC report assessing the climate...
More information
Why we’ve introduced a 4.5 day working week
As the rulebook of the working week gets rewritten, at Stand we continue to...
More information
Stand shifts as we move into our second decade
I founded Stand with one simple (but typically ambitious) belief: that good comms can...
More information
So… has the pandemic set us back or propelled us forward?
Last week, just days after the restrictions in England were lifted, we hosted our...
More information
Wellbeing is not a one-size-fits-all approach
It’s safe to say that being plunged into multiple lockdowns across the past 18...
More information
Covid-19 has given us a harsh lesson in education inequality
Although ‘Freedom Day’ is here, Covid’s effects will, as we hear all too often,...
More information
The pandemic of inequalities
Last week, the Health Foundation’s Unequal pandemic, fairer recovery report made headlines, revealing that...
More information
Has the pandemic set us back 50 years, or will it propel us forward?
At its onset, Covid-19 was described as the great leveller. But the pandemic has...
More information
Pride 2021: Tokenistic campaigns just won’t fly anymore
June is Pride Month, a time for celebrating the diverse accomplishments, identities, and members...
More information