My world: June 2021…

This is part of a series of articles where our contributors describe how they think things will look a year from now.

Looking back over the last 15 months, it still seems incredible what has happened here in my country and worldwide. The impact on lives across the globe will last for many years to come. Yes, our economy is recovering but there is a long way to go with it after such a severe recession.  Many businesses have gone, employment remains at extremely high levels and there is much more caution in the investment market. There has been much hardship and tragedy but there are some positives both in the way I now approach my working life and for the agricultural sector.

The period of lockdown and isolation made me re-evaluate my working practices. I discovered that technology can make productive meetings possible without the travel, saving time and improving effectiveness. It also made me better at establishing priorities, focussing even more on what really matters. In our fast moving world, we can all become carried away with the importance of the moment, immediate access with ever increasing technology and not reflect on what really matters both personally and in our work. It has increased the importance that I put on personal relationships building for long term not short term gain.