The construction industry has been battling bad news for more than two years. And just when things were starting to look up for the sector, with the go-ahead of HS2 and improved output in February and the beginning of March, corona struck. If people were asking what more could go wrong, that was the answer. Since the end of March the UK has been in lockdown, and while government encouraged construction sites to remain operation, this was not always possible, or optional as many contractors chose to close.

Employees found themselves furloughed or told to work from home. While the option to work as opposed to sitting around waiting to hear if they still had a job to return to is infinitely better, it’s not without its challenges. Both have had a major impact on the mental health of employees.  Confined to their homes, bombarded with gloomy news reports on a daily basis while trying to balance family life and working hours was bound to take its toll. And now as the government announced its plans to ease lockdown conditions, new fears emerge. It’s not easy to remain positive, but here are some things to consider:

Innovation:

Some of the greatest innovations were borne in challenging times, because there was a great need to find different solutions to the problems people were facing. The way the construction industry has been operating was not efficient, perhaps this crisis will jolt decision makers into considering and adopting more innovative ways of operating. Are you an ideas person? Or a senior manager? Can you influence a greater adoption of innovation? Channeling your energy in that direction is a very positive and worthwhile mission.

Circular thinking:

There are some analysts that report the current crisis is directly linked to the destructive linear approach to operating. Given this has been the business approach for centuries, how do we begin to think differently? The circular economy approach offers a great deal to consider and aims to try resolve a number of major planetary problems such as waste and dwindling resources. Given how great a contributor construction is to pollution and waste, being able to introduce a circular strategy may not only change the trajectory for the construction industry, it may actually help project the planet and its population.

Looking past the problem is often the best way to restore a positive mindset, but it requires looking at challenges as opportunities and obstacles to be overcome. Combine that with a purpose that can have a huge impact and see how your mindset changes to become more positive.