Crescent is a fast-paced, people-focused business that is comfortable dealing with unpredictability. However, COVID has proven that there are always ways to improve our working relationships and find more ways to push our teams to develop continuous improvements and customized solutions for our ever-changing world.
In one of the most vulnerable times of our generation, the creation of a robust, transparent, and honest communication plan was vital. We had to get creative during the pandemic; through storytelling, site-to-site insights, and sharing personal stories, we strived to ensure that everyone felt connected and knew they weren't alone. With it, we built stability and a
level of trust you couldn't pay for, as well as empathy and a connection across Crescent like never before. We have learned that technology doesn't replace human connection but can help deepen interpersonal interactions. In response to the loneliness and isolation created by mandated quarantines, video conferencing was a new addition to Crescent and played a vital role in maintaining business relationships and developing a "human" connection with those we service and work with every day. In-person meetings, although important, are not as critical as we once believed. Our communication has been redefined; to stay engaged and foster connections between people through technology.
Adopting whole-person wellbeing is part of Crescent's new strategy. As a company, we need to continue building a Crescent community of ongoing development, innovation, and resilience. As we rapidly reinvented our policies and procedures in response to the pandemic, it provided lessons on resilience as a company and a fresh look at how much our Crescent community is willing to support our Do it Right, Do it Safe, and Do it Well values; making tasks like implementing face masks, social distancing, work from home, self-care, and encouraging a heightened sense of hygiene were accepted, embraced, and pushed forward.
We knew that the COVID-19 pandemic would change many things, but rethinking and reimagining what a new working relationship would look like wasn't one of them. Instead, communication helped us connect with people and customers in a new way; many of our innovations, strategies, and successes wouldn't be here without it. There were many lessons learned and many validations for Crescent; People are our greatest asset.