LOCKDOWN SAGA: WHAT NEXT?

 

As we edge out of the cinema, rubbing our eyes after the fourth rollercoaster movie in the Lockdown franchise, we look back over the heroes, the horrors and the learnings from all four Lockdown movies.

 
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Looking back to the beginning, Episode I is still the most exciting, edge-of-your-seat thriller of the saga. Everything was new. We were in an emotional state of threat and we didn’t know what it would mean for us, or the planet.

Then, we met Ashley, the unassuming hero of the franchise and supporting characters like Siouxsie, the Yoda-like explainer of the science. Scene-by-scene we followed the rules, sanitised our hands and remained suspicious of everyone – including ourselves.

Learnings: COMMUNICATION - Clarity and transparency make people feel safe.

• Learning to meet on-screen and keep our cameras on.

• Checking in with kindness calls – “are you okay?”

 
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When Episode II hit our screens, we knew what to expect. It was less thriller, more romantic comedy. “We’ve got this,” we told ourselves. “We’ve done it before, and we’ll do it again.” The ‘should I? shouldn’t I?’ questions of Episode I were answered with the love of ‘he waka eke noa’.

Emotionally, it was more like a honeymoon. We were married in a storm. But now we felt connected, safe, prepared and ready to face the future, together.

Learnings: TRUST - Work will continue, and people know what to do.

• Focus on reinvention of digital tools for working from home.

• Freedom to stop and think. Less reactive, more proactive. More progress.

 
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Episode III took a much darker turn. We all loved the freedom of summer and started to believe that the dark side had gone. But it hadn’t. Episode III brought back the fear and drama we were used to – but none of the excitement we saw in Episode I.

Despite the reassurance of our now familiar cast, we started to question everything. How did we get back here? What does this mean? Things were going great for so long, we were really unprepared to go back.

Learnings: BALANCE - Remembering that WFH doesn't mean 'always on'.

• Block your diary for thinking time and lunch.

• Draw a clear boundary between work and home.

 
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Hot on the heels of Episode III, this latest movie was shot on the same genome, but the story was very different. Switching up the narrative action, this was a twisty turny action-packed whodunnit. There were heroes, villains and exasperated prisoners all desperately seeking an invisible virus. ‘Cluster’ is the word.

With patience at an all-time low, we saw a tangible shift in the force – opening the door for the dark side to come back.

Learnings: TEAMWORK - Together we are strong, but if one person strays…

• Rather than wait for that brainstorm, let’s use online collaboration tools.

• Looping back to clarify and confirm conversations so we're all on the same page.

 
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While we can’t say we’ve loved every movie in the Lockdown Saga, there were plenty of upsides and new things to learn. We’re definitely better humans for the experience.

We’ve also heard rumours of a spinoff series. Who will star first? Will we form an orderly queue? Will the new jabs finally put an end to threats from the dark side?

We’re all on the edge of our seats.


LIKING HOW WE THINK?

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SASS FROM THE STARS - MAR 2021