Maybe COVID will stand for something else, someday?
| It’s hard to imagine thinking about anything but the chaos and disruption the 5-letter pandemic created. But, maybe when the virus is farther back in the rearview mirror, we can reflect on not just what was lost, but what was gained. So, maybe COVID will come to stand for something else. C. For connectivity, and how we’ve stayed together whether from our garages, kitchens, dens, or family rooms. How some of our corporate stiffness has melted away as we have been forced to allow small, shared glimpses into our private lives. O. For organization. We’ve found ways to maintain corporate culture at a distance. Where once we were a team operating independently we are suddenly operating independently, but as a team. For independent and contract workers, a chance to flourish. For corporate workers, a chance to really appreciate having the support of IT and HR. V. For values, and the price we’ve put on things. The IRS might consider equipment as assets, and people as costs, but COVID has taught us the exact opposite is true. The way we’ve used time, what we’ve been missing most and least, the reordering of priorities. Not everything has changed, but every so often the way we think about things has. I. Infrastructure and ingenuity. Without the former, we’ve had to rely on the latter. We’ve found ways to keep moving forward, created new ways to collaborate, and while we’ve missed being together, we’ve still stayed together. And, we’ve found workarounds when we’ve had to. D. Dress. Well, we could be doing better. But, we’ve cut getting ready time dramatically. And, had a chance to experiment with our own hair color, and styles. Probably experiences we’ll be glad to have behind us. It’s hard to imagine ever looking back at these experiences as instructive. But, as Pirates’ pitcher Vern Law said, “Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards”. So, maybe there will be a time for lessons. After the experience fades. (art: @barryleeart) |
