What People are Learning from COVID19
 |
| Copyright: C King |
Good Things to Come from the Situation
1. People are reaching out, reconnecting and supporting each other. I genuinely have been moved by the kindness of neighbours. Within a week of the first government press conference on the Virus, several threads appeared on a local neighbourhood app offering to help those locked away, with shopping drop offs, telephone chats, even the latest tips on where to buy that elusive toilet roll (I kid you not!).
2. Yes, organisations seem to have forgotten their disaster recovery plans, made after relatively recent terrorist attacks, only to be seized and enacted by new handlers. Yet businesses are finding creative ways to keep people working and connected, whilst still promoting remote working. Agile working has been a slow burner for many organisations, but I really think this unprecedented situation will change the way we work for ever. This includes employees who never before considered this mode of working, and organisations that are now problem-solving in situations for which they were never prepared.
3. Around the world today, people are unexpectedly being reintroduced to the basic idea of hygiene, and are (finally) making the unequivocal connection between hygiene and good health.
Not so Great Things to Come from the Situation
This wouldn't be a 'typical' Carla post, without a shot of honesty.
1. Whilst non chronically ill people are beginning to understand the ramifications of self-isolation , there does still appear to be a disconnect in recognising that there is already a group of people out there who are sometimes forced under house arrest by a medical condition. I am not sure when the penny will drop, but I sincerely hope that some good comes from furthering understanding around the notions of isolation and loss.
2. One thing that has become very clear is the way in which the media has mishandled the Virus situation, perpetuating assumption, speculation and choosing, in some cases, to aggravate an already uncertain situation. People have moved quickly from concern to panic. Panicked people panic other people (Peter Piper Picked a Peck...), which causes all sorts of very odd behaviour that wouldn't usually occur, like panic buying and the spread of misinformation.
3. Whilst agile working is becoming an instant hit in some areas of the workplace, there is one group that seem to be suffering above others: the self-employed. I am hearing of rescinded contracts due to companies restricting visitors or asking employees to work from home, leaving those self-employed without compensation. I really think this is one area being overlooked, and one in which I hope the government and businesses intervene.
4. And to my final point: I appreciate this is a new virus and that we are all still learning. I would like to hope that if this happens again in our lifetime, mobilisation, response times and guidance are quicker. As an MSer, I have found it difficult navigating through the sheer number of information channels that have sprung up, almost overnight, in the weeks following the first few Virus deaths. I would like to see a coordinated effort in guidance between institutions, clinicians and governments. I have seen first hand the anxiety caused by misinformation and we all know, particularly in this situation, it can be a very dangerous thing.
As I said in my introduction, I truly believe that we are learning, not just about the Virus, but also about how we respond organisationally, and as individuals to global crisis which is at our doorstep. This is no longer somebody else's problem. We must reflect on these learnings: "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." (George Santayana)
What happens next is anyone's guess, but I hope that we can consider our own behaviour and that, whilst not coming out completely unscathed, we ultimately emerge feeling more resilient to unexpected experiences.
