Adapting in Disruptive Times

“Shelter-in-Place”; Safe-at-Home”; “Social Distancing”….

Phrases symbolic of these disruptive times. Whoever imagined these words would become a part of our daily lives? As we manage through a new experience, for many, adapting to this “un-norm” can take its toll on our psyche.  However, it can also reveal the strength of our character. Fortunately, because of the technologies created over the past 20+ years, many of us can work and conduct business from remote locations, which these days may be nothing more than a commandeered area in the house.

Adapting can be difficult when working from your remote location, especially when you’re virtually quarantined along with others, be it family or roommates. With over a month of adapting, questions may begin to emerge. When these disruptive times subside, will I be able to adjust back to what was once considered normal? How do I blend back into the office space with my co-workers? How do I adapt if relief continues to be uncertain? All fair and expected questions, which may only be answered once the circumstances present themselves.

The human spirit is very strong and incredibly inspiring and as such, over time, I believe we will once again let our humanity dictate how we adjust. In the meantime, employing the tools available to us are the new lifeline of not just our business but also our stay-in-touch mechanism with family and friends. Like many times throughout our history we learn to adapt by employing available innovations. The important thing going forward is to establish consistent clear communications and leverage collaborations tools to provide similar experiences.

Video conferencing when engaging with customers is one example. In his book Techno Trends, Daniel Burros made it very clear over 25 years ago when he encouraged companies to begin training their employees on video conferencing. There are many innovative and even entertaining ways to employ the technology, such as virtual happy hours. The key is staying engaged with customers and fellow employees to maintain the culture of the company, strained as it may seem. With all of the adjustments being made throughout the workforce a recent study by Gartner suggests some may be permanent: a March 30 survey of 317 CFOs and other leaders revealed that 74% of them plan to move at least 5% of their previously on-site workforce to permanent remote positions post-COVID-19

Video conferencing is only one of the adaptive measures in these disruptive times. There’s the care for one’s well-being, which is also within our control. Maintaining a routine, exercising or just going for a walk to breathe in some fresh air definitely helps.

It’s also important to understand a consistent positive attitude is one’s strongest asset on both a professional and personal level. Positivity goes a long way in adapting to disruption and dealing with challenges. Over my career the one thing I know for sure is people like to do business with people who project positivity. As a leader of a company, aside from consistently sharing transparent communication with my team, I make sure they can feel a sense of sincerity and calm in all my communication. It’s difficult to know when we’ll all be returning back to a semblance of the way things were, except to say, if we continue to adhere to the guidance of our health officials, we will, though slightly different, emerge stronger and more appreciative of the power of the human spirit.

“Realize that now, in this moment of time, you are creating.  You are creating your next moment. That is what is real.” - Sara Paddison