Calling All Heroes

We find ourselves in a time when you are likely are taking stock what constitutes your new daily life. That consideration might be as simple as the inconvenience of being asked to stay inside your home for non-essentials - but it can also be far more severe.

You live your life built on patterns that are relied upon to repeat; for example, waking up via an alarm, taking children to school, eating lunch at a set time, speaking to a loved one who is always there for you and being paid an income so that you may provide. When some of those things are impacted it can typically range from simply annoying to (hopefully) manageably disruptive. But it's in these tougher times when disruption is more than a passing phase, that we should pull together to look out for one another - and from that, we look for our heroes.

During this COVID-19 event, our heroes are not found in the politicians, bankers or traders; they are healthcare workers, carers, delivery drivers, teachers and grocery workers. If you encounter one of these unsung heroes, please let them know you care and appreciate them. Similarly, Brands are also responding, realising that, as the linked article opens, "This is not a time for cowardice or fear-based thinking. This is a time for gratitude and playing the long game." - it is the people who work for these organizations who made these gestures comes to life we should also thank. But there's something else I believe to be true: there are other heroes out there.

With rising unemployment and concerns on economic recession, many will be forced to make rationalization with their spending, including deciding what they can no longer afford, or no longer able to pay - both as individuals and as organizations - and those decisions in themselves could have downstream implications that impact others, further adding to the daily challenges we will all face.

And so as we navigate each day, receiving updates from our governments, hearing the stories from our family and friends, adjusting our own lives as things change - all of us experiencing this black swan - we all have an opportunity to look at how we can add positivity into our shared lives. It could be as simple as checking in on an elderly neighbour, supporting your local businesses (buying gift cards can be a great way if you don't need the products now), or adding a little extra to your delivery driver's tip.

For those of us working in the Retail Grocery business (FMCG), many of you are on the front lines managing demand and supply. Most immediately it's ensuring there is sufficient supply to mitigate and placate the panic buying. Over time this will likely pass and we will be servicing customers, many of whom don't have that income they once did - how can we help them to ensure that they are not faced with decisions such as food on their family's table or paying a utility bill? Perhaps Grocery Retailers could offer credit facilities or other services that can support folks with reduced incomes, or have partnerships with Manufacturers to offer product staples that are budget-friendly. These are relatively simple examples of ways to create connections with people and help them through these times - perhaps we need to be a little more altruistic. What are ways you and others can be heroic?

(here's that earworm btw)

Let everything happen to you

Beauty and terror

Just keep going

No feeling is final

Rainer Maria Rilke

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The views and opinions here do not represent the opinions or views of my employer.