Coronavirus as a Learning Moment: How to Adapt in the Face of Rapid Change

What We Are Learning 

By Ikhlaq Sidhu

A lot is going on in the world, particularly with the new Coronavirus. And, yes, this is a large concern for many people and firms around the world. Our programs at Berkeley are similarly impacted. 

Last week, upon concerns for students and guests, we offered our Innovating 5G/AI class session over Zoom video conferencing for the first time. This week, we offered our executive-level Engineering Leadership Program (ELPP) on-line for the first time. Of course, we are not alone. In fact just about every business and institution will have to decide how they will manage this new environment. That is, will they manage it defensively or proactively? 

Adaptation is Better: 

Admittedly, we are not the CDC nor are we infectious disease specialists. But with a focus on the resilience and innovation mindset that is consistent with our teaching models and we are choosing to proactively climb up new learning curves: 

• How can we offer project courses like 5G/AI or the Data-X courses on-line, while maintaining projects, teamwork, and engaged participation? 
• Can we use the Innovation Engineering framework to answer what we know and don't know about reaching a goal of health and economic safety?  
• Can we start to understand how each type of business and institution can adapt to be as successful as possible in this current environment? 
• Can any of our applied projects help people to understand how to work and live more safely in the current climate? 
• How should organization change their culture during this period of health concerns and volatility? 

This topic is among the largest pains for people and organizations today, both from a health and safety perspective as well as from an economic perspective. The choice now is to accept that every business or group can basically do nothing while waiting for problems to subside – which may not really be an option for most.   

Alternatives: 

In contrast to adapting, if you are contacting your customers and collaborators with the same product or service from last year, you are likely not getting anyone’s attention right now. Alternatively, if we decide to innovate and not standstill, then the question is how to push forward while still being genuinely safe and aware. Within industry segments, we might ask, "How does supply chain and logistics change or how does fashion and retail adapt to new user behaviors." Many industries and non-profits will soon be learning to evolve.   

For example, how will conferences change? Recently, SXSW was cancelled, but they said they would offer an online version. No one knows if there will be of any value in it. Nor do people know what it even means to have a virtual SXSW. However, if a conference were designed from the start to be virtual, then the its value would be retained. In fact, given the situation today, many people would actually pay to not travel, which is the exact opposite behavior form last year. (To solve this problem, consider the question: what is the intersection of A x B, where A = a socially safe and successful activity, and B = a global conference.)

Furthermore, not every industry is negatively affected. Telecom infrastructure may need to be increased to meet the demand of virtual meetings. Same with virtual conferencing tools and new features in tele-presence. Certain types of health services will be in greater demand. New viruses may also be the trigger for a renewed focus for personalized medicine. Not to mention, what does it take to stop the future mutations of COVID?    

If our current situation lasts more than 6 months, it's very likely that new social distance behaviors of today will become habits in future at least to some.  And with new consumer behaviors, there will be new opportunities, new services, and new product variations.  

What does this all mean:  

In 15 years of teaching entrepreneurship and innovation, we understand the concepts of resilience, adaptation, and other innovative behaviors. We agree that the world has been changing. The question for all of us now is "how quickly can we increase our comfort zones, so that we can adapt and innovate?"  Instead of a defensive stand, there is actually an opportunity to do well for the world and to be genuine in our efforts. 

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This article supports the Innovation Engineering which is a framework developed by Ikhlaq Sidhu at UC Berkeley to develop technology and create transformation by aligning human talent in an efficient, effective, and positive manner. This framework offers practical guidance for how large firms, research labs, new ventures, and even student projects can execute their innovation projects and make their ideas a reality. Interested in learning more? Check out innovation-engineering.net and read the book.