Coronavirus Question: Will Your Risk The Lives Of Others For Money: The real ethical questions coming to light

Coronavirus is scary. And it’s hard to separate fact from fiction.

And in the events industry the discussions are getting really interesting.

Given that COVID-19 seems to have a high rate of transmission at what point do you cancel events? Or change their scale? Or change the format to protect attendees?

The reality is that there are some very hard decisions to make. And money and safety are key considerations. Mix in a lot of uncertainty and bad information and who knows what you come up with?

You come up with some events saying they don’t plan to cancel, like the Olympics. While industry groups say meetings should go on because there are no federal restrictions on travel.

Meanwhile others are canceling their attendance at conferences. As an example many companies have canceled their attendance at the huge South By Southwest Conference in Austin.

At the end of the analysis there are business decisions to make. But beyond that there are ethics involved too. At some point you need to think about how your decisions impact others.

The Business As Usual Argument

In discussing this issue some speakers and some groups are making a “business as usual” argument. The core analysis goes like this: “we don’t know how bad Coronavirus is and therefore we shouldn’t make changes and impact the economy on limited information. In fact doing so might cause a panic that could impact families.”

And there are some important facts supporting this. Many people don’t have sufficient savings and an economic turndown from virus preparation and changes could very well hurt many people economically. This could mean food and housing issues for these people and their children.

But What About Others?

On the other hand early information shows that COVID-19 spreads very easily. China seems to be controlling the outbreak by using quarantines and extreme limits on travel. The level of restriction that many question whether Western countries would be willing to implement.

And if you are hosting an event do you have a duty to attendees? What happens from a branding standpoint if you happen to host the event where COVID-19 is transmitted to a lot of people?

I bet you’d feel bad.

And the question becomes what is right? Should the event go on? Or is the potential risk to others more important? 

How Do We Balance The Two?

So the hard part is balancing the two. No one wants a panic or an economic shut-down from COVID-19. But at the same time you don’t want to endanger others.

I don’t see a right answer - but this is time for reflection.

How important is money? How important is the health of others?

Let’s face it - both are extremely important. Your values are going to determine how you balance the two.

One thing I encourage anyone in this situation to do is to remove constraints in your decision making. Get creative. Think about new ways to balance interest.

For instance there is talk of playing the NCAA Basketball Tournament with empty stands. A bit unusual but certainly creative.

What To Do Now

It’s time to reflect. And I think the decisions are bigger than business.

I recommend if you are faced with making a decision on whether an event should go on in this period of COVID-19 uncertainty you dig deeper than just the surface. Think bigger than dollars and sense. Think about how you would balance interests and your duties to your fellow man.

I’d really love your thoughts on COVID-19 and whether events should go on. Please join me in the comments below with your thoughts.

This Article is from The Our Shawn McBride - The Planning Done Right Guy(TM).

LET’S DO MORE: If you are a business owner or business leader you are my people! Let me give you FREE tips, advice and opportunities to make your business and career better: join my mailing list, follow me on LinkedIn and jump into my Facebook Group.

***

If you ever see me in person you’ll quickly notice his unusual suits which he uses to open the conversation of how businesses should Do Business Differently?.

The Our Shawn is based in DeLand, Florida (between Orlando, Florida and Daytona Beach, Florida) and Dallas, Texas where he keeps offices. You can also find Shawn on webinars or traveling nationally or internationally for speaking engagements.

Check me out at: www.planningdoneright.com

NOTE: This article contains links to sites where I may be paid a small commission or get other benefits on your purchase. I appreciate your support.

Do you really want to make plans that work?

If you really want to get deep into making great business plans, make sure you get my FREE guide “Planning In Light of A Changing Future” by clicking here.

Resources:

Future Done Right? YouTube Channel - Check out this YouTube Channel for interviews and discussions about the future of business.

FREE preview copy of Business Blunders! - This is my first book and it looks at common business mistakes that I’ve seen in my years of working with business owners. This will allow you to avoid those issues in your business!

And a Little Thank You?

If you like this article can you leave a clap for it on Medium.com?

This was originally posted on Medium.com. You can subscribe to get new blog posts from us here.