Digging out of the COVID pandemic

I own 3 snow shovels.  I never really planned to own so many.  I used to be own none, but now I own 3. 

Collecting snow shovels is a relatively recent hobby.  Until relatively recently I always lived in condos where the building took care of the snow.   It is only when I then moved to the suburbs in 2014 that I bought my 1st. 

The 3 shovels do different jobs.  I was reminded of the difference this past weekend.  I have one that is great for pushing.  It has a long, slightly curved handle so I don’t need to bend my back.  This weekend we only got a few inches of snow which then froze to ice.  The pusher was great for clearing the driveway.  

The 2nd is best for shoveling.  It has a short handle and big scoop shaped blade.  It is great for digging through deep snow, cleaning the ice piles dropped by the ploughs at the end of the drive – as was the case this weekend.   

My 3rd is somewhere in between.  Neither best at pushing, nor at shoveling.  It is also the 1st shovel I bought.  

This weekend’s snow clearance let me reflect and ponder on my snow shovel collection.  As my mind wandered aimlessly I found some connections to lessons learned during the COVID pandemic.  

My 1st reflection was that you often don’t know the best approach to solving a problem until you actually start doing it.  I bought my 1st shovel before the 1st snow in my new house, before I had ever shoveled my driveway.   It looked great in the shop but I realize now I had no idea of my needs, nor the best solution for the problem.   

As a member of the team responsible for our COVID response we have course corrected multiple times along the way.  We’ve changed our full office seating plan twice as needs changed.  We fully or partially re-wrote our COVID SOP multiple times as we learned more about the consequences (intended and unintended) of our policies.  We adjusted meeting structures and communication approaches throughout to meet changing needs of the company.  

None of this could have been easily done upfront.  We needed real experience of what was working and not working to help shape the approach.  Listening has also been key - our colleagues have been great at communicating their needs and helping us take the right approach at the time.

Another thing that struck me is how important it is to have the right tools for a specific job.  My “pusher” is actually terrible for shoveling – the handle is too bendy.  However, the give in the handle makes it ideal for pushing show.  The shorter “shoveler” gives me a bad back when used for pushing snow but the wide blade makes short work when clearing deep snow piles. 

Like many we’ve added Zooms, and increased usage of Slack – all in an effort to deploy the right tools for the job.  As we got into managing the pandemic, we rapidly realized we needed a replacement for informal corridor conversations – our historical norm.  Our exec team implemented daily 30-minute standing meetings.  We’ve since dropped the frequency to twice per week but the practice remains an important way to keep us connected. 

My third takeaway was the importance of timing actions.  Over my morning coffee I’d watched some of the neighbors working hard to scrape off the ice.  I went out after lunch and benefited from slightly warmer temperatures, and an easier time clearing the paths.  

The same has been true during the COVID pandemic.  Initially we seemed to be behind the situation and having to react and respond.  We were taking action too late and suffering as a result.  As we found our feet we got far better at anticipating upcoming changes and adjusting our plans in advance of these.  Our organization has been amazingly resilient to the changes and supportive of what we’ve needed to do.  As a result, we’ve successfully continued operations and delivered an impressive list of annual achievements despite the disruptive operating environment.  

I’ve also been amazed by the amount that can be done through the use of technology.  Those working from home have been able to maintain incredibly high productivity in the new work location using tech. solutions. Even many of those in lab roles can be “in the lab” remotely from home, driving experiments through automation, machinery and remote management.  

That led me to my 4th observation.  Given my advancing years and diminishing fitness levels automation might prove to be key.  Maybe 2021 is the year to invest in a show-blower.  

AL - this one is for you - get well soon!