Have the Obstacles and Realities of COVID-19 Helped Us Make Leaps in Innovation and Expectation?

In my many years as an executive and diplomat, I have never been more humbled than I have been throughout COVID-19. As CEO of FARE – Food Allergy Research & Education – I have seen first-hand how so many of us are being tested – the millions of Americans who make up the food allergy community struggling to find affordable food substitutions when options were limited – to food companies pushed to be more nimble as the supply chain was tested.

I have always found it productive to evaluate challenges from all sides – an action that is particularly important in today’s political and social climate. No matter the situation, there are always at least two sides. While 2020 has presented an exceptional and emotional set of challenges and has posed many unexpected questions, I am asking myself whether the year’s realities and obstacles have helped us leap over years, or perhaps decades, in innovation. Perhaps the world in crisis has helped us find more novel solutions to everyday – and not so everyday – challenges.

The pandemic is not, nor does it feel, positive – not by any stretch. Yet, it behooves us to look at the gains and leverage them for the greater good. 

Industries are collaborating at a scale that a pre-COVID-19 world could have never predicted. The pandemic has forced companies to be more open-minded and creative about work from home or in some cases – anywhere. They are engaging in pre-competitive infrastructure design and concept sharing which is monumental and potentially life-altering for us as a society particularly in the field of medical research.  

Out of hardship and strain, we discovered that despite a massive shutdown, grocery stores continued to operate and provide. That was not and is not without its downside. Where the system broke down was through unemployment and food bank dependency.  

Also, online shopping and food delivery, while available in many areas for years, was accelerated and more widely adopted. This also resulted in added jobs in warehousing and delivery. Some consumers may choose to never step foot in a grocery store again. Imagine that. 

Previously highly sensitive partisan topics, such as education reform and college tuition, are being discussed by unlikely allies. Parents are re-evaluating the expectations, costs, and benefits of our current structure, and community colleges, online universities, and homeschool advocates are finding new and willing audiences for their methodologies and messages.

There are countless examples of industry, trade associations, community groups, and citizens stepping up to fill gaps and solve problems. We are finding better ways to serve our publics, and in this regard, the future is exciting and bright.

My perspective of optimistic realism is reflected in the concept of Divine Discontent – that never being satisfied with status quo inspires creativity and excellence. Amazon employs this philosophy in order to overcome to the constant challenge of meeting ever-evolving customer expectations and improving their customer experiences on a daily basis. Look what has happened when the status quo is no more.

So, while days are difficult, I have seen, and experienced, families becoming stronger. Children have been at home, spending more time with their siblings and caregivers, and for many this means less time being stressed by the pressures of “normal” life. Even cultural diplomacy was lifted, as families gathered to watch as Andrea Bocelli inspired the world through his solo performance, Music for Hope, at the Duomo cathedral in Milan. We also are embracing family meals once again — and maybe we are returning to the roots of healthier diets. Vegetable gardens and at-home cooking have taken top spots for hobbies for many Americans (beyond sourdough bread and homemade jam). 

Through summits surrounding the UN General Assembly meeting, I learned more ways to view the realities of 2020, and especially those related to the health and wellbeing of citizens across the globe. I look forward to convening and participating in ongoing dialogs that help find solutions advance society in every way and allow us to learn from each community’s creativity in solving local problems. It is only through connecting with everyone’s unique and diverse perspectives that we may arrive at the best possible solutions to the many challenges before us today and down the road. 

Lisa Gable is a non-profit CEO and former US Ambassador. She spent the COVID-19 quarantine at her Virginia farm with her husband, college senior, dog, two cats and a French college student whose two-week spring break turned into two months.