Hunker down, think deeply, and grow

The coronavirus is rapidly making its way through humanity and disrupting lives of citizens around the world. There is still an enormous amount of uncertainty: How deadly is the virus? Is it possible to contain? Are we willing in free societies to take the steps that experts may tell us are necessary to stop its spread? What will this mean for the markets? What about our upcoming U.S. presidential and other elections?

While these questions are likely to remain open for weeks or months, there is little question about the impact on knowledge workers. 

• Telecommuting is going from a nice benefit some companies offered to—for many—a requirement. (As a company based in San Francisco and New York City, our current policy is to encourage but not require telecommuting. We want to keep people safe, which means some degree of social distancing, but we also acknowledge that not everyone has the set-up to effectively work from home.) 
• In-person conversations and meetings are a casualty. As someone who manages both cases and consultants on our teams, I normally spend much of my day in face-to-face conversations and meetings. Those are now all done over the phone and by Zoom. 
• Services are reduced. Schools—public, parochial, and private—are closing, forcing parents to sort through changed child care needs. Cities like New York debate whether they should close the trains. Whole countries, such as Italy, are put on lockdowns without recent precedent in democratic countries.
• Priorities shift, with a focus on dealing with the immediate health risk to self and kin. That thing that was due to your boss can wait an extra day while you figure out whether you should be putting the kaput on dinners out or any existing work trips.

Businesses, like individuals, face grave uncertainties about their own “health” too. They worry about the reliability of supply chains impacted by the spread of the virus. Their sales targets look more aggressive given the newly imposed constraints on business development opportunities. They close their offices to help protect their people and others from the virus. If they’re in a business requiring people to be in person with each other (which, contrary to belief, many still are…), they worry about how to deliver their products or services when people are hunkered down at home. 

We are clearly in a moment of tremendous uncertainty and even, for some around the world, panic. While we’re not in a “the walls are falling in” moment just yet, many are justifiably worried about the implications of a spreading pandemic on business and on individuals’ abilities to provide for their families. 

But can such a moment also offer an opportunity for introspection and investment? Often one hears about the heroic bystander who, in the face of unforeseen disaster, keeps her cool, focuses on addressing the emergency, and brings calm to those around her as she tells everyone what to do. We need to bring a measure of that approach to our own circumstances.

For individuals, this might mean a number of approaches, all of which may allow you to reallocate time to priorities you’ve been putting off but that now make more sense to tackle. (All of this assumes, it’s important to note, that you and your family and loved ones are safe and taken care of — an important initial step.)

First, Plan and Prioritize: invest in some long-term planning and general life prioritization. January isn’t too far in the rear-view mirror, so perhaps many have done some recent thinking about their 3-5 year goals. But moments like this—moments that may shape the way an entire generation thinks about the economy, or risk—offer a chance to think deeply about what you care about, and what the work you do is all for.

Next, Invest in Yourself: catch up on the professional development that’s been on your to-do list longer than you care to admit. This will take different shapes and forms for different people. It might mean finally picking up and finishing How to Win Friends and Influence People or Carol Dweck’s Mindset. For others, it means sitting down for a four-hour block of online learning to get the basics of SQL. For still others, it may be pursuing an idea or innovation within their company or division that they’ve been meaning to write a business plan for.

Last, Build Bridges: reach out to folks and try to stay connected. Coffee chats are out. Meet-ups and large conferences are already being discouraged and in some places are even banned. But that doesn’t mean we’ll be less interested in connecting with folks. Take a moment to think about who you might have otherwise connected with in person, and make an effort to still connect in other ways. 

For companies, corrections or recessions often create panic in learning and talent functions as people worry they're the first investments to go. But in times like ours, when there's uncertainty about the full impact of COVID-19, there may be a real opportunity for leaders to invest in their people’s growth by encouraging the above behaviors in their people.

Leaders, in learning, HR, and business units, need to be the calm in the storm. They need to step up in times of uncertainty and ensure their people are first and foremost safe, but also aware of what these times mean for them.