Making the most of the pandemic

If you were isolated or quarantined for two weeks, how would you spend your time?

That's a question I've been asking myself in light of the coronavirus outbreak. A few weeks ago, I started taking bass guitar lessons. My brother gave me a bass two decades ago, but I've only played it a few times. If I were isolated for two weeks, I bet I'd spend a lot more time playing my bass, and I might make a lot of progress.

As the world struggles with coronavirus, economic activity will slow. Conferences, public events, and business trips will be canceled. While the circumstances are certainly undesirable, many working people may find themselves with an excess of something that is usually in short supply: TIME.

So what will you do with it?

Perhaps you will build new skills, like me on my bass guitar. Perhaps you will tackle some longstanding issue that has been left unaddressed.

For organizations, here are some (risk-free) ways you might ask me to help you make the best use of this time:

• Conducting a culture survey via telephone interviews with your team, and providing recommendations so that your organization is revitalized and refocused when economic activity picks back up again. This process would also identify opportunities for improvement in organizational structure, processes, and practices.
• Facilitating Zoom meetings to help your team work through points of contention or complex strategic issues. Zoom calls aren't quite as good as in-person meetings, but with thoughtful design and facilitation they can be meaningful and productive when it is not possible to meet face-to-face.
• Thinking through how your industry, company, or organization may change in the wake of global disruptions like coronavirus, so you can develop the capacity to face the future head-on.
• Delivering targeted skill-building through online sessions on organizational and leadership topics that will strengthen your team overall.
• Having one-on-one conversations with you as a leader to help you work through the questions you have in your own mind about what it will take for your team to be more successful.

It's unfortunate that we are all dealing with coronavirus, and for some people this will be a terribly challenging time. But for those who experience the next few months primarily as a slow period, I hope you will use it well. And if I can help, let me know.