Be Nice! we are going to need it.

We are living in extremely challenging times! I hope that if you're reading this you are keeping safe and well. We are facing another week of remote working in Hong Kong this week. I do believe we are experts at working from home here and in China now. The situation that is unfolding for friends, colleagues and families elsewhere in the world is where we were 10 weeks ago and the seriousness of how this unfolds should not be underestimated. This is in many ways is everyone's time to lead, to support and to help our colleagues and each other.

We know it's not business as usual, it hasn't been for almost a year in Hong Kong! We must continue to hold our heads high and to meet the challenges head on. Burying our heads in the sand will not make this go away. But neither will trying to carry on like nothing has happened.

I cannot emphasise enough the importance of the right decisions through the coming weeks. Changing our routines and being respectful of the measures in place and that we as a society are being asked to observe is imperative. We need to be over communicating (phone, zoom, google hangouts....) with friends, family, our clients, candidates, competitors and each other. Provide reassurance, collect insight and continue to understand how people, countries and organisations are reacting to this. The situation on the ground is changing minute by minute let's make sure we are aware of what's going on. We must do this not just with professionalism but with empathy and a focus on "are the people we are talking to OK?".

Keep communicating with each other, ask for help should you need it, ask for inspiration, a virtual coffee, chat or just a hello. We should all here to support and help. Let's look after each other.

We in Hong Kong have been here many times over the past 11 months, lets apply what we have learnt, support one another, show our colleagues, friends and families that we have got this, that we will continue to meet this head on and prevail.

It's been and is going to continue being hard work, senses of humour will be required and mental resilience. I know a great deal of people are worried, I know a great number of people are or have been stressed, fatigued and mentally tired. That many are facing challenges around leading businesses, supporting families or trying to maintain a normal life in the current climate. I know that many have not worked through 9/11, Lehams, the GFC and the European debt crisis. All of which delivered their own special brand of disruption and economic pain. I know that none of us have worked through something like this before. I know and believe that by sticking together, working together, communicating, displaying empathy, making the difficult decisions if needed and doing the basics, WE will come through this.