Positive Change Amidst a Pandemic

I recently watched a webinar titled “One Eye on the Present, One Eye on the Future” featuring Tisha Schuller (Adamantine Energy) and Suzanne Ogle (SGA). I enjoyed Tisha’s remarks about how individuals and companies working in the natural gas industry can seize this moment to help lead our communities into and through recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. It prompted me to focus on the good things happening around me and the opportunities for positive change. Here are a few that have encouraged me the most.

1. Clean hands! I’m not a germaphobe, but I travel a lot and am routinely aghast by how many people skip out on washing their hands after using the airport bathroom. Good hygiene not only keeps us healthy, but also helps keep others healthy too. I really hope that frequent and proper hand washing continues to be the “norm” for years to come!
2. Time to connect. Yes, working from home can be a challenge—especially with kiddos, spouses, or roommates constantly in your “space”. It also means that the time we would have spent commuting, chatting around the water cooler, or taking an hour lunch break can now be spent connecting with loved ones (including the furry, four-legged ones). I love the major uptick I’m seeing in family walks, video calls with relatives/friends, virtual happy hours, sidewalk chalk art, “just calling to say hi” messages, game nights, and kids playing outside.
3. Time for reflection. With the brief respite from work travel and kids’ extracurricular activities, I’ve had time to stop and think. I appreciate the “luxury” of extra time to slow down for a moment and reflect on who I want to be as an individual and as a professional. Maybe now is the time to learn a new skill, develop your professional network, seek out a mentor (or offer to be one), send handwritten cards/notes to friends and family, or find a charity or cause you are passionate about and get involved. If you have the luxury of some down time, how will you use it toward becoming an even better version of you?
4. Preparing for change. In addition to the pandemic, the accompanying economic downturn has many people wondering how these events will shape our lives moving forward—and it’s overwhelming. We can’t predict the future, but we can try to prepare for the change ahead. Think about the new or modified technologies, tools, procedures, services, or business practices your company is now employing. In a post-pandemic environment, will they be phased out, maintained, or ramped up? Are there any skill or resource gaps that you can fill? Is there any specialized training you have (or need) that will help ease the transition or workload? If you aren’t sure where to start, start your own informal think tank and collaborate with others.
5. Promoting recovery. As I previously shared in my article How Natural Gas Factors into Our Energy Future, natural gas has an important role to play today and into the future. Now is an excellent time for our industry to show how we are part of the solution, not just in the global energy mix but in the midst of this global health crisis. Consider reaching out to community leaders, civic leaders, and philanthropic partners to ask them how your company or team can help. Maybe it’s organizing a collection drive for essential items, fostering displaced pets, or establishing a volunteer network to assist infected or high-risk individuals by running errands, planting their spring gardens, or sending encouraging cards or food baskets.

In the midst of this pandemic, I challenge us all to think beyond our own immediate personal concerns and focus on being leaders for positive change within our families, communities, and companies. You don’t have to have a fancy title to be a leader. Just pick up the phone. Check in with your CEO/neighbor/gardener/hair stylist to see how they are doing. Stay connected with colleagues that are furloughed. Reach out to the new employee who only had two weeks in the office before the work from home order was issued. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the responses you get!