Thinking out Loud

COVID-19. We have seen nothing like this, and we are learning every day to get a little better at dealing with the massive disruption caused by this pandemic. As cities shut down, travel grinds to a painful halt, and familiar routines become unrecognizable, there are new capabilities emerging and new ways of coping that will seed long-term positive outcomes in our lives—a confluence of opposites born in unprecedented times. I am beginning to notice the dualities that seem to mark the extraordinary situation we find ourselves in.

Collaboration and Isolation

The viral contagion that we are up against, like other tenacious global issues, can only be solved with the world working together. Countries unequivocally agree that they must learn from each other's experiences and collaborate to battle the pandemic. Unlike the intent, the learning doesn't seem to converge. Take for instance, how South Korea tried to break the chain of transmission through aggressive testing – for both persons suspected of being infected, as well as those they have been in contact with. U.K.'s healthcare systems, on the other hand, will reportedly prioritize protecting vulnerable groups like their senior citizens. The virus will likely cause milder illness in the younger population that they are expected to recover from and subsequently be immune to the virus. This herd immunity, they believe, will protect the community in the event of a winter resurgence. Now, which is the better path for other countries to follow? Without access to complete data, it is hard to tell.

An international converge can leverage technology to bring together the power of bioscience and data to deal with this common challenge. Yet, even at a time when collaboration can mean the difference between life and death, isolated endeavors continue to slow humanity's journey to well-being.

Trust and Skepticism

Our ecosystems – elected policymakers and citizens, employers, and employees, even people of a community – are bound by mutual trust. In times like this, that trust is tested. For instance, New York Mayor Bill De Blasio is considering a 'shelter-in-place' order in an attempt to contain the fast-moving spread of the viral infection. The voice of citizen skepticism has been quick to ask if this will aggravate the situation for so many New Yorkers already out of jobs. Employees can't help but wonder if their employers will still have their jobs for them when the dust settles, and employers obsess over employee productivity. As neighbors rush to grab the last fresh milk carton off the store shelf, our trust in each other, even if temporarily, is laced with skepticism. We must each work hard to shore up our trust capital - the confidence our stakeholders have that we will live up to our promises to behave responsibly and work for a better-shared future. 

Global and Local

Worried about protection from the coronavirus, and having trouble getting hold of a medical mask? With China being the world's largest producer of these masks, but also meeting a domestic demand of around 50 to 60 million every day, it's not hard to see why. The supply-chain breakdowns go beyond masks. Critical inventories for production, across countries and sectors, are falling because of delayed shipments of components sourced from Asia – because these suppliers in turn depend on China for raw materials. A case of deep global interdependence boomeranging. Today, technology is enabling the economics to bring supply chains closer to consumer markets, to customers, and to bring work back home. Regional manufacturing creates domestic jobs and incentivizes the training and nurturing of local talent pools too. This can go a long way in making participating countries competitive on a global scale. This crisis should also get us thinking about how we can build capacity for mission-critical manufacturing closer home – a national essentials supply-chain continuity plan for times like this.

Distributed and Dependent

Business decision-makers, have long leveraged the gig advantage for precisely that reason. They've come to accept that at any given time, 10 percent of the workforce will choose to work remotely. The remaining 90 percent, for the most part, follow the 9-to-5 in-office routine. COVID-19 just turned that on its head. Today, 90 percent of almost any workforce is forced into social distancing. It must work not just remotely distributed like the gig worker but also find ways to manage their inter-dependencies. The workplace must now quickly evolve to enable people to stay connected with digital collaboration tools, build new skills around new ways of working, and to embrace a digital culture. The distributed and dependent paradox can only work in an environment of trust, and we must transform our workplaces for this future. 

Invaluable and Undervalued

"I don't know how teachers do it, I have to say that I value our teachers and appreciate them a lot more now." I hear this phrase so often from friends struggling to adjust to the new normal of having stay-at-home school-age kids as they try to manage chores, their home office, and expanded parenting duties, including homeschooling. Did you know, American teachers work for an average of 46 hours each week? While 90 percent of them are satisfied with their jobs, only 36 percent believe that our society values their profession. Along the same lines, our healthcare administrators, our soldiers, care givers, store clerks, pharmacists, utility workers and public safety professionals are generationally undervalued and underinvested in. Will this be the inflection point when we see the folly of our ways?

As we try to make sense of these dichotomies, I can't help but see how some of us are better at it than the others. I’m thinking of Microsoft that'll keep paying the hourly workers who support their campus. Walmart, Walgreens and CVS, in public-private sector partnerships, setting up drive-through Coronavirus testing sites. UberEats and DoorDash that've waived commission fees for independent restaurant partners. Delta's CEO who's forgoing his salary for the year to diminish layoffs. And Infosys Foundation USA opening up their learning platform for teachers to continue to school their students from home. Even in these times of having to make tough choices, their purpose navigates them through all the contrasts and contradictions. This is an inspiration for others too to find their own north star. Because that's what will stay with us long after COVID-19 will have run its course.

I am looking forward to exploring some of this thinking with other leaders like you at the Virtual Future Workplace Summit on the morning of March 26, 2020. You are welcome to join in by registering here.