TRAVELS TO WUHAN AND BACK: THE VIRUS THAT CHANGED US ALL!

How it all started!

Covid-19 is for sure a straight punch in the face, for all of us! The virus brought death, economic down turn, isolation and loneliness. It also showed us the best the world has to offer. Think of the essential care so many in need received from our nurses and doctors, often with a risk for their own lives, but given with love and dedication. Heroism still exists.

Hope you allow me to start on a personal note: Late December 2019 and early January 2020, without knowing what the future would bring, I realized a dream I had for a long time to visit Shanghai and the Wuhan region in China. Wanted to see with my own eyes the economic vitality of these cities. Next to Wuhan I visited also Kunshan (Advantech factory) and Shanghai (Advantech Sales office) as well. I saw some of the last views of normal life in Wuhan region before the lock down and the start of the pandemic changed the world.

Late December 2019 the pandemic started officially in the province of Wuhan (China). The Chinese doctor that first shared the results in medical circles with the remark ‘Sars alike corona virus’. Authorities firstly forced the doctor to take back the report. Denial is often a first phase of a pandemic, also in our times!

Denial is often a first phase of a pandemic, also in our times!

We all have seen how the story of the covid-19 pandemic unfolded in Europe. During the second half of January the first infected people were reported in France. At February 21st the first covid-19 death in Italy was regretted. Despite all the signs, still several super spread events took place (carnival, several après ski activities in the snow areas, a religious convention in France and even early March 2020 a march took place to celebrate the internationals women’s day in Spain. Leading to several infected Spanish ministers, including the wife of the Prime Minister of Spain. From only television footage from far away, it came closer and closer and it reached the streets in which we live! Since the early weeks of March 2020 Europe was placed in lock down.

When addressing the nation at the start of the pandemic, Chancellor Angela Merkel described covid-19 as the biggest challenge for Germany since World War II, even a bigger challenge than the earlier unification of the two Germanys. Just as an example how intensively the pandemic has hit the world, Europe included.

In some countries the lock down was put into effect more severe than in others. In Italy, Spain and France we have seen the most outspoken policies. The approach in Sweden and the Netherlands was softer.

Starting from mid-May this year we have seen that the measures were slowly softened and freedom of movement returned to some level. Now the challenge will be if we will be disciplined enough to stay healthy. If you check the newspapers daily you will notice that there are still a lot risks there! Our level of discipline will determine if the so called second wave will come and with what intensity.

Covid-19 and Advantech Europe

As HR leader for Advantech Europe (14 sites in 10 countries and well over 550 employees) I have met covid-19 as well in our several sites / countries in which we have presence (like Italy, Spain and France). With our Advantech Europe leader team we have taken the decision to ask our people to work from home, site by site. We were fortunate that our Operations departments could continue to perform in a safe and healthy way from our sites in Munich, Eindhoven and Warsaw.

Excluding the Advantech Europe Operations teams our employee population worked for 90% from the home office during these months. Maybe it sounds a bit sentimental but it made me proud every day to realize how committed our employees are. During these times we have made a small clip about how Advantech employees perceived working form the home office. I will always remember the quote from one of our people that we leave no customer alone, without attention. Commitment is in the heart of people and cannot be trained!

 Covid-19, our European economy and the value of IoT solutions

If you read the reports from the European commission about economic growth and unemployment numbers in Europe you see a mixed picture. On average in the EU zone for the year 2020 a shrinkage of around 7.5% is predicted. Greece and Italy having the highest percentages here (close to 9%). The better news is however that remarkable growth numbers are predicted for the next year. On average we will see a growth percentage for 2021 in Europe of 6 to 7%. Really intriguing and promising to see that the Chinese economy is already strongly recovering as we speak!

In almost all countries we face currently a higher unemployment rate. It is encouraging to see that these numbers are declining in the predictions for the year 2021.

Think it is a very important signal that on July 21st 2020 the European Union leaders reached an agreement on an important recovery initiative for Europe. Together with the steps of the European Central Bank these initiative will strengthen for sure the European economy. In my eyes it crucial to have a solid level of solidarity between the states of the European Union. Europe will only be strong if it is strong in every country! If we forget this lesson, we will lose Europe!

Europe will only be strong if it is strong in every country! If we forget this lesson, we will lose Europe!

Really encouraging to read the prediction of the OMDIA research institute that 5G and massive IoT solutions will generate a value of $9 trillion in the year 2035. This is really a strong indicator that Advantech has the products and the solutions of the future. You will see us more and more in the SMART cities, hospitals, manufacturing etc.

It was also mentioned in a recent webinar organized by Advantech that the digitalization is accelerating as an unexpected effect of the covid-19 pandemic. The Wowza investigation institute predict accelerated digitalization in digital supply chains, telehealth and smart hospitals, remote working, digital commerce and an endless chain of virtual events.

 Changing factors regarding work

Like earlier pandemics also covid-19 is catalyst for change. The virus that changed our world, also changes the way we work. With no doubt this is the largest experiment in working from home to which we were all invited or maybe forced to join this experiment. It is predicted from all sites that working from home is here to stay.

Covid-19 changed maybe the way we work, the new reality landed also in fertile grounds. People want a less dominant environmental footprint! People don’t want to lose time in an endless pattern of traffic jams. Baby boomers are slowly leaving our organizations and are replaced by millennials. Millennials have different expectations form their work. Millennials are more the specific experience and less with a specific employer. Also we want to find a better balance between our professional and private lives. Last but least: Technology makes is it more than ever possible to work in new ways and is paving the path for this new reality.

Not only will the way we conduct our work change. Also labor organizations will need to change. 21st century future proof companies will be and need to be more transparent, more trust oriented, networks and project based. For sure elements of hierarchy, command and control will remain, but not in such a dominant way we have seen in the past period.

 The Co-Creation Employee: reinvent yourself!

A lot of people are inspired by the book ‘exponential growth’ (by Salim Ismail). Co-creation is an important aspect of this philosophy. For the employee of the future ‘co-creation skills’ are essential.

What are co-creation skills? It means that you have collaboration skills. You can easily work together with people inside and outside your organization in continues changing project teams. You have a critical mind and you can easily tap into to the latest knowledge, because you have a strong professional network inside and outside your organization. You see it as one of your most important project to keep your own skill set in top shape, like you are an Olympic Sports person. Most of all you have excellent communication skills. If you can’t bring your message across it is of no value!

 What do you miss the most?

I have always been a big fan of Leena Nair (CHRO of Unilever and top voice @LinkedIn). Recently she asked on LinkedIn the intriguing question: ‘what do you miss most’. Her answer was ‘spending time together with the teams of the company’. My answer would be very much similar.

I had to smile when I read that Steve Jobs let his offices designed in such a way that unplanned interaction would happen. In his eyes this is essential to boost creativity and innovation. Direct and personal contact remains also essentials for the onboarding of new employees. It creates weak ties between people if we don’t organize and foster this crucial aspect how we organize our organizations internally.

I had to smile when I read that Steve Jobs let his offices designed in such a way that unplanned interaction would happen.

 How to be ready for the future

Covid-19 changed our world, our societies and companies. How can you be effective in the new world of accelerated digitalization, both as employee and organization? Every answer you will give will always reflect your personal judgment!

I think it all starts with being ‘vital’ as individual. There is pressure from the office, from your family life, you need to reinvent yourself frequently and it is key you come up with fresh ideas. All this is only possible when you are vital.

Secondly it is about learning, unlearning and relearning. You need to tap in actual knowledge on a regular basis. You need to see this as a priority for your professional survival. It is not only about absorbing new knowledge, it is also about defining an infrastructure where you can sense, can spot the newest insights.

Thirdly we need post covid-19 leadership. This means we need leaders that make you think (deeper) and that can ask the right questions. I am always inspired by the so called ‘level 5 leadership’ as Jim Collins (from the book ‘Good to Great) describes this. Leaders that are humble and determined. Collins often described the level 4 leadership as the great leader with the thousand helpers. In such a situation there never will be lasting success. Post covid-19 leaders can overcome their own ego and work to serve the company, not their own ego!

Fourthly a ‘fearless organization’ is essential. It is essential that people dare to speak up. The books of Amy Edmondson really represent an important body of work, not to be overlooked. The challenges of the post covid-19 makes it crucial to use everybody intelligence and thinking power. The dilemma of the night nurse is an evergreen. Do I dare to contact the doctor of duty and call him out of his/ her bed to check a crucial point!

A fifth dimension is that we need to find an effective balance between ‘working from the home office’ and ‘working from the corporate office’. We need the concentration and the productivity from the home office. We need in an equal way the inspiration of fostering relations from the corporate office. Corporate offices need to be more than just a room with desks. The level of inspiration the corporate office can bring will proof to be essential for future success of organizations.

The sixth dimension is likely an integrating quality as ‘co-creation employee’. It is a dimension of skills but it is also a dimension of inspiring the organization. Reach the next level. Raise the bar. To speak in the words of JF Kennedy! Ask what you can do for your company. Not only ask what your company can do for you.

 What did we learn from the covid-19 pandemic?

Maybe it is too early to reflect in a complete way on the covid-19 pandemic. My observations is most of all that covid-19 has thought us the humble lesson that we are vulnerable and that we maybe need to re-think how we treat and live with the nature and animals.

We all learned that the ‘European project’ is vulnerable as well. The European project has always delivered on its most important promise of ‘no more war’. Europe can only be strong if all parts are strong and if you are a union you need to stand for it. Solidarity has its worth, for all members of the EU.

Solidarity has its worth, for all members of the EU.

Employees have proven to be committed and versatile. Maybe covid-19 brought back what we had lost and what makes our professional life more fun. Taking responsibility and matured relationships. Again I like the input of Leena Nair (CHRO Unilever) with her quote ‘if you fear that your employees are unproductive when working from home, you as leader have a problem’. The biggest experiment of working from home taught us that we can be effective + productive, limit our environmental footprint and use our time much more economic.

Digital acceleration is in most cases the realization of the promise of (Advantech) technology for the better. Smart cities, smart hospitals, Industry 4.0 are strong realities and they will create a strong economic push and a much better mix of effort and gain.

 Travels to Wuhan and back

Since my visit to Wuhan and back and during my professional activities as HR leader for Advantech Europe in the first half of the 2020 year, covid-19 was always there. In a way it made me feel more close to the Advantech Europe employees than ever before. As HR team we organized over 50 webinars, covering a wide range of topics and with that we stayed in frequent touch with all my fellow workers in the several sites. It is all about staying in touch, I believe.

It made me proud to see all my Advantech friends so engaged, so active from their home offices and trying their utmost best to serve our customers and being loyal to the Advantech employee society as well.

Most of all it made me realize that we are at a fault line in history. It is important to take the right steps at moments like these. It is a once in a life time moment. I welcome the new world and again a pandemic is a catalyst for change. Also in the year 2020, we have all seen it happening!

 Roel van der Poort

(This article is written on personal title)