An Unusual Anniversary
This month marks the one-year anniversary of the onslaught of the global pandemic. I am not sure this is a very happy occasion. It has been a year like no other in my experience. That is probably true for most of us.
A few reflections:
My predominant mood throughout this past year has been impatience, grumpiness, and a growing exhaustion of all things COVID.
I am in awe of the unprecedented pace in which the vaccines have been created, tested, and approved, enabling vaccinations to start rolling out around the world. It just goes to show what can happen when there is a compelling sense of urgency, limitless funding, and an openness to share information.
I have learned to appreciate how people smile with their eyes. I am getting better at understanding muffled “Good Morning” greetings as I pass people out for early morning walks.
Working from home has become a reality. Some love it, others do not. Some organizations are already insisting people come back to work, as if they have not been working all along. Others are already finding ways to adapt to the new world of a distributed work force. Many organizations have been working in that mode for years. One thing is clear. Fundamental shifts in how and where work gets done are underway.
It has been a year where cabin fever has become a persistent state of mind.
If / when travel opens up again, I must confess some reluctance to getting in a plane again. I was often in 100 or more planes a year. I am in no rush to go back to that pace or mode of travel.
All of us have spent entirely too much time in front of screens. Thomas Friedman likely did not consider this scenario when he wrote his exceptional book The World Is Flat.
Recently an HR professional described two most important skills for success in the workplace going forward: personal resilience and digital fluency. It certainly makes sense to me.
It has been interesting to watch how face masks have become a fashion necessity with folks having different masks for different outfits.
The other day I laughed out loud when a client told me she loved the idea of never having to buy a new pair of shoes for work. Slippers have become her preferred footwear this past year.
I would like to believe the end of this pandemic is in sight. I am not sure that is the case. It seems to me COVID-19 and its many variations, known and unknown, are just symptoms of a much greater problem. We will likely resolve this COVID symptom within the next year or so. Until the underlying problem that created this pandemic is resolved, mask wearing and physical distancing will remain a necessary part of our daily lives.
The real challenge is a clear and compelling cause for this pandemic has yet to be articulated, much less accepted. Issues like climate change, deforestation, agricultural practices, etc. are being discussed. Fleeting signs of hope about what must be done and why, are surfacing. Bill Gates shares his thoughts in his new book How to Avoid a Climate Change Disaster. So does Mark Carney in Value(s) – Building a Better World for All. Yet no clear sense of urgency is held by the majority of people. Hopefully, that will change soon. Time seems to be of the essence.
I want to mark this 1-year anniversary by offering our popular booklet Getting Through These Days for 50% off. This is a valuable resource for maintaining personal resilience and dealing with this increasing pace of disruption in our lives, something we all need a little more over the days, weeks, and months ahead.
While we are weathering this storm together, we are all in separate boats. I hope yours is proving to be seaworthy.
Thank you for your connections since our last newsletter. I appreciate hearing from you.
Take good care of yourself.
Chris Edgelow
Founder & President
Sundance Consulting Inc.