By Jaime Foucher
I see the pandemic as an opportunity for a needed reset in our personal and professional lives. Perhaps this was a wake-up call for everyone that we need to be doing things differently. More connecting, more intentional interaction, more self-care, more willingness to innovate and try solving problems in a different way.
We have shown that we can cross the bridges of political and societal differences, work together to get things done, and find a way to discover solutions to problems that bring about win/win outcomes or at least make great strides toward compromise. The loss of life, the economic hardships, and emotional strain associated with the pandemic have been horrible. The real tragedy though would be if we don’t find a way to continue the good things we have been experiencing.
This unprecedented time of change brings with it an opportunity to innovate. We have all seen examples such as the government and private sectors working together to source and manufacture PPE or to stand up temporary hospitals.
Businesses that never offered their products or services online adjusted their business models to find a way to somehow contribute, keep their business going, or leverage their resources in new ways. Families have used technology to connect. Neighbors have serenaded each other or shown ways to support the current graduating class when they have never made time to get to know each other previously.
We do not have to go back to how things were. What if our new “normal” took the best of what we have all been experiencing AND brought back the best of what we were able to do before the pandemic? Maybe things like dinner with friends will need to look a little different for a while, but we can find a way to make it happen. What kinds of new business models can we create that support keeping some of these new ways of doing business, of learning, of sharing and connecting?
How might we retain the collaborative spirit brought on by the pandemic after the threat to our wellbeing has diminished?