I’ve been inundated with “opportunities” on how to work using video now that we are in place sheltering. One even had the headline of “Never waste a crisis!” Really? Let’s chase ambulances or scam people after an earthquake. If your drive is just to make money, I’m certain that headline is powerful. I’m not against making money. I’m just not into sensationalism and playing on people’s fears.
I’m much more interested in the good that can come out of this pandemic with a sense of community awareness. We are seeing some great headlines. We are seeing people finding ways to help others who are more vulnerable to the virus. We are seeing the environment become cleaner as we have less traffic. It will not be economically sustainable to stay in this type of work from home situation, but it gives us hope in that we can solve some of the political, and environmental issues we are seeing today. We can be self-sustaining in our own communities.
I’ve changed the way I am reaching out to my business friends. I’m not trying to solve their issues or play to their fears regarding illness or lost business. I’m reaching out to see if they are healthy and safe. Not to endear myself to do business with them, but to truly understand how they are handling isolation and perhaps be a sounding board.
This pause in business may turn out to be a blessing for all of us. We are learning to do more with less. We are learning that we don’t have to shout each other down to get our points across. We are learning that there is still humanity in helping each other and there are still great people who live right next to us. There are more conversations and less activity.
I will reach out and work on business development again soon. Now is not the time. Now is not the time to “Never waste a crisis!”. Now is the time to be supportive and to connect in a caring way, not in stoking fear. Together we will turn survival into a thriving new way of working with each other.