Leadership During the Unknown
It's been roughly 2.5 months since my last "original" blog post on February 28th. It was one of the few I made since the world was turned upside down.
As we start to emerge from our protective, “Shelter In Place” lives, I have been reflecting on how each of us has reacted in our own way to the changes brought on by Covid-19.
In the early days, my inbox was flooded with, “Our Covid-19 Response,” emails. I opened the first two or three, read them in their entirety, before realizing that everyone was initially responding much the same way - lots of platitudes, little real action, no strong leadership. It seemed that many thought “we” would be different, that this crisis would pass “us” by quickly. Many talked about reopening in “two weeks” (this seemed naive, given that Wuhan had already been locked down for several weeks, but I was hopeful that maybe someone knew more than I did…).
When I look back, it is not really a surprise that no one really had the answers. They were all just doing the best they could given the big, scary unknown that comes from a new virus that spread quietly, and killed with efficiency.
Focus on What You Can Control
As someone who thrives on fact-based problem solving, writing, “Our Covid-19 Response,” felt a little bit like filling out the “Do” section with an Action Plan on an A3 before grasping the current situation and defining the problem. So, rather than publishing what felt like another well-intentioned but meaningless response, I decided instead to focus on what I could control.
For me, it has meant hunkering down at home, taking care of my family, adjusting to figuring out how to still work with two of my children home, adjusting to not seeing my third because her fiancé works with the public and she does not want to risk exposing us or her grandparents to a threat that could be yet undetected.
I have focused also on figuring out how to best help my clients - all of whom have seen drastic changes from the pandemic. Some have seen a jump in sales from new products in different markets. On one hand they feel relief that their business is not yet another casualty of the virus, but also, many of these folks are struggling with a sense of guilt that their business is thriving.
Then there are others - whose customers have gone ghost. They aren’t sure how they will pay suppliers or make payroll, let alone focus on their Continuous Improvement Journey.
Despite these challenges, we are lucky. I know this.
We are still here.
Some Say, "Never Waste a Good Crisis."
While I understand in principle the concept, I have read this statement countless times this year. Each time it seems horrifically cold and crass in a world where so many have lost so much... and it fills me with grief, a quiet rage.
Let me state for the record, this is not a “good crisis.”
People are dying, many have been sickened, or have lost limbs. These are our family members, our friends, our colleagues. They are our neighbors, our doctors and nurses, our orderlies, our grocery store stocking people and clerks.
I am in full agreement that as we emerge from crisis and start to envision our new normal, we can see more clearly what needs to change. And I know that much will change. But as we start to think about what life and work might look like in that future, let us not forget: much HAS already changed. For many, life will never feel quite "normal" again. This crisis has human faces, hearts, and souls.
©2020 Dawn Armfield, ValueFlo Consulting LLC
