Over the past few weeks, we’ve had multiple daily calls discussing and brainstorming how our team and our clients can weather this once in a lifetime storm/virus. As this is clearly uncharted waters, we thought long and hard on what a playbook would look like, from adjustments to full blown new approaches.

Our conclusion at this point in the Coronavirus timeline is that we just don’t have enough data, nor fully understand the dynamics of this pandemic to make concrete recommendations.

The conclusion we do feel confident in, however, is that the U.S. will not be quite the same as it bounces back, and that will require business planning changes. While we clearly don’t have all the answers, we did want to share what we believe are some useful actions in the short term.

What Coronavirus Means for Yourself

While most of us will continue to work remotely and utilize technology to bridge the face-to-face gap, we still believe this period of self quarantine will offer unique quiet and quality time rarely available in our normal fast moving lives.

Optimizing this quality time cannot only be self-improving, but can be profoundly powerful in dealing with current anxiety and stresses. Ideas from our team include: healthy eating, more sleep, catching up on overdue reading, exercise, hobby development, etc. But what we believe is the most powerful is the reconnecting with family and friends with meaningful, unrushed conversation. 

Changes Ahead for Your Team and Colleagues

Here again, we believe this sequestered time will present opportunities to not only help your employees and peers navigate these difficult times, but even more importantly this will allow for deep and meaningful discussion - discussions on ways to improve the numbers, the job satisfaction quotient, the communication model, building powerful diverse teams, creating work force equality,  etc.

Not only will there be time for the discussions over the coming weeks, but we believe that there will be a “one for all, all for one” human dynamic (like we saw during 9/11) that can and will result in powerful breakthroughs for many individuals, teams, and companies.

What Can Your Business Do?

Over the past week, we’ve been reaching out to our clients. Texts, e-mails, phone calls, and even short handwritten notes have gone out with simple and sincere message asking them how they and their team are doing and that we are here, standing by ready and willing to help them now or help them to be ready to powerfully reengage when this horrendous cloud lifts. 

While no one could have predicted the Coronavirus, what this stochastic event does reinforce is the need for well-thought out and effective contingency plans.

We still remember the time and thoughtfulness that went into companies Y2K contingency plans. And, while Y2K never materialized into the threat some predicted, companies were well prepared and ready.

We believe there will be three buckets to categorize companies and even individuals after the Coronavirus dust settles:

1. Those who will catastrophically fail, some with no fault of their own.

2. Those who will slowly and painfully bounce back after a period of difficult time.

3. And those who will have their plans updated, their teams focused, their customers ready and their mind and body ready to excel in a controlled virus environment.

Good health and our best to you the reader, your family, colleagues and customers.