Last week I wrote about three human capabilities being surfaced by COVID-19 and the global pandemic. At best, things are pretty weird times for humanity. More likely, these are definitely uncertain and very scary times, especially for the most vulnerable folks in our communities. Amidst so much adversity, folks are working innovatively and together to get through this thing. Here are three more human capabilities being surfaced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Creativity
From standup desks to digital cocktail parties, people are getting creative in order to reconcile important physical distancing with our natural need for social connection. Last Saturday our group of friends had a Zoom-supported meetup (we wore funny hats) and our family has created a kid-led activity schedule for the day that keeps us all organized and engaged. Mostly. Some NBA podcasts have gone on hiatus, but my favourite NBA podcast, “No Dunks”, has re-invented itself with a whole bunch of unique and kinda weird content.
Organizations are activating 100% remote workforces and Italians are connecting across balconies through song because people are naturally innovative creatures who will always find ways to express humanity regardless of the terrible circumstances.
Collaboration
People and organizations are coming together to support our most vulnerable citizens. Neighbours are picking up groceries, sharing resources and spreading kindness. I’ve been continuously inspired by colleagues who are taking on different work, newskilling themselves to be redeployed to other parts of the business, and enthusiastically offering to transition into a member-facing role on the phones or in branches to support critical financial transactions.
Around the world there are more stories of communities working together to get through these difficult times than there are examples of things going sideways (except on Twitter, but that’s a slightly different story).
Resilience
During times of crisis our inability to focus is exacerbated. According to HBR’s Hougaard, Carter and Mohan, we can build out mental toughness through mindfulness:
Mental resilience, especially in challenging times like the present, means managing our minds in a way that increases our ability to face the first arrow and to break the second before it strikes us. Resilience is the skill of noticing our own thoughts, unhooking from the non-constructive ones, and rebalancing quickly. This skill can be nurtured and trained.
Resilience is measured by recovering, recharging and bouncing back, not by enduring hardship in the moment. My awesome friend and mentor, Mandeep, recommends that we recharge in – or inspired by – nature because of the historic interconnection of human beings with the natural environment:
Whatever these mountains look like, our bodies are consistently overcoming and making it to the ‘top’. Some days I am asked what I’ve done and I can say I scaled the tallest mountain in myself. I climbed over my uncertainty like it was merely a [steppingstone]. But I am learning some days I will be asked what I’ve done with these hours. I won’t know what to say except I survived them, I breathed like I was not drowning. I accepted the kindness of strangers, I let myself live.
The metaphor of a mountain is apt for our time (after all, we’re literally trying to #FlattenTheCurve so that a steep ascent doesn’t overwhelm our healthcare systems). Whether we’re facing a steep ascent with our precarious finances, our careers or social isolation, we have a chance to recover from the struggle and, perhaps, gather energy from what we experienced and learned.
Stay safe everyone.