A Viral Blitzkreig

What a difference a month can make. Back in mid-March, after my last post, I began to think about the next subject I would write about and capture a few words or phrases to form the foundation of my musings. It was meant to be diving a bit into IIoT (especially for a layman).

Let’s throw that one out for the moment!

The world has changed significantly in the last month (some would say last few months), but I am focusing a bit more on the changes in NA (and Canada, to be specific). The terms of the day include: self-isolation, physical (or social) distancing, flattening the curve, and a new normal, all due to COVID-19 and the coronavirus.

I’m not going to focus on the science of the disease or even how we arrived at this point. I’d rather look ahead and see how the world will recover. With unemployment rising, companies closing down (either permanently or temporarily), and governments calling into play all kinds of emergency (including financial) measures, I’m seeing the 4th significant recession of my career, and the 1st driven by a pandemic, vs economic factors (or yes, a terrorist attack).

Will the economy recover? Absolutely. Like most, it might take 6 months or even up to 2 years to reset, but we will get there. The biggest impact from this event will be another change in focus and priorities for companies, driven in part by the needs and demands of employees. Working from home to achieve a better work-life balance will become increasingly important. Leveraging technology for remote access and great collaboration will gain further steam, and ensuring personal safety (beyond chemical handling and fall protection) will remain at the forefront of most employees ‘ minds for quite some time to come.

Has anything good come out of this pandemic? Certainly it has. More time with family, a chance to slow down and appreciate the simpler things in life. Catching up on reading, talking to one another, family walks, and yes, for me, building a bird house with my son.

The world has become an increasingly hectic place over the last 2-3 decades. This event will allow us to think about what’s important (health, family, simple joys) and make sure we always find the time for them.

In the meantime, let’s keep all those impacted by this terrible virus in our thoughts and prayers.

Darren

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