COVID-19 & Adaptability
It's been a while… Many individuals have been asking why I haven't posted on here in a while (and I'm sorry). At times I've felt guilty, or lazy, overwhelmed, tired, unmotivated to write. (I'm human). What advice, tips, or experiences do I have to share when our world is at a total standstill? When it feels like the world is ending? When we are all feeling trapped inside, many of us, without jobs or hope for our pre-COVID-19 plans?
Photo source: cdc.gov
The reality is that I don't hold any particular authority. I am no expert, but I am a college student, shifting my original post-grad plans, an intern, learning how to navigate the waters of corporate America in a new environment, a student, "learning" remotely. I knew the time would come when my itch to write would return, and in the meantime, I rested.
The uncertainty of a global pandemic has affected so many in so many ways. For me, the theme of these times has been adaptability. As a nation, we are all forced to adapt in many different ways.
Individually, so many of our routines have changed. There is no more "going to work," if you still are fortunate to have a job (unlike the 20.5 million Americans who lost jobs last month), or unless you are essential (HUGE hugs, shoutouts, and "thank-you" s to those on the front lines). We are spending increased time with our families, or maybe less. We are in a noisy household, or perhaps we are alone. We have been evicted from schools, college campuses, and worksites with virtually no notice. Weddings and once-in-a-lifetime trips are and will be, canceled. (And so much more).
Large corporations and businesses have adapted their in-person operations to remote working. They have strategically altered their practices, prices, and policies to adjust to the landscape and problems most Americans are facing. Entire industries are affected, and the stock market is continually adapting to these changes, in addition to adjusting to political policies and news headlines. Small businesses are flexing their offerings and services, from zoom sessions to curbside pickups, door-to-door deliveries, and more. What do you do when a global pandemic hits and affects (your graduation, your wedding, your employment, your company)? We do the only thing there is to do: adapt to the changing environment we are all currently facing.
Find your opportunity in the market and pursue it. Whether that means increasing online offerings, job searching beyond your network, taking this time to increase your online presence, we all, individuals and businesses, adapt around guidelines and restrictions that juxtapose "Business as usual." …because a global pandemic is anything but that.
Although scientists and politicians cannot yet tell us "when," we do know that the end of this pandemic and quarantine lifestyle is inevitable. At the end of this, when we look back, it will be up to each one of us to decide what we took, gained, or learned from this experience and historical time. For me, I'll remember the way so many were adaptable and open-minded despite not knowing what came next. Furthermore, I'll try to use this skill to better myself as a young professional and businessperson. And at the end of the day, becoming "better" at this time may mean doing the best we can…and that is okay.
How can you adopt adaptability to your career? How can you shift your business now to sustain it for a post-COVID economic landscape? Being adaptable isn't just a business strength; it's one that can improve our everyday lives.
If another surge of the coronavirus emerges in the future, how will you adjust? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! The coronavirus is not forever.
