5 minute read
When emulating a virus is positive
If there is anything we need to acknowledge during this lockdown, is that the coronavirus is pretty darn smart, tenacious and yes, novel.
The entire world is in various stages of lockdown and, at the time of writing, South Africa’s timeframe has just been extended to the end of the month of April. It’s pretty certain that no-one is celebrating this and in fact, unfortunately, many companies that barely survived the first fortnight of lockdown, are going to be tipped over the break-even abyss.
We could, however, take this opportunity to learn something from this virus that has gripped its tentacles around the entire globe. There are several things businesses can do now to ready themselves for reopening after the lockdown, of which some are adopting a few of the coronavirus’ characteristics – but without endangering lives.
TENACITY
The virus is tenacious, all but invisible and, once it gets a hold, there are two outcomes: survival or not.
Non-survival, in the business world, is not an option – normally. These are unusual times and to survive them, tenacity is an important characteristic a business can adopt. With many employees working remotely this is when businesses (literally) need to stay the distance, to persevere with energy and as much fortitude as possible; to hang in there, to encourage each other, to support supply chains and loyal customers and, most importantly, care for your people.
The Essential Group has developed robust and frequent communications with its membership base. “We understand how they are being personally impacted by the virus and we get involved with reassuring where possible, about how to support them. We have used this to help and advise them to enhance offerings, to upskill, to defend,” says Essential Group’s general manager, Reinier van den Bergh.
With these processes in place, while it is nevertheless possible that there will be collateral damage, it may be minimalised.
NOVEL ADAPTATIONS AND RESILIENCE
This virus is unique, adaptable and appears to ‘mutate’; it is simple in structure and has varying levels of resilience. This makes it all the more difficult to break its defences, to get rid of it, to find a cure. If we applied these characteristics to the business environment, a solution wouldn’t be nearly as sinister as mutating, but it would entail adapting, being agile in thought processes, changing, finding new avenues for business, strategising and thinking differently, innovatively. This is a time where social distancing must be maintained, but social interfacing is still viable; where you don’t need sanitiser and gloves to communicate with your audience and, bonus, you don’t even need to don a suit to go to a virtual meeting. Assess what your customers require from you and approach suppliers about what their offerings are. If cashflow is a challenge, get creative and consider bartering with other products and services.
The biggest commodity during any crisis, is trust. Reassure all your customers, suppliers, stakeholders and the public, generally, that you are practising apt measures to fight the pandemic. Be seen to be doing something – and even contributing to a resolution.
This is an opportunity to do things differently, using all the available technology and various platforms for interacting with customers, colleagues and the rest of the world. Social media can be a perfect platform for this, as well as an avenue for obtaining viewpoints and ideas from customers. Lockdown is the perfect time to think about developing additional services and methods that previously there was no time for. Spur on your employees to feel useful and appreciated by involving them in this process.
While the Essential Group mandates wearing gloves, using sanitisers and maintaining social distancing, we also ensure that we keep in contact with our suppliers, customers and members. Gloves on doesn’t mean hands-off; on the contrary, our supply chain is vital to our success and through maintaining contact, we are available in an advisory capacity for our members across the country.
GIVING UP THE HOST
It is said that a virus is not a living entity, it is more parasitic than alive and thus, requires a host to survive. In fact, this virus can remain inert on many surfaces from hours to days, until it can attach itself to a convenient host. So, the choice here, business-wise, is whether or not you choose to be a ‘host’ or fight the virus?
It’s time to turn up the heat; viruses hate that, as their replication systems work better at lower temperatures – read business ambivalence and apathy.
The interesting thing about a virus is that its composition is really simple. It’s not even a cell. Maybe, in this case, emulating them is a positive thing? Companies do not need to be cumbersome corporates, but agile, quick and adaptable, with a clear message that is easy to replicate and pass on, with speed of implementation. They need to investigate creative ways to find a system or process to overcome the constraints of the ‘host’ and emerge stronger for it. While most viruses make us ill, there is an upside, we develop antibodies and become stronger for the experience.
Microsoft believes that the pandemic will be a turning point that will change how we work and learn forever.
Jared Spataro, head of Microsoft 365, said in an interview with The Verge, “We don’t see people going back to work and having it the same as it was. There are different restrictions to society, there are new patterns in the way people work. There are societies that are thinking of A days and B days of who gets to go into the office and who works remotely.”
“When we, the Essential Group, emerge on the other side of this lockdown – and we will – it will be with a stronger membership, a team that has remained in communication, shared experiences, albeit remotely, and a team that has supported each other through a global event,” Reinier concludes.
