Securing All That You Need | Accelerate Success with Lorraine Moore

Securing all that you need – this has taken on new meaning for everyone during this pandemic. It has been reflected in the waves of empty shelves in stores. First, hand sanitizer and wipes, then yeast, flour, bread, pasta, and recently, hair clippers.

For many, what we believe we need could be altered due to loss of income and/or falling investments. For healthcare workers and those on the front line, health and safety requires consistent access to PPE and equipment such as ventilators. Consider those in food processing plants, transit drivers, auto assembly lines and other essential service workers; the need for physical distancing is a new and likely ongoing need. I expect we will see increased respect for and financial remuneration to those who work in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes, retail staff, healthcare at all levels, perhaps daycare workers, and others. If you operate a business in these (and some other) industries, now is the time to anticipate conversations with your unions and employees to discuss their expectations.

For all of us, access to quality and timely healthcare and the health and safety of ourselves, our family and friends, while always paramount, now supersedes most other needs. This will have long term implications for healthcare services and will influence the choices we make in society.

I have been contemplating this as a mantra flows through my mind, “Don’t let a crisis go to waste.”

I am optimistic that the faster implementation of digital technology and more rapid innovation will improve the quality of lives the world over. If we can develop a vaccine in 18 months or less, compared to the previous four years, what else can we achieve in the fight against disease, or infant mortality in developing countries?
Already a fan of virtual healthcare consultations with nurse practitioners and physicians, I can envision these services becoming more broadly available. These virtual consultations could be quite beneficial for remote Indigenous communities, rural locations, and parents of young children everywhere. How I would have loved virtual healthcare when my 18-month-old had his third ear infection in six months. Rather than leaving work to take him to the doctor’s office, exposing both of us to bacteria and viruses, then waiting in line at the pharmacy and driving him home again, a virtual appointment could have kept both of us healthier, and my workday would have been less disrupted. (As an aside, let’s not mistake the bumpy implementation of new technologies with their efficacy and long-term benefits, particularly when the technology is unveiled quickly. I know there have been some concerns with virtual healthcare, but let’s not throw out the proverbial baby with the bathwater.)
I believe we have the opportunity for positive advancements at all stages of education. If we can reallocate the costs of our traditional delivery mechanisms, and further exploit technology, nurses and nursing students can more rapidly develop their skills in assessing respiratory problems through the use of virtual reality – which is under development right now! And why shouldn’t students studying grade 10 geography be able to learn from the highest-rated teacher (in that subject) on the planet?

On a personal level, what will you carry forward from this time? Here are some of my thoughts at this stage of the pandemic:

I hope to maintain the increased frequency of communication with my friends, particularly those who live in different parts of the country and the world. It has been so enriching to connect with many of them again, more often.
I will prioritize travelling to see aging family members rather than waiting until the next time I am in their locale for work.
My daily meditation practice has been very beneficial during this time. In the past, I truly believed that I didn’t “have time” for more than a 10-minute mediation. I really do have time for a 30-minute meditation, and it is that much more impactful.
I hope my favourite barre studio (Barre Body Calgary) maintains the on-demand classes as I am now completing classes three times per week rather than once.
We already lived in a very supportive neighbourhood. This has ramped up even more, and I will do what I can to perpetuate the consideration for and support of my neighbours, wherever I live.
I expect we will keep a larger supply of non-perishable items in our cupboards, without overstocking.
I will have faith in our ability to maintain close relationships with our children and grandchildren, even from a distance. I am grateful for technology so that many of us can engage through video.
I will greet more strangers on the street – as people are doing now, much more now, from our 2 metres and further distances.
We will sustain our lifelong commitment to philanthropy.
When the stock market crashes again, and it will, I will remember my early 20s and some years after, when I had very little, in cash or material possessions, but always had friends, a home and enough money for a night in with spaghetti, a bottle of wine and friends. The wine was not nearly as good as what we have today, the furniture was rougher, and our space was smaller, but we could still make room to dance and gather together. And the stock market always rebounds.

In a future post, I will ponder what we may choose to let go of and not carry into the post-COVID-19 world. I will also write and speak about some of the implications for businesses, and how leaders are thinking of changing the models of work.

During these challenging times, we need each other to weather the changing tides. Reach out to discuss how I may support your success. Contact me today.