Week 9 Recap: Being Negative Saves Lives
Why catastrophic thinking could actually help businesses navigate crises
Dear reader,
The coronavirus outbreak has been insane, hasn’t it? It developed a more aggressive strain, according to our doctor friends at Peking University. We saw an explosion of confirmed cases in South Korea because of one single “super-spreader”. Now, the U.S. is deep in a health emergency as more cases of unknown origins pop up. An $8.3 bn emergency bill was even passed to help fund containment efforts—about time.
It’s not just governments, whole businesses are also affected. Anyone reading the news would know that remote working policies are implemented almost everywhere, in a bid to prevent further spread. I went to a co-working space in Singapore and it was pretty empty, less those who were wearing masks (most didn’t).
What’s important here is that remote working policies can incite more chaos than create continuity in the business. Sure, it sounds great to work at home… but what if you’re sick? Since you’re already at home, do you still have to join meetings since everything is on the laptop? How will working hours be treated if everyone’s timezone is a little different (especially in the U.S.)?
Communication matters.
If these companies planned for a transition into remote working or had planned on how they can adapt to a company-wide distribution, navigating the coronavirus outbreak would be simple.
Unfortunately, we know that’s not the case, and companies will continue to scramble like the governments around the world.
This week, we had two posts focusing on the COVID-19 outbreak. Here’s the recap:
On Wednesday, we talked about how companies are screwing themselves with their chaotic remote working policies. In this edition, we focus on how any business can make it work, so as long as they follow four simple steps.
On Friday, we focused on the “doomsday mentality”—catastrophic thinking that can help companies forecast and plan for the worst. It sounds like a ridiculous time-waster during peacetime, but capsizing during global emergencies will prove otherwise.
If you want to read more about the COVID-19 outbreak, there’s actually a publication on Medium for you to read. It focuses on consequences, impacts, and facts that make a difference in a person’s life. Hit the button below:
Stay safe during the COVID-19 outbreak, and be strict with the hygiene—no matter where you are. Your health is the most important and I wish that you stay safe and healthy as we tough through this epidemic together.
See you in the next post!
Yours Sincerely,
Andy from H+B
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