About a week ago I was at the MODEX 2020 material handling trade show. It was great seeing old friends and industry colleagues, unfortunately, that was about all I saw. Much of the industry stayed away due to the deepening and now all-encompassing corona virus. The show floor was littered with empty spaces or booths that were built, but with no one to work them. After the show was over, I couldn’t help but overhear the conversations of the forklift drivers, electricians and laborers all talking about how this would be their last real job in the foreseeable future. They would soon be unemployed, and the uncertainty of this new reality was unsettling to say the least.
I had thought, naively, that this hysteria would indeed, blow over. However, we all know what happened next; sporting events and seasons were canceled, schools and restaurants closed, and grocery stores can’t seem to stay in stock of the essentials. I now find myself working from home, alongside my whole family. My daughter and son are now to complete the rest of their school year virtually, while my wife and I both jockey for position in our home office every morning. God bless the internet.
So…now what?
It might be difficult to see a silver lining in all of this, but I think it’s there if you look. This event has afforded us the one thing we’ve all been trying to carve out for ourselves before COVID-19…time. The surplus of time we now have can be used to do the work we always said we wanted to do, but never achieved due to the busy, “day in and day out.” This could be the perfect time to work on the idea that has always sat in the back seat of your mind, that business proposal you have put off writing, or investigating technology or software that could help your business once we return to normal operations.
I hope you can use this trying time to reflect on where you and/or your company stand, on the path ahead. We now actually have time to think without worrying about traffic, kid's sporting events or any of the other noise that always seems to slip in. But most importantly, may you, your family and friends stay safe.