Locked down forever??

Locked down again due to pandemic again. This second  COVID19 wave, new mutations and the probability for more of them in the near future make difficult to think that this is going to end in the short run.  All of us were “expecting” or “wishing” that 2021 we would return to our lives before COVID19. However, we can not wait any more and we have to figure out an “strategic coexistence” with this virus.

A lot have been said about megatrends that would change the business world and life of all human beings in this planet for the next 10 years. All virtually, online, less physical socialization due to new technologies and devices, just as we are right now in an accelerated way. But, even the most recognized gurus can not visualized that this might happen some time.

Just a year ago we said that we were not ready for a pandemic… today we still say that we are not ready for a second wave… will we really be prepared sometime? and in the meantime…are we going to wait for?  What?? How?? When??

Since my own point of view, we can not wait any longer… Businesses and governments  need to think about real problems and start working on:

• We are going from global to local. Countries are in locked down again, therefore  international markets are not going to be the only one wealth generator, it might be after the local market.
• Home Office will remain longer time. Companies will have to decide about that kind of the most suitable and efficient infrastructure out of a building (new business model). I talking about infrastructure at home with equipment to work properly since a confortable chair up to connectivity and technology. It is highly probable that hiring talented people will be under new working conditions, more linked to project oriented or specific goals than specific working hours in a place. Soft skills, emotional  intelligence, selfmanagement skills would be fundamental to any level within a company to be able to become efficient. Managers and directos would have deep commitment to make it happen with support to any employee.
• Technology and cibersecurity would be a mayor asset. It is not de same working within protected framework in an office than managing a lot of confidential information out of and office. New strategies and protocols to protect all that information, virtual meetings and cloud files will be necessary. Experts in analytics, business intelligence and so on would have a lot to do…