The Lesson We Need to Learn From COVID

As we walk away from a global pandemic it is time to take a look back to see what we can do better next time. From my perspective there is one over-arching lesson we need to learn.

If you want to be successful, no matter what, no matter how hard it is, do not stop what you are doing. You may have to change how you deliver your wares but don't stop.

As we look at how things are going in 2023, there are some obvious truths. Now, since I live in Canada, this will have a significant Canadian slant.

Organizations that stopped or essentially stopped are having a lot of trouble getting going again. Let's look at airlines. They were almost completely shut down. Now they are having trouble getting people and their luggage to their destinations on time. Flights are late so often that passengers are expecting and planning for it. The likelihood of your luggage arriving with you is not great. This is all on domestic routes. Operating an airline is a very complex and demanding task. However, like anything, if you do it everyday you will get better at it. If you stop, you will start to lose skills.

Government agencies are failing to deliver services that used to be routine. Try and get a Canadian passport in a timely manner or any pilot documentation out of Transport Canada. You will be frustrated, you will be waiting, you probably won't have much luck getting answers if you reach out. It's an unmitigated disaster. At the start of the pandemic, the staff was sent home to flatten the curve. What they flattened is their ability to deliver their mandates.

Now, let's look at the other side of all of this. In Canada grocery retailers never stopped operating. You could always go to the grocery store and buy food. You may have had to wait in line and toilet paper was an issue in the beginning but retailers trundled on. Now, some Members of Parliament feel that they are making too much money. The large operators are being asked to have their Chief Executive Officers testify before parliamentary committees. Imagine, you kept working and got better at what you do, not to mention serviced more people than you ever have before, and as a result, you need to justify the money you made. If you keep working, you keep learning. That makes you better. If your goal is to make money, you should end up making more money, which will look even more impressive next to businesses that stopped and are now on a very long road to recovery.

People are saying the pandemic showed us a lot of things. They say it showed us that knowledge workers can work from home. I think the jury is still out on this one. Some say that we were not prepared, and will not be next time. This may be true but only time will tell. However, the lesson that we do really need to take away is if you want to be successful, don't stop. You won't be perfect everyday but, doing what needs to be done will continually bring you closer to your goals, and teach you the hard lessons you need to go forward.