Reading, Listening, and Watching—The Quarantine Edition

I don’t know about you, but I’m living in my blue light glasses and I have real feelings about Zoom vs GoToMeeting vs UberConference. I’ve binged on articles about how to look my best on camera and how to host effective virtual meetings. I’ve signed up for and subsequently never started a very cool sounding course on Coursera about neural networks and deep learning.

My truth in the time of COVID-19 is that staying connected via calls and video takes more time than I anticipated and staying on top of other work often requires working odd hours. That said, I do find that I need “brain breaks” more than ever these days. I imagine you might feel the same way. So, here’s what’s filling my cup.

COVID-19 Resources

I’m still figuring out how-much-is-too-much information for me, but these resources are informative, accessible, and visually compelling. And, in a time where it’s easy to feel powerless, there is absolutely power in information. 

Reading

As we navigate this unprecedented experience, there are real implications for how we communicate with stakeholders. For most organizations, the main struggle is about how to set expectations at a time when there is such uncertainty. It’s helpful to (a) stay pragmatic—as in, do the best you can with the information you have and (b) stay aware of the regulations and recommendations of regulators. Here’s the most recent response from the SEC.

And here’s a terrific example of a leader exhibiting empathy during an exceptionally difficult period. Keep in mind that as leaders, our employees, social media followers, and stakeholders all look to us for cues about how to behave and feel during uncertain situations.

Listening

As a regular listener and fan of Planet Money on NPR, I’m happy to report they are crushing it with the COVID-19 resources. If, like me, you’re wondering how this crisis will affect the U.S. economy long-term, this is the best analysis I’ve heard about which indicators to watch (and bonus, the whole episode is only eight minutes).

In another episode of Planet Money, Robert Smith and Nick Fountain checked in with the female owner of an auto mechanic shop in Queens, NY about how the pandemic is affecting her business. Like her, many of us with fewer than 500 employees, are looking to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) as a life preserver for our businesses. The problem is that this $350 billion program, meant to save the economy from collapse, is untested. It was thrown together in a week, and the launch has been a mess (reportedly, as of the morning of Thursday, April 16th, the program ran out of money).

Also, if you’re wondering how the Feds can seemingly “click their heels together” and come up with two trillion dollars for an economic rescue package, the folks at Planet Money are wondering the same thing. In this episode, they do a deep dive into the mechanisms involved in  Congress coming up with $2,000,000,000,000 before the economy collapses. Also, they ask: Can you create too much money, and what happens when you do?

Watching

Personally, I haven’t taken the time to watch the Tiger King saga or the latest season of Ozark on Netflix. When I’m not in a virtual meeting, I prefer to Facetime with family and friends. Seeing their smiling faces really helps me feel connected even when we can’t be physically together.

Real World Inspiration

I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to brag on a few of my fellow entrepreneurs. Throughout the present unpleasantness, I’ve been so impressed with the work they are doing on behalf of their clients and their generosity in sharing their skills with the community at large.

Quinn Strategy Group

For leaders considering how to lead during uncertain times, Quinn Strategy Group published a helpful blog article. I love the simplicity and power of the concept: do the next right thing! 

RevMade

So many of us are asking the eternal question: should you continue to market to your audience during a global health pandemic? Answer from RevMade: If you focus on understanding what your audience needs, then you will never go wrong. What they need has likely shifted in light of the crisis, but your audience may need you now more than ever. Don’t know what COVID-19 resources your audience needs? Maybe it’s a good time for a Voice of the Customer (VoC) assessment.

Digital Caffeine

The smart folks at Digital Caffeine Group remind us that now is a great time to get experimental. If not now, when? Get visible and build that brand awareness while some of your peers may be experiencing analysis paralysis. Why not take advantage of this time when “the Internet is on sale” and try some new communication strategies? 

BirchBox

Finally, as a business owner, I’m always on the lookout for inspiration from others who have been through significant challenges. Quarantine is no exception. How I Built This always offers inspiration, optimism, and a reminder of the importance of resilience. 

Here’s a quote from a recent episode that stuck with me:

“It’s not just the grinding. But I think resilience is underestimated…To endure being kicked down a lot. When you have headwind or when you have challenges—what do you choose to do in those moments? I think it would be tough to imagine not building, it would be tough not trying to build reality. It really excites me to imagine the world I want to exist and to try to create it.” — Birchbox, Katia Beauchamp, Co-founder and CEO

How I Built This – March 20, 2020

Keep grinding and stay resilient! We will get through this together, while keeping an appropriate distance, of course. The team at Audacia is here if and when you need us.

Photo Credit: dolgachov