• IN TIMES OF CRISIS, COMMUNICATION BECOMES AN EVEN MORE CRITICAL ELEMENT IN EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP. Beyond explaining to workers ‘what’ and ‘how’ changes in routine and behavior are necessary, even when a matter of urgency, leaders often forget that people, especially employees, are reluctant to “try something new or hard unless they know ‘why,’ and are motivated to do so.”  Focusing on clarity of content & presentation are always paramount, but assuming that “it seems so self-evident, it should be obvious to everyone” is a mistake; it’s also critical to “consider the ‘why’ element… in order to inspire and motivate someone to do the next right thing.”  [HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW – 5/6/20]
  • A TACTIC IN SEARCH OF AN EXTRICATION STRATEGY: Because politicians, experts and journalists have warned that Covid-19 is an apocalyptic scenario, “a massive new regime of political control over the details of ordinary life, with unprecedented restrictions on freedoms has emerged, while our economy crashes.” Despite the fact that no such ‘crisis’ has materialized – statistics showing that even in NYC, the death rate is .01% with over 99% involving seniors with ‘underlying conditions’ and/or residents of nursing homes –  an economic and social crisis has indeed emerged. Harris polling suggests that 57% of millennials say they are “afraid they’ll die of the virus.” As shutdowns continue, ‘accountability’ is nowhere to be seen, as “government policymakers fear that, by overacting, they’ve created a monster – a genie they don’t know how to put back in the bottle – having adopted the one-size-fits-all policy… with little evidence they’ve carried out the kind of objective, data-based cost/benefit analysis that is indispensable to responsible crisis management.” Since neither politicians nor media are willing to acknowledge their failures, and it’s more important to obtain and maintain their jobs & power, we’re doomed to a much longer and more difficult recovery.  [STAR TRIBUNE – 5/7/20]
  • AS BUSINESS REOPENING BEGINS on a state-by-state & sector-by-sector basis, the shutdown may instigate a “breeding ground of opportunity for litigants with frivolous liability claims, if workers potentially then fall sick from Covid-19.” While protection steps will certainly be taken by most – safety precautions & warnings, sanitizing processes, plexi-glass dividers, repositioned furniture & equipment for ‘distancing,’ staggered shifts, etc. – any business is always vulnerable to harassment and/or lawsuits for sickness or ‘wrongful death.’ So federal lawmakers have begun debating the degree to which companies should or not have legislated protection beyond existing tort law which “requires proof of a causal link between Company conduct and worker injury.” Expect the typical party platform arguments pro/con any necessity to encourage reopening and further spur economic rebound.  [THE WEEK – 5/15/20]
  • VEHICLE DASHBOARDS HAVE MIGRATED FROM KNOBS & BUTTONS TO TOUCHSCREENS, some larger than a laptop screen, which can be dangerous distractions. Latest research testing systems from Apple Car Play and Android Auto showed ‘reaction time,’ in comparison to old-line knobs, increased by up to 50%, “exceeding even the adverse effects of using a hand-held mobile phone while driving, which is banned in most countries.” Using screen-touch controls also took longer to respond than using voice controls – resulting in increased stopping distance of up to 80 feet, from taking 20 seconds to play a song on Spotify, 16 seconds to set up a restaurant route, eight times longer to select a new radio station, and twice as long to simply adjust the heater.” [ECONOMIST – 5/9/20]
  • THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK:

     “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you react…  Life is 10% what you make of it, and 90% how you take it.”  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFHlxLWdeTQ&feature=emb_rel_end

     A Classic for Bob Dylan fans: A great ‘oldie’ for Covid-times!  https://www.democraticunderground.com/1017581018