Crisis as Human-To-Human Accelerant

There’s nothing like a good crisis to make you refine your values, and Covid-19 has everyone taking stock of what really matters in life. No surprise what tops the list for individuals: family, friends, safety, and a sense of community. Many people are rediscovering the joys of homesteading arts, such as gardening, canning, cooking, playing music or board games, while others create many digital expressions through gaming, social media, and fine art programs.
Yet, people are also more deeply listening to one another, as the longing for connection grows in a Zoom world. This listening and this longing are not lost on smart companies. They understand that behind this yearning is the human will to help other people—and this ethos calls for them to find ways to be more compassionate organizations for those who are increasingly calling their co-workers their “work family” and for those whom they create and sell products and services.
A local distillery here in my hometown of Memphis switched gears and made 100s of gallons of hand sanitizer for free use at local Essential stores: grocery stores, gas stations, etc. Restaurants are flooded with huge catering orders for healthcare workers on the front lines of the crisis, paid for by many small businesses who’s employees are able to work from home. A PPE company donates masks to nurses. These are a few examples of gratitude in action, compassion.
But the real disruption is that organizations realize they are not a monolithic entity—and that culture is very human. This awakening in accelerating the heart of the post-industrial world, the emerging human-to-human era. It’s an era led by compassion and backed with helpful zeal.