On Reopening ..

.. Let’s just not reopen, let’s move ahead:

• We have learned much about Telecommuting, Remote Education and Telemedicine .. let’s learn more. I’m sure there are a few symposiums in the future for these groups.
• We’ve also learned about traffic patterns .. do all these streets need to be reopened? Especially those around parks? Let’s have a look.
• Our digital infrastructure performed well enough for my company’s ~2,200 global staff .. but did it for everyone else? Where does this need to be upgraded? The responsibility for this will likely fall into the hands of forward-thinking corporate sponsors.

Right now, let’s learn from this. We must “Apply the Lessons of History” and make the new present the roadmap to move forward.

What’s possible? Well, if we think through it:

• Companies can spend less on office space.
• Workers will spend less on gas.
• Everyone gets their commute time back.

Sounds good .. But:

• Offices can re-think workspaces, manage meeting rooms and traffic patterns. Might be easier if part of their workforce remains in WFH mode.
• Commercial buildings must consider public spaces, elevators, traffic patterns from the car park to the buildings. Easy to put tape on the floor, but how to ensure compliance?
• Restaurants need to manage profitability at 25-50% of capacity .. easier with outdoor seating, but what changes can they consider for inside? More open-air? Better ventilation / filtration?
• Schools can separate desks and manage traffic patterns, but reducing schools to 40-50% of capacity potentially means split shifts, more teachers, automated curriculum, a combination of in-person and remote education, and many more considerations.

Just some thoughts, fueled by the push to re-open, regardless of the risks that still exist in some areas.

Again, the variable in the equation is us. I call this out in “Follow the Data .. Not the Date ..“. If we find ourselves returning to these shared spaces we must ensure we take all the precautions available to us and modify our behavior accordingly .. not only to protect us, but to protect everyone else.

Respect the Mask .. it’s important.

Be smart. Stay connected. Stay safe. Stay home when you can. Be careful when you’re not.