My days are so different now. Minor matters that once seemed so urgent no longer take on the importance they once did. This moment is the perfect time to ask ourselves what each of us can do to improve our way of both living and doing business. We’re at a critical juncture to look at the way in which we live in order to best enrich our collective future.

If it was not obvious before, now it’s clearer than ever: we are all globally related. Our lives depend on one another.

Sitting with my morning cup of coffee, I wonder: how can I best leverage this moment, this pause, to help guarantee that I can show up tomorrow better and more purposeful? Perhaps this is something we’re all contemplating in the mornings as we navigate our new way of living and working at-home. Here are some of my musings:

• I am going to take a step back and continuously question my usual mode of operation. What seemed utterly impossible only one week ago is now a reality. Why not challenge norms and suggest new ways to live and take action? Instead of driving to the market once a week, I will start walking to collect the groceries. I’ll reduce my greenhouse gas emissions, exercise my body, and slow down to appreciate the beautiful outdoors.
• I am committed to filling my day with connection. I am going to focus on interactions and projects that bring value to those around me – enriching the lives of my family members, friends, colleagues, clients, and surrounding community. With some of our marketing campaigns on pause, my team and I now have the time to think outside the box about what it means to bring true value within our industry. We’re going to explore and try new tools to connect more meaningfully with our clients and partners.
• I plan to take the lessons I tell my daughters to heart – get creative! In every decision I make, I will re-imagine creating a world where we can all live and work in better global alignment. Instead of sending an email to my colleague in India, I’ll find a time where we’re both available on Teams to have a virtual video chat. I’ll not only get my original question answered, but we’ll also have an opportunity to feel more connected to each other… and maybe even come up with new solutions!

I decided to ask some of my colleagues how they’re feeling and to share their thoughts on what they hope the future may hold. I hope you find these as comforting as I do.

“At Cogiscan, I think we’re all pretty lucky to be able to work remotely without major drawbacks. Others don’t have this chance…” Etienne Dubé, Software Developer, Quebec, Canada

“On the business side of things, I think that having people work from home and interact virtually will show companies that it is possible to function in alternative ways. I feel that even after COVID-19, companies will probably offer their employees more the possibility to work remotely. And they may also continue planning meetings virtually with customers and partners because it will have shown to work too. This may have a great positive impact on the environment in the long term.

It is important during this time that everyone feels supported and cared for. In general, I am positive that we can overcome this, although some will be hit harder than others. Working together in collaboration, as the whole humankind, will help us overcome faster. Who knew that our company main value would need to be the worldwide main value so quickly.” – Wanita Grenier, Technical Writer, British-Columbia, Canada

“I was so proud to tell a customer during a call today about Cogiscan’s social responsibility and consciousness towards supporting customer and partners – without interruption in services, and more importantly, by helping them remotely since our TTC system doesn’t need someone to be onsite.” Yogesha S.K., Sales Application Engineer, Karnataka, India

“We are currently going through a defining moment in human history, on a similar scale to the Spanish flu pandemic 100 years ago. I am confident that we will get through this and learn several important lessons along the way. Life will eventually get back to a new normality that will be different from what we experienced before COVID-19 and it’s not necessarily a bad thing. This is how humans have improved and progressed over time. The only constant is change and the more we are pushed outside of our comfort zone the more progress we can make. For the next few months, we need to focus our attention on helping each other, we will get through this together. We can look forward to a wiser, stronger and more connected humankind on the other side of this crisis.” François Monette, CSMO, Quebec, Canada.

Let’s collaborate and find solutions we can all benefit from – enriching our lives today by preparing for a tomorrow that is more connected, conscious, and kind. Uplift one another globally.