To say that these are strange times would be an understatement. The current reality is that children are attending school from home, employees are working from home or furloughed until the economy recovers, and restaurants and bars are closed, limiting service to drive thru only. These are just a few of today’s highlights. Social distancing was created, limiting groups to 10 or less in some areas. In my hometown in New Jersey, curfews are being enforced, limiting families from leaving their homes unless essential for food, medication, and some specialty situations. Many of us don’t like or completely understand why we are doing the things we are being asked to do. Few understand “flattening the curve” to allow our medical community to handle this new virus. Life, however, is a team sport, and although we may not understand all the details of why we are doing what we are doing, people understand the need to “slow the spread” as a step in the right direction, and for the most part, are participating. But there’s an upside to all this. New environments and requirements present new opportunities. Let’s make sure we are looking for them!

It has been my experience that some of the greatest ideas come from the new challenges we face. I urge you to view the current environment as our new reality versus a temporary situation. If kids will never enter a school building again, what new teaching methods will be required? We all have experience with a small percentage of employees working from home, but what processes or tools need to be developed if the larger percentage of associates work from home indefinitely? What process improvements are required for this new, high demand for remote work, learning, and social interaction? What gaps have we uncovered as a result of working in this new reality? How can we leverage innovation to solve these new problems? How can we apply this new learning to gain a competitive edge? Phenomenal opportunities are everywhere during times like this.

My wife is a middle school teacher. Her district’s students and staff were instructed to move to a distance learning environment a week before Spring Break. Fortunately, the district has a robust e-learning infrastructure with each student having an iPad and a state-of-the-art learning platform. As a matter of standard process, students submit and retrieve assignments via this platform all year long, as it supplements the in-classroom environment. During these times, however, it had to become the primary platform for in-class learning. They resumed e-learning after Spring Break, and currently there is no plan to return to the school building.

Each evening, she assesses what is working and what is not. During one of her evening reviews, she noticed unusually high participation from students who are typically more introverted and quieter. These students were “blossoming” in this new environment. Apparently, this group of students felt somewhat intimidated in the classroom environment, and now that barrier has been removed! She immediately began working on how to revise the classroom process so that these students can continue to thrive when they return to the traditional classroom environment. This new reality was an improvement in the learning methods for this group of students. These methods can also be reused for hospitalized and homebound children. Our new reality has driven a process improvement for more introverted students as well as anyone requiring distance learning. The learning environment will be improved as a result of this disruption.

I recently heard Dr. Birx, member of the Coronavirus Task Force, during her daily briefing. She was talking about the new process of “Senior Hours”. The theory is to have special hours for vulnerable seniors when the store is most clean and the risk of contracting the virus is greatly reduced. Birx commented that she would like to see these shopping hours implemented for the future as a standard process, because this also reduces our seniors’ exposure to flu, colds, and all other illnesses that put them at risk. Although the process was developed during this disruption to reduce the spread of Covid-19, it will become a great enhancement for humanity after the current pandemic.

Dr. Susan Frampton, President of Planetree Healthcare, is encouraged by the advancement of virtual doctor visits. “We’ve rapidly found ways to conduct primary care visits over the phone or via tablet, improving convenience for everyone involved. No more waiting in a room filled with ill people, no more driving into an office when you just don’t feel well and need to stay in bed. Predictions are that we won’t be going back to the old way, as we find amazing ways to attach scopes and cameras to our phones and computers to do everything from an EKG to mental health counseling from the privacy of your home.”

Although online grocery shopping is not new, curbside pick-up is a new addition. Many stores will maintain this process for a competitive advantage as they see the benefit to our seniors and handicapped individuals, as well as adults and children with contagious illnesses. Businesses, in general, are seeing tremendous improvements with video conferencing software, and those that were skeptical about a remote workforce are finding that they can work seamlessly. They just needed a push to try it!

Let’s talk about restaurants who are now limited to drive thru. How many restaurants are going to realize that their businesses are doing better without having to upkeep a dining room and wait staff? If you like the food, you will keep coming back via drive thru, and the restaurant’s infrastructure is greatly reduced. Although the dining experience is certainly something that we all enjoy, I predict that several restaurants will change their business models going forward to drive thru only and be wildly more profitable.

Where are the innovations in your businesses? What gaps have been uncovered that you can be the first to address? What does your new workday look like? How do you maintain the efficiency that some associates are showing, much like the students who thrive in this new, virtual learning world? What products and services can help your customers perform in the new world we face?

It’s easy to feel the doom and gloom of the current pandemic, especially with a 24-hour news cycle. I challenge you, however, to find the gold nuggets in all of this. What needs or gaps have you discovered that can be addressed through innovation? How can your team perform better now that they have total time flexibility? How can the work process be altered to accommodate the current environment? The opportunities for improvement and innovation are there. Spend some time with your teams to discuss what isn’t working and what is. The people that adjust and innovate will be the big winners during and after this global event.