Project Management in the time of Covid-19
We are all going through something that seems unprecedented: sports leagues cancelled, schools closed, travel grinding to a halt. Many (including myself) are hunkered down at home waiting for the storm to pass, and not knowing when it will.
But this is not something new. This is as old as civilization. Whenever a population has been exposed to a novel virus the results have been dramatic. In the years 165–180 CE the Antonine Plague (probably small pox that traveled across the Silk road from China) killed an estimated 60–70 million people across the Roman Empire, roughly a third of humanity. When the Europeans brought small pox to the Americans it killed approximately 95% of the native population.
But it’s not just smallpox, but also the Black Death, SARS, Ebola and countless more. Both the Spanish Flu and AIDS killed more than 20 million people each in the 20th century. And with each one, we learn. We learn how to recognize the novel infections more quickly, develop treatments that are more effective, and public health strategies that save lives. In 1798 the first vaccine was created before the germ theory of disease was understood. We have tools like Polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing that were unimaginable during the time of the Spanish Flu.
So what’s a lowly project manager to do in the time of Covid-19?
Keep calm is good advice in all situations, but especially one where panic seems like it might be a reasonable response. The phrase that I keep hearing, as the government in Ireland (where I live) orders schools and pubs closed, is “an abundance of caution”. Without extreme measures the number of infected people in a community doubles every two days, so it’s hard to imagine what is an overreaction.
We all need to change our behaviors. I went to college in the 1980s and remember the AIDS crisis and learning about “safe sex”. Now we learn about “social distancing”, which I guess is an extreme form of safe sex. My wife spent two days teaching every student in her school about proper hand-washing. Our past behaviors got us to where we are now, so we can’t just say “I’ve always done it this way” and expect things to be fine. The wet markets in China would be a good place to start to prevent the next pandemic, but it’s too late for that now.
I’m lucky to work for a company that has been fairly proactive. Even before the outbreak, our leadership was fine with people working from home and encouraged virtual meetings. Now working from home is required unless impossible (e.g. manufacturing, bench scientists). Travel restrictions have steadily increased to the point where it’s almost impossible to get a trip approved. Each step has made sense given the facts on the ground at the time.
Typically people who are working from home prefer it: they’ve setup a home office with large displays, a comfortable chair, and a quiet space. Now, there will be people who are making do on their kitchen table, hoping not to be interrupted by a family member.
For some the relative normality of a virtual team meeting will be a welcome respite from the constant news of infections and restrictions. Others may be dealing with kids that are at home since their school has been closed. And still others may be dealing with a sick family member. As a team leader you need to understand everyone’s situation and be empathic to their needs.
I remember my high-school English teacher saying during the discussions of every book that humans get used to everything. We will survive this pandemic just like we survived the ones in the past. We are the descendants of the people who survived these things. So take a deep breath, cough into the crook of your elbow, don’t touch your face, wash your hands for 20 seconds as often as possible, minimize your interactions with others, and take care of your loved ones and neighbours. And if you’re lucky enough to still have a job, do the best you can on that as well.
Originally published at https://asilberlining.com on March 17, 2020.
