Many are afraid of change. The boring familiar is so much easier to handle in a world that seems to be falling apart around us. But the recent pandemic proved that change, even when major, can be a good thing. The COVID19 crisis changed the world, and we have to now learn to live with that.
Especially when it comes to education, leadership and healthcare we have already seen major wake-up moments. Imminent changes are occurring as we speak. Here are 3 things that you should be aware of:
3 x How The COVID19 Crisis Changed The World
The New Age of Healthcare – What Will It Look Like?
Did you hear about the super-rich Russians hording all the respirator machines in the entire country when the pandemic hit? They had the resources to buy and move all of these much needed machines to their own mansions and palaces wherever they pleased. Leaving their countrymen to suffocate in already badly equipped hospitals.
With hospitals literally bulging by the seams, poorly paid healthcare workers risking their lives daily and governments fighting over vaccinations made in their country, one couldn’t help but feel quite insignificant.
A UN report on Humans Rights during the Covid19 crisis states: “Every human being is entitled to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health conducive to living a life in dignity. Everyone, regardless of their social or economic status, should have access to the health care they need.”
As we all very well know, this is not the case in many, perhaps even most countries in the world right now. I say ‘right now‘ because fact is that the COVID19 crisis has changed the world in this regard already.
In countries where healthcare systems have struggled the most, it all comes down to unfair demographics. Who’s worthy of healthcare?
At the same time, we saw countries with strong public healthcare systems thrive (in need of a better word) while privatized systems let entire nations down, especially when access to essential resources like COVID-19 test kits became a determining factor in controlling the outbreak.
If I had my way, I would like to see privatizing healthcare to become illegal. Healthcare is not a profit maximizing industry! We only need to look at the justifications for both, private versus public healthcare, to see that all the private side cares about is money. Not patients.
Let’s take an example from the business world: when a company fires a bunch of employees, it raises the value of the company. In healthcare this obviously translates to more of the seriously ill and elderly people dead making a healthcare unit more valuable. How does it sound? Would you feel safe being treated at such a unit?
Another interesting way the COVID19 crisis changed the world was the importance of individual responsibility for your health and others. The responsibility has been shifted from the state to individuals in many countries. Sweden was probably the most prominent example of this:
The country decided against imposing any restrictions to their citizens’ day-to-day life. Instead they trusted that the citizens will take responsible actions themselves. Whether that strategy was a good idea (so far almost 6 000 deaths) is debatable.
But the point is, this sort of an individualistic approach to responsibility may as well become mainstream now that the pandemic shows signs of not going anywhere.
This is interesting because in some countries it has been debated in the recent years whether hospitals need to treat the overweight people when that condition is self-imposed. Here as well the responsibility of our health is largely put on our own shoulders. What do you think, is this approach justified?
Corporate Leadership Will Never Be The Same
What comes to people having to take more responsibility of themselves seems to have shifted big time also in work life. ‘Work from home’ will be what the year 2020 is remembered for. All over the world employees and managers self-isolated into the safety of their homes for months. Many still work from home.
Whether this has been overall a good or a bad move will remain to be seen. But what has become clear is that, in essence, people’s productivity hasn’t decreased as a result of it all. On the contrary, for many WFH has allowed more free time (no time-consuming commutes!). This has allowed many to look at their own lives for the first time in years, and entire families to reconnect.
But it’s not the home front where the COVID19 crisis changed the world. The bigger change can be glimpsed in the management side of things. During the highest peak of the global lockdown the Black Lives Matter movement picked momentum as result from another needless killing of an innocent, black man in the US.
And as a result, we’ve seen companies from all shapes and sizes re-thinking their governance structures. Day by day we see more companies declaring inclusivity clauses where they pledge better diversity in their management in the future. Remains to be seen whether these promises will be acted upon.
Another imminent result of all employees moving to work from their homes was the crumbling of hierarchical management styles. Of course, there still are loads of corporations that hold on to the outdated leadership model. But this way to manage will leave the premises with these old-fashioned individuals eventually.
The thing is, when everybody’s not stuck in the same building, communication becomes paramount. Regardless of your title or position in the company. A CEO has to be able to communicate with a customer service agent just as they communicate with the CVP.
We’re all just human, and that title of yours is just that, words. Nothing more. We’re all on the same level because let’s face it: no matter how much more money a boss has, they will die one day just like their employees. And you can’t take any of that money with you.
Higher Education – Who Cares?
If in work life moving to work from home brought us encouraging news, for students it’s been quite the opposite. Lectures have been moved online instead of in-person, parties and gatherings have been banned and the uncertainty of one’s future has increased exponentially.
Those who graduate now, will most probably graduate as jobless straight away. And when it’s finally possible for them apply for jobs ‘normally’ again, the new wave of graduates will surpass them. It’s looking very grim indeed.
But the uncertainty of the job markets isn’t anything new. The financial crisis in 2008 taught us that a degree does not guarantee you a financially secure future. And when we consider the inappropriately enormous debts that students accumulate during the years of studying, we’re faced with a question: is it worth it?
Personally, I can answer that: no, it really isn’t. I studied marketing, but I didn’t get a marketing job before I was 27 years old. Up til then I worked in sales, retail and IT. And not ONCE did I need my degree. Especially now, in 2020, my degree is completely useless: there was no social media, let alone social media marketing when I was in Uni.
The exception to the rule are those who are planning to become doctors, lawyers, engineers, or some other essential part of a functional society. But if you study marketing, fashion, PR, retail, anything where the jobs literally aren’t guaranteed, why would you bother with University?
Today one doesn’t need a degree in fashion to become a fashion designer. One doesn’t need a degree in marketing to start their own business in social media management. Everything you need to make your job dream come true is on the internet! Often for free, or for a fraction of the price of a University degree.
Universities are known for being very stiff institutions that are very difficult to change. But right now they don’t have any other option but to embrace the world of online education as the new normal. That means having to open their doors for a wider selection of students as well.
For hundreds of years University education has been very discriminatory. Only those who could afford it could get a degree. But now that the COVID19 crisis changed the world anyone can put up a business regardless of their educational background.
So, if Universities want to survive, they have to start thinking about how they can better personalize their programs to a wider selection of students in a way that is still worth the money.
Have you noticed how COVID19 crisis has changed the world? Or is it still business as usual for you?
I find this a very interesting subject and I look forwards to seeing how things evolve in the future. Please let me know any thoughts, questions, opinions on this matter in the comments below, I would absolutely love to hear! ♥
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