Manage change Now–flatten both curves

TODAY, the lockdown in Luzon should have been lifted. Business was preparing for this during the earlier part of April, excited to restart operations, offer employment, pay for work done, and avoid an economic disaster. This did not happen, and the lockdown will continue until April 30, eliminating more jobs and creating untold suffering.

As the lockdown continues, many companies will close down, or fear for their economic survival. To back up those companies, structured crisis management is needed. It also requires that the central and local governments visibly start to initiate and implement systematic restructuring measures, so that everybody understands which tools play an important role in this process.

And those tools can be found both in government and the private sector.

It is understood that government resources will be well spent on primarily protecting doctors and nurses, and secondarily all those potentially at risk, the pre-conditioned and the old.

Let’s look at what the private sector needs to see right after Easter:

Instead of looking at the daily

numbers of people who have been attacked by the virus and how many have died, focus on the growing number of people who have survived. People need to understand that here and abroad 99 percent of the population is likely to survive, hopefully with jobs still available to feed all of them.

Government should be clear in word and deed that May 1 will be the day of lifting the lockdown —with certain restrictions kept in place, like “social distancing”; it will also be essential to set rules that will allow people to easily get to their jobs and back home.

Expand the virus testing not only in very substantial volumes for establishing the overall infection rate, but as well register those having developed immunity. The vast majority of all afflicted will get well and develop immunity; they are our future— already right now. Companies are encouraged to get involved in Antibody Testing of their staff; the IGM antibody in the person may indicate presence of the virus,

while the IGG antibody may indicate the person’s recovery from the virus.

It is essential to understand that nobody can read the future; but we can forecast and plan, both government and the private sector, and more effectively if done jointly.

We have to establish which sectors will be affected shortterm, mid-term and long-term and develop support programs. Decide now, jointly with the private sector, which sectors need support and when, as companies will have to decide whether to continue or exit doing business.

We know that small and medium enterprises are suffering badly and we should allow them to start the recovery already now.

It is clear that the logistics sector needs plenty of support so that basic goods for processing and manufacturing can enter the supply chain now; otherwise, there will be serious shortages of many products. Broken supply chains are disastrous for adequate delivery of all that’s needed,

resulting in endless domino effects and loss of many jobs in the end.

To make the supply chain work, companies need the green light for May 1 NOW and order raw materials and other essential supplies.

Involve the agricultural sector in the planning process: if the farmers cannot get their crops to market and factories, there will be nothing to distribute (and eat).

The crisis has exposed many weaknesses in the political and economic environments. We have to learn from them and convert them into strengths. It is important to understand that government (national and local), the private sector, academe and civil society have ideas, innovations and solutions to address the crises. Let’s get together and communicate!

After such constructive exchange right after Easter, it will be essential to engage in Change Management with focus on May 1 and beyond!

Austria and Denmark are

among the first countries to plot the gradual unwinding of their lockdowns against the coronavirus epidemic, which started mid-march, same as here. Their experiences will also show the path ahead.

In conclusion, let’s join hands—government and the private sector—to flatten two curves: the curve for people getting ill by massive testing for illness and immunity and, even more important, the curve to bring business back to life by addressing impacts to the economy and consequently to jobs and wages. Both should be as flat as possible.

Failing to plan is planning to fail!

WE hope May 1 will be remembered as a turning point of recovery. The time for detailed planning and change management, however, is TODAY.

Feedback is appreciated; please contact us at Michael. Raeuber@royalcargo.com and Schumacher@eitsc.com