I had truly expected that my next commentary on globalization would be one that spoke of world market increases, declines, cross industry pollination, the effects of US Presidential campaigning and the impact of changing political forces throughout the world.
But then the Coronavirus, aptly named COVID 19, burrowed its head to the forefront of every news outlet, media window and hand-held palm device in the world. In what amounted to an overnight pivot by US President Trump as he turned from blaming Democrats for creating a scare tactic about a flu virus to making announcements to citizens who were trying to get home from abroad, that they could not expect any assistance from the state department.
I watched in total dismay as President Trump strained to keep back the mounting evidence that life in the US would be changed forever and that a once totally free society would come just short of martial law as city after city and state after state succumbed to curfews and total lockdown. What is happening here, this is the stuff of history books and movies.
So it seems that the “BIG” OF 2020 will be how we handle this microscopic invader from our own arrogance and tradition. The world markets are global, communications connectivity is imperative with Nanosatellites, and the space race winner is social distancing.
The New Narrative
Globalization
Every economy has the opportunity to become a global leader. Little did we know that that leadership would come in the form of how well we kept our people safe and how quickly we employed measures to stop the spread of a deadly virus.
Fortunately, the world as a whole is in a much better position to deal with an all-out pandemic than ever before. This pandemic at its very core appears to be much worse than all other pandemics before it. But I will submit to you that we have not seen the likes of a true air-borne virus that defies resistance and spreads as the winds blow on a beautiful sunlit morning or a cool breeze against your face at twilight.
I viewed a YouTube Video segment by Bishop T.D. Jakes and was very gratified that he thwarted an attempt of a question as to whether COVID 19 was God’s wake-up call to the people of earth. He simply stated that it is not within any of our power to determine what God does and that all should stay away from putting anything that mankind does and has control over on whether or not God did it. Essentially he said stop trying to pass blame and look at ourselves and what did we do.
Pandemics generally loosen strong-holds on who we trade with, our differences are momentarily set aside until the storm has passed. COVID 19 is showing no signs of letting up and is rewriting our ‘business as usual’ precepts.
It is becoming increasingly clearer that trade inequities will become a thing of the past as new alliances are formed in the midst of super-power disruption.
Webinar’s 10x Overnight
The term overnight sensation has been shamelessly overused. But in this instance it is absolutely true as companies, governments, businesses, theaters, hotels, movies, events, meet-ups, you name it, all moved seemingly in one night to online communications. Anywhere and everywhere there is human contact was and is shut down. Mankind had no choice but to go online to communicate. In my book “Why Do We Communicate: Getting Unstuck in Translation” I ask what do you want your communication to tell people about who you are? Do you want it to convey that you are an expert in your field? Do you want it to bring you closer to your target audience? Now that we have no choice but to communicate though sound, video and nanosecond technology we will need to take an in-depth look at our communications’ and answer these questions to assure nothing gets lost in translation.
Zoom, Google. Adobe Connect, etc saw spikes of 1,000,000% and higher as the world came online. Webinar platforms received an immediate emergency status designation, becoming as important as first responders, and in many cases they are the first responder and in some instances the only line of contact between individuals, businesses, governments and entire populations.
“The world as we know it changed overnight.”
In a 2009 term paper that later in 2010 became a speech I relayed the fact that man does not change until he is standing on the precipice staring down into the abyss. That is when he will change. The abyss that has changed mankind in this 4th Industrial Revolution is COVID 19.