Pandemic forcing us to think and act differently

It is not the best way of being forced to dropping a bad habit, but the Covid-19 pandemic seems to have achieved an incredible feat in Kenya – stopped the endless political foolishness that the country’s politicians stage every day of the week in parliament, churches and at funerals.

In its place we are seeing experiments with new ways of doing things, new ways of relating, and a welcome opportunity to think differently!

But not for the politicians. It is now apparent that apart from politicking at a very low intellectual level and using every opportunity to deepen the political divide in the country, it is very difficult for politicians to think differently.

Confronted with the extreme challenge of a pandemic threatening lives and well-being of the people they purport to lead, Kenya’s elected leaders have shown very little enterprise – in thought and action.

Only Governor Hassan Joho of Mombasa is putting his hand where his mouth is by actually assigning resources from his county budget to provide food for his people in case the shut-down is prolonged and leads to serious shortages.

MOONLIGHTING

Happily, as Covid-19 has shut them up, it has allowed others to think.

Employers have been forced to finally experiment with innovative ways of getting work done - something that human resource specialists have for long encouraged.

A majority working from home is the new normal. As is staggered work hours, alternate work-days for different sets of staff, et cetera.

It will now be possible to measure output against flexible hours of work and determine whether it is helpful to force employees living far from their workplaces to suffer the punishing routine of waking up at 4am to be in offices in time, and getting home at 9pm.

We can now challenge the notion that one must work a set number of hours a week for the same employer when most of those hours are spent on activities completely at variance with the job descriptions of the holders of those jobs.

Why not allow employees to work (like consultants do) for other employers in non-competing spaces once they have delivered what is required of them?

After all, moonlighting, or having side hustles as they are called, is real.

LIFESTYLE

Covid-19 has also very quickly accelerated the pace with which the digital platforms will alter the way we have interacted.

Not being allowed the pleasure of the freedom to walk to the supermarket, pharmacy or restaurant, those of us that can are now ordering in using mobile devices.

Suddenly, delivery companies are hiring like crazy to meet the surge in demand. Will the demand fall after Covid-19 is subdued?

We will see, but the phenomenal growth of logistic behemoths like Amazon and E-Bay suggests that such lifestyles do become entrenched and demand will increase once economic activity picks up.

Just be aware, though, that as we order in, we are sharing information about what we eat, drink, wear, our illnesses.

Your lifestyles will be out there and if orders stop coming, a pop-up message will soon remind you not to forget to order your favourite drink!

FAMILY

Online learning is being tested in earnest and it is going to be a real alternative (or certainly a serious complement) to on-campus tuition.

And in a unique way, the pandemic has forced people to rediscover their homes and reconnect with family.

Too many excuses have been used to run away from challenges at home, or for failure to build the bonds within families, which are the units on which stable and healthy societies are built.

Now, we must stay home and deal with it!

Mr Mshindi is the former editor-in-chief of the Nation Group and is now consulting. [email protected], @tmshindi