Managing Coronavirus effects on work

BUSINESS    COVID-19

KAMPALA - President Yoweri Museveni announced stringent measures following the global pandemic of the novel coronavirus.

During the course of the week, I had followed Facebook debates about coronavirus as something that will not reach Uganda (yes, that is the faith).

I contributed to some of the threads and argued that where we are now, it does not matter whether the disease reaches Uganda or not, the effects are certainly coming for us.

The argument around effects did not land.

The first picture that brought my mind to do deep processing of what the implications might be, was an empty London Heathrow Airport following a lockdown.

Imagine an airport with average traffic of 213,000 travellers, with planes landing or taking off every 45 seconds, being empty. It was such a sad thing for me to see. I, immediately, thought about the ecosystem around the aviation industry.

As global citizens, it is naïve to see a pandemic and imagine it will not affect us. It was a matter of time, and yes, the President made the announcement, which makes a lot of sense from a public health point of view. When disease easily spreads from one case to another, then it makes sense to protect the public.

But hey, what about work?

Embrace technology: I have several meetings online. At the moment, rather than sit back and feel helpless, there are online platforms we can rely on to stay in touch with our clientèle.

Learn more: Some workplaces have asked employees to work from home.

This is such a great opportunity to catch up with some learning. Use

the time you have been spending in traffic to learn something new.

Read that book that you had shelved and watch those educative videos you have been archiving.

Find online support groups: Being by yourself can be challenging and overwhelming. It is time to find a group to share experiences and motivate one another. This pandemic is a phase and it will pass.

You are not alone in the space and, therefore, you will recover and come out stronger. However, to manage, hang around the right people.

Be creative

Did you know that distractions can sometimes dim your creativity? Those in self-quarantine, it is time to make use of the quiet space you have to think.

As you purpose to be still and listen to your inner self, jot down the ideas that float in your mind. Therein you will find ideas that could change your story. Always remember, amidst noise, you miss the beautiful elements.

The writer is a motivational trainer and an employment transition coach.

Bond with kids

When was the last time you had a quality conversation with your children? The school runs have

clearly been a challenge. Now that you and your children are locked down in your houses, create a schedule where you have time to enjoy each other's spaces and engage in deep, meaningful conversations.