What COVID tools and practices work from around the world? Will these practices be voluntary or required? Will there be widespread temperature checks, CCTV monitoring, rapid COVID test, contact tracing, cell phone QR codes, digital certificates, real time location approvals, which are used in Asia but in the west infringe on personal freedoms? All of these options are real, each of which will provide a level of risk assurance. The higher the level of risk assurance, the higher will be the perceived COVID privilege.
Will social work become a right, ultimate privilege, and social advantage? People recovered from the COVID infection have immunity. Those who don’t have the antibodies may be discriminated because they are vulnerable to infection.
“As the United States combats the coronavirus pandemic, the timeline for reopening the country in a bid to jump start the economy remains unclear. But dramatic changes to daily life are coming into view — from mass temperature checks and mandatory use of face masks to empty sports and entertainment venues to Orwellian government monitoring of cellphone location and other personal information.”[i]
Work culture is another rule that is being disrupted. Just think about it. Organizational culture is based on social interactions. These are changing as work is done remotely and workers social distance. Business models will change as well as work norms. What was acceptable and expected at work last year, may now change dramatically. There will be fewer information meetings. AI will monitor our processes (keystrokes) and outputs (number of coding lines). Teams won’t be able to form, storm, norm, and perform based on accepted in-person protocols. There will be new team conventions, that are just being understood. There will be much more emphasis on outcome and performance accountability. There will be much fewer social interactions and me-too interactions. Everything will be monitored and online for subsequent an audit trail. There will be more anxiety with other type of psychological strains. Leadership, management, and competence will develop new metrics based on managing remote disaggregated teams.
[i] ‘America’s New Noraml Will Be Anything But Ordinary, ‘ CNN, April 17. 2020.