Words: Leeta Liepins
As Michael Chabon famously noted, “Man makes plans…God laughs.” Well, here we are.
As the tipping point for the COVID crisis gradually recedes from the apocalyptic event horizon, what challenges must we overcome en route to the cautious re-opening of the Canadian economy?
For most industries, these challenging times have forced small- and medium-sized business owners to dramatically scale back both production and employee schedules. The redistribution of responsibilities throughout the managerial echelons is akin to re-booting a computer in “safe mode.” You can run the basic software, but that’s about it.
The mantra “less is more” is heard echoing down the halls of commerce and industry throughout our fine land. These very desperate times have required a chameleonic response within all levels of the economy. The Darwinian “adapt or die” edict has become all too real in real time.
What has replaced our former machined and manicured models is, in a word, chaos. Extinct are the lofty job descriptions which, in a previous life, were bespoke blueprints for an unsullied career path. Poof, gone.
The specialists are, through necessity, being required to evolve into generalists. The business owners themselves are streamlining the essential basics to secure baseline profitability. Corner-suite executives now find themselves wallowing knee-deep in the muck of daily operations. General managers have become exactly that…generalists capable of filling any unforeseen gap.
That said, what is truly remarkable about this paradigm shift is the collective societal resilience that has emerged as a result. We, as Canadians, have demonstrated that through working together in an apolitical spirit of compassionate co-operation, we can succeed where other nations stand divided.
While there is still a great deal to be done, I could not be prouder of our efforts.
正如邁克爾·夏邦（Michael Chabon）的名言，“人類一思考，上帝就發笑。”這不，又來了。
在對抗新冠疫情逐漸取得成效，加拿大經濟謹慎地逐步重啓之時，我們必須要剋服哪些挑戰呢？
對多數行業而言，前所未有的挑戰迫使中小企業縮減生產規模以及員工工作小時數。管理團隊重新分配職責，就像計算機設置在“安全模式”下，保持基本運作，僅此而已。
“少即是多”這句俗語在全國工商業界不斷被提起。在這個令人絕望的時代，經濟活動中各個層面都要做出靈活應對，達爾文“適者生存”的理論在現實生活中似乎過於真實。
過往我們職場中機械和整齊的模式被一片混亂所取代。所謂對高級工作的描述不會再有，曾經是無懈可擊的職業發展藍圖，也已成爲過去。
至於專才們，現在有必要發展成爲所謂的通才。企業老闆本身利用其核心團隊確保其基本利潤。西裝革履的高管們現在也挽起袖管，忙碌於基層日常運作。而普通的經理們則真正成爲革命的螺絲釘，哪裏有需要，就到哪裏去。
不過，最顯著的轉變是由此產生的集體社會的彈性。作爲加拿大人，我們得以證明，在無關政治的情況下，同情心把我們凝聚起來，共同協作，可以獲得其他分裂的國家無法達成的成功。
儘管目前抗疫尚未成功，我仍為我們的努力感到驕傲。
Creative Collaboration