Posted by on 22nd August 2020
While we certainly here in Lanzarote had a very strict lockdown and that way seem to have won the first round, i.e. keeping numbers of corona infections and deaths very low, numbers slowly are on the rise again since the “new normal”. Nowhere as dramatic yet as in some other parts of the world or even Spain. Don’t get me wrong, I no doubt rather be here than anywhere else as well as I am happy for people to come here as long as they follow the rules here.
I don’t know about you though, but I see more and more people, not just here, at all levels from governments down to the ordinary Joe Bloggs becoming complacent, lazy and tired of keeping up their guards when it comes to COVID-19 as if it already was all over. Well, it clearly isn’t, neither here nor anywhere else.
The pattern of local outbreaks here and elsewhere seems to be same over and over again. People being in crowded places, meeting in larger groups, partying, schools reopening and the likes while lacking in social distancing, hygiene, masks etc. Even checks at airports as the natural entry point seem to be lacking in most places, letting the virus travel freely when flights resume. And all to often, within days the first cases evolve sparking hectic contact tracing, facilities being closed, or even local lockdowns imposed. Sadly these behaviours appears across all age groups though some seem to think of them as particularly invincible, which of course they are not….
What really makes it all the more disappointing for me is the fact that it follows the same pattern that I have witnessed for many years in management system consultancy and audit.
As long as organisations keep the eye on the ball, raise awareness and optimise processes as means of continual improvement, they gain all sorts of benefits and come out better than they were. Likewise, once that momentum gets lost, things stall and then go downhill. Productivity, satisfaction, enthusiasm etc. deteriorate and eventually impact on the success of the organisation up to its total failure and demise. While in theory all well known, it happens all the time.
The lesson once again to be learnt in the current pandemic as in many other walks of life: There is never ever room for complacency, no matter how much that might seem to be human nature. We need to keep going, keep up the guards, stay vigilant, keep learning and improve all the time.