AVP & CTO Update March 23, 2020

It was wonderful to have sunshine over the weekend and I hope you found time to decompress and to grab big gulps of fresh air. As we wake up to our new work-from-home reality this morning, I know there will be adjustments and some trepidation for this #NewNotNormal. I also imagine there will be some excitement for this shift, especially if you don’t have to commute, or pack a lunch, or perhaps you are looking forward to staying in your pajamas (no visual calls planned). Every challenge has a silver lining as we know. For myself, I will avoid 2 hours in the car today which is quite exciting.

It was challenging to decide which of the many important messages I might want to share today. There are of course many! Most of them have to do with taking good care of yourself and remembering to take moments to breath, stretch, and to exercise gratitude and appreciation in the face of extreme challenges. Meghan Kirwin, our good friend and colleague of the KirwinGroup, is the person who planted the seed that Gratitude is an immune booster and there is science evidence to support this. Let’s keep boosting! If you can start each day giving thanks it will help to set you off on the right foot…even if you don’t have to go far on those feet.

Keeping with optimism, some of you may recall way back in 2018 that I read a book called Exponential Organizations – I met the author, a Canadian named Salim Ismail (originally from St. Catherine’s), at a Gartner conference and had him sign a few copies of the book. It was a great and fascinating read (totally recommend it). Salim is part of an organization called the Singularity University. It is not a university as we know it, but provides executive education programs and also consults on innovation and start ups and the focus is on the exponential technologies that are talked about in Salim’s book, ideas that are intended to ‘tackle the world’s challenges and build a better future for all’.

One of Salim’s colleagues and a founder of Singularity University is Peter Diamndis. He is a big thinker and supports new initiatives and innovations that fit with the goals of Singularity University. Peter has a regular tech blog that I subscribed to some time ago and this past week it highlighted 7 hi-tech strategies, exponential technologies, have made a difference in the corona virus situation in China. This is both a positive example of technology advancement, which is of course close to our hearts, and a positive read for us as we enter into a critical time in our own more local experience around COVID-19.

It seemed like a good time to share some optimism. And, Peter’s Tech Blog has many many more entries on all sorts of topics, so when you have some quiet time you can learn even more about the amazing technological advancements going on in the world. Although we have a lot on our plates right now, he shares evidence that our global situation will inevitably drive forward many innovations in everything from education (our world), technology, health care, research and also in arts and culture. I am guessing that nothing will be untouched by this situation, and many good things will result. Again, silver linings in a challenging time.

That’s how I see IT for today! Wishing you all a good day of physical distancing and mindful productivity.

Take good care, all!
gg