Work Different

Introduction: The Pivot

…And Just Like That, Everything Changed

At the beginning of 2020, we'd shake a stranger's hand without a second thought. We'd go to a restaurant without caring how close we were seated to our fellow diners. We'd go to a movie, unconcerned about whether the person doling out our popcorn had sanitized her hands.

That was the beginning of 2020. Come the end of Q1, it was game over.

We went from on to off.

We became separated from pretty much everybody.

International borders were closed off.

Flights were grounded.

Travel was halted.

The largest cities in the world shut down.

The world's most famous gathering places fell silent. Times Square—empty. Trafalgar Square—empty. Place de la Concorde, Saint Peter's Square, Mecca, Tiananmen Square—empty, empty, empty, empty.

Governments instructed residents to stay home, to minimize social interaction, to cancel scheduled activities, to wear masks, and to isolate. Quickly—virtually overnight—this became the new norm.

This became our lives.

There were whispers about the virus as early as November 2019, so maybe, just maybe we should've been better prepared…but we weren't. All we could do was stare at our televisions and doomscroll on social media, and we watched in horror as the story unfolded.

With the health, safety, and well‐being of people around the globe in jeopardy, healthcare workers quickly mobilized. Despite their heroic efforts, it was an uphill battle. After all, we knew little to nothing about what some ...