As my day and week began today, I observed an unprecedented sight…an empty calendar for the next 2 weeks. I’m 3 for 3. The 3 conferences I was scheduled to attend and participate in this month have all either cancelled or postponed. I confess; although disappointed, some excitement has bubbled up in response because there is always opportunity in the unexpected.

My thoughts have gone to the fact that as a workforce, we are better equipped than any time in history to not miss a beat in terms of productivity. Thanks to our digital transformation, much of what we do resides in the cloud. In particular, UCaaS has enabled us to continue to meet, to share, to collaborate in real time. How incredible! I can be a guide to those who have yet to embrace this new way of doing business; I can be an example to others who have perhaps put the tools in place but never really used them. Because I feel so secure, so competent, moving forward leveraging the technology I evangelize, there is a part of me who wants to shout from the rooftops, “Do you see now? Do you see why it’s so important to embrace these tools?”

Some will capitalize on the misfortune of the situation. I’ve already winced at a few emails that appear to sensationalize the situation to get those reactive sales, like the towers of toilet paper that greeted me in my grocery store over the weekend.

Here in the home office I’m so grateful I’ve created, using my virtual desktop, my Office 365 license, my collaboration tools, I feel invigorated to update the message. For the first time in many years, the month of March sees me grounded yet the perspective from here points up. Let’s not give up meeting together. Instead, lets redouble our efforts in virtually taking the hands of all those in our ecosystems to lead the way to new growth, to a renewed commitment, to creating positive business outcomes in response to whatever circumstances we face.

“In particular, UCaaS has enabled us to continue to meet, to share, to collaborate in real time. How incredible!”
— Nancy Ridge