Coronormality - the empire strikes back

Amid the chaos and economic carnage of the past two weeks, there are encouraging signs of a steely determination by businesses to avoid a death spiral.

In just a few days, companies that previously formed around customer-facing services have started to convert to home delivery, using whatever means are available to find their customers.

Australians are resilient. Across the country they are coming to terms with this new and surreal normality that has shaken us into action within a whole new set of restraints. There is no choice. We have to deal with coronormality.

This week I’ve noticed firms that previously supplied to restaurants are creating extra business around setting up direct-to-household opportunities.

The manufacturing sector is showing its strength and demonstrating why it has survived in Australia against incredible global headwinds over recent decades.

These companies are smart and innovative. Many have found ways to convert their production lines to create goods that are in high demand. Breweries have started producing hand sanitisers. Other firms have found creative ways to produce face masks.

There is already a healthy discussion emerging about a new era of manufacturing in Australia, where we put more stock in self-reliance and recognise that we make things well here in a world where quality matters and on-shoring has obvious upsides.

The transition of commerce and and a broad range of activity to online platforms has accelerated. I’ve witnessed first-hand a student going about his schoolwork diligently at home. The quality of the material is good. Life is continuing. Even the karate, piano and language lessons have moved online. My wife and her friends had a girl’s night out via Skype.

In businesses that are pushing through, albeit at a lower level of activity, there are early signs of using the economic lull to plan and find time for projects that often get pushed aside in a heated economy.

There are still sectors where there are growing employment opportunities, particularly in government, food retail, telecommunications and mining.

Out in the suburbs the “quiet Australians” that the Prime Minister talks about are doing what they do best – being quiet. They are sitting silently at home doing the right thing by their fellow Australians. Waiting it out. They’ve got this.

When I walk in the streets, people proactively observe the social distancing but they are starting to do it in an empathetic way - with a smile and a nod.

There can be no sugar coating what we are going through. Thousands of families across the world are gripped by a health and economic crisis that challenges our imagination and rattles our comfort.

These are going to be tough times and we are going to have to work together like never before. We will need to build something different and find new ways to engage with each other. We need to re-imagine our economies to support the living standards we aspire to.

It won’t be easy but we will do it. It is the price we must pay for protecting the most vulnerable from a virus that must be defeated.

With that, we also know that this situation will have a limited life. It feels like we are in a movie but we know that movie will have a more positive sequel.

There will be better times ahead. We will find ways to overcome adversity. We will emerge with a greater appreciation of who we are and (hopefully) a new collegiality in the human race after we stare down a global threat together.

Stay safe. Stay positive. Let's start working on the future now.

Comments in this post are personal and note related to my day job.