Pub. 2 2019-2020 Issue 3

11 Virtual reality andaugmented reality (VRand AR) are two technologies that have started gaining traction in recent years, given the exponential changes of the Three Digital Acceleratorsofbandwidth,computingpower, andprocessingpower,which I havediscussed since the early 1980s. Now more than ever, we can see industries — which ordinarily are unable to go remote because they were basedon theneed for a customer tobephys- ically present—figure outways toprovide a remote customer experience. An incredibly outside-the-box example can be foundbywayofmuseums, zoos, andeven theme parks going remote. Monterey Bay AquariumandWalt DisneyWorld have gone remoteusing live-streamingvideoanda form ofvirtualrealityapplicationslikeGoogleStreet View, so guests having to cancel their vaca- tioncanstill“walk through”DisneyWorldwith their families for something to do. IfWalt DisneyWorld, an in-person entertain- ment giantwithvisceral experiences, canfind away togo remote, imagine the remotepos- sibilities in several other industries around the world. Innovation Is Needed More Than Ever While our worlds may seem to be in a period of indefinite stasis, the world and peoples’ needs don’t stop. A hard trend most people take for granted is that there are more than 500 cycles that continue, such as the sun setting tonight and rising tomorrow, the stock market going down and going up, and the pandemic begin- ning and ending. If you have followed my writings, you know that I want us all to become positive disruptors, creating the disruptions that need to happen in order tomake the world a better place for all. Being a disruptor during times like these might sound contrary towhat peoplewant. However, when you’re a positive disrup- tor, you choose significance over success, focusing much less on you and what you have done, and more on what you can do for others in a significant way. When you look for ways to elevate your sig- nificance in times like these, youcanfindnew ways to change your community, your state, your nation, and, if you think big enough, even the world for the better. I can’t think of a more needed time than right now. Ask yourself: What can you and your organiza- tion do now that would have a significant impact on others? Stop looking at this economic and social slowdown as a time towallow in the disrup- tionof your status quo. It is also a freepass to innovate asmuch as you can! An identifiable hard trend based on the science of cycles is that the pandemic will end and the market and economy will bounce back. So in the meantime, focus on the positive difference you can make and what you can disrupt in a positive way — what you can do now to make a difference by helping others. The needs are massive and so are the opportu- nities to make a significant difference! Looking for Opportunity in Helping Others Consider this: Perhaps your organization has shifted to remote work with ease, whereas a customer of yours in a similar industry is struggling and falling behind. Is there a way to help them now? What if, in this unusual time of need, you didn’t charge them for the help? Would they remember that generosity in the future? This pandemic has inadvertently leveled the playing field; therefore, no one is safe fromdisruption, and this global disruption is happening a lot faster than digital dis- ruption. We’re all in the same boat, so one major way to innovate is to find ways to help your customers through this in ways you haven’t thought of before. You’re think- ing too small if you are thinking of offer- ing them a discount on your product or service. It’s better to look at their desper- ate needs now and ways that help them stay afloat, which in turn might help you stay afloat. This concept isn’t solely constrained to business and customer relationships. This touches on the topic of thinking about your employees who rely on you. You may be in business as a unified organization, but an employee now working remotely with kids at home and having to now think in terms of profits and losses in their per- sonal life has unmet needs as well that you need to think about and act on. As you work to keep the doors open, what are you doing to take care of your own? Let’s return to the entertainment industry with an example of the National Basketball Association shutting down during this crisis. While it is no secret that owners, players, and team affiliates will be financially okay during this situation, the workers at the snack bars, restaurants, and merchandise stores will feel a major financial impact, if they can survive at all. However, many teams have stepped up and donated portions of their salaries to