Last weekend we hit the tipping point where the exponential factor of COVID-19 cases became clear in the United States. We can see the trajectory, and we can predict the shortcomings and the outcomes based on those who came before us in Asia and Europe. On our Open Assembly Collective call last week, I listened to some of the smartest people in the open talent industry across the globe share what they were experiencing and insights about what they expect to come. But there was one thing missing. How are we as an industry going to leverage our own skills and expertise for the greater social good?
While some are more aware of it than others, fear, anxiety and cabin fever underpin our daily activities while we periodically tune into the news, manage our children, and, if we’re lucky enough to be able to work from home, keep cranking at our jobs. In a sense, for many of us white collar professionals, we think we are doing our part by physically distancing, following variations of the COVID-19 schedule for children, working online and connecting by video conference. But are we really doing our part? There’s no doubt that our lives are not as usual, and as leaders in the open talent industry, our businesses should not be either.
We pride ourselves on outcomes, the magic of adjacent knowledge, speed, and the power of global crowds that private companies and public agencies now have decades of experience leveraging to solve really hard problems. We believe in celebrating the problem “owners” and the problem “solvers”. And here we are, faced with one of this century’s most unprecedented challenges, and what are we, the top thinkers in the industry, doing about it?
As it turns out, a lot. A flurry of open innovation projects in support of COVID-19 have been surfacing in the media. We’re really proud of all the efforts and the work that’s being facilitated by this amazing industry. Luminary Labs has leveraged its network to curate and publish an expansive list of COVID-19 open innovation initiatives, one of which is the Topcoder Anti-Coronavirus Hackathon. With global shortages in ventilation systems, Innocentive launched a challenge to emerging markets for Rapidly Manufactured Ventilation Systems (RMVS) in partnership with UK aid.
The time is now to lead by example and leverage our own expertise to mobilize ourselves and our local and digital communities to take action. Let’s individually and within our organizations find ways that together we can define problems and find solutions that can impact the outcomes of this modern day health crisis. Let’s show the power of the open talent economy. Business should not be as usual.
Please share your thoughts about what your organization is doing to bring people together and take action in the comments below.
