(a ‘ben thinking’ spin-off)
 
A lot is happening as more states prepare to ‘reopen’ their economies. In Ohio we learned that we can get dental work on May 1 … we can hire a carpenter on May 4 … and we can go back to the mall on May 12. BUT … we cannot (still) get a haircut.
 
Like all of you, I’m anxiously watching as each state eases restrictions. If you missed them, here is a quick summary of what states are opening what. We will have plenty of examples to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.
 
Reopening checklist. I wish it were that simple. It isn’t … but it is. Kind of. Make sense? What will make sense is our ‘ben thinking’ FB Live Event on April 30, at 10 a.m. where we will walk through a 30-day checklist of things you probably know … but want to make sure you don’t forget.
 
Shift from panic to purpose. Speaking of reopening, did you see this read in HBR about how companies should use this time to ensure the purpose of their organization is one rooted in who you are, and now, what you’re worried about?
 
Breaking news: We’re watching more TV. Shocker, right? Nah. But what IS shocking is how long it has been since that stat grew. According to MediaPost the number of Americans watching TV will rise for the first time since 2012. Wow. And in watching more TV we are seeing more COVID-19 ads—amirite?—every day. But are they working? Depends on how you define ‘working.’ Viewers have a positive response … but aren’t changing how they feel about the brand much. Read more from MediaPost here.
 
Virtual events: Live takeaways. I talked to the organizers/promoters of the Kent State University YouToo Conference, held last Friday (13 years and counting), about their virtual event experience. A few nuggets to share with you:
 
“I think the conference went well. It was great to be able to deliver all the great content we had planned to share IRL via Zoom. Two things helped us: 1) shortening the format for a condensed virtual day; 2) providing options to attendees, i.e., live viewing plus on-demand viewing.”
  
“While we didn’t see all of the networking and live conversation transfer to Twitter as we have in past YouToo conferences, I still feel as though we provided a lot of value and information around social media best practices and case studies. Perhaps Twitter isn’t the right forum for this? Questions that we hope to find some answers to in the session evaluations.”
 
One thing I love about that feedback? Regardless if it’s virtual or not, the importance of evaluations and metrics is as important as ever. Especially as we all wade into new territory.
 
Why is Zoom zapping my energy? Are you feeling video fatigue? You’re not alone. Check out this blurb from LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner about the importance of building in buffer time to your Zoom calls.
 
“For those fortunate enough to have the opportunity to continue to work from the safety of their homes, an astute colleague shared a valuable insight the other day: There are essentially no buffers in our schedules when working from home. ‘Free’ time in between video calls is increasingly being absorbed by taking care of kids, caring for dependents, doing household chores, and myriad other ways in which people are jumping from one task to the next. Combined with all the uncertainty related to physical and economic well-being, it can take a toll. Make sure to carve out real buffer time: to catch your breath, get some exercise, or whatever you enjoy doing that helps put your mind at ease. It not only benefits you, it will benefit all of the people that count on you as well.”
 
Thanks for reading!