Yesterday I was honored to be once again awarded the tile of Salesforce MVP.
Today, the COVID-19 virus was declared to be a pandemic. I don’t think there’s a connection…
That said, I wanted to take a step back and say a few words about what it means to me today and going forward. As an MVP I have a responsibility – to share what I know, to contribute to the community, and to strengthen our Ohana. Usually for me this means sharing what I discover about technology, through writing and through presenting.
But today there are priorities – we, our entire Ohana – is facing a crisis. Salesforce has already taken a lead in this, being among the first companies to shift to remote work as much as possible, taking conferences virtual, and supporting its hourly workers. The importance and impact of this cannot be overstated – those actions will save lives.
As a Salesforce MVP, and as a human being, I feel an obligation to follow and lead in a similar way. I recently and very reluctantly withdrew from speaking at London’s Calling. As someone located in a developing “hot spot”, I could not risk the possibility of bringing the virus there (nor was I excited about the prospect of being quarantined far from home). I wish them the best and know they will take the necessary precautions for those who attend – and I very much look forward to attending in the future – it’s a great conference.
I’ve recently posted articles on Linkedin (see the list here) that I’m hoping will be helpful to people in their thinking and coping with the developing situation.
I expect I will not be speaking much this year (though I did submit a proposal for virtualdreamin – an event that could not be more timely), but will instead find other ways to contribute.
I am so grateful to be a part of this community, and honored to be an MVP. But today, more than anything, this means doing what I can to encourage others to do everything possible to remain healthy and slow the spread of the virus. We can talk technology tomorrow.