A pandemic can increase fear and chaos, but there are ways to remain productive. Maintain faith, focus on goals, and increase creativity and productivity through better time management. While new challenges arise, lessons from the past can still apply through proven strategies. Identify new factors and find solutions to address challenges, working around obstacles to maintain productivity which is key to success, especially for churches. Captivating Solutions offers over 240 training programs to help with topics like leadership, remote work, coping skills and more.

1. Captivating Solutions
DIGEST
October 2020 - December 2020
Issue # 38
Productive in a Pandemic
Gillian Martin, BSc,MBA
captivatingsolutions.ja@gmail.com

2. A pandemic can present panic and pandemonium. In spite of this, how can persons remain
productive in a pandemic, or even increase their productivity levels?
Faith, Courage & Strength
Maintain faith. Be courageous and strong.
Fear can prevent persons from doing certain things, making certain decisions and accessing
certain opportunities that could lead to their productivity.
"According to your faith be it unto you" Matt. 9:29 (KJV)
Focus
Focus on pre-pandemic goals as well as new goals that might have been developed as a result
of the pandemic. A pandemic can be very distracting. If distracted, re-focus and produce!
Increase in Creativity & Productivity Levels
Productivity levels have to be increased in order to surpass the challenges posed by the
pandemic. If someone used to work 8 hours per day, they might have to start working 10 hours
per day.
Persons might have to be more creative and engage in more cost-efficient activities. Time
management skills such as reducing time wasters and bundling activities, might have to be
applied.
Responsibility & Commitment
Persons have a responsibility to give of their best in service and a pandemic cannot reverse
this! If persons make a commitment to serve, they should serve and accept the challenges that
come with service.
A medical doctor who works directly with COVID patients, when asked how he feels about his
job posing this level of risk, simply responded: "this is what I signed up for".

3. Normalcy
Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr is quoted as saying: "the more things change, the more they
remain the same". The pandemic is new but some of the same strategies used to overcome and
succeed in the past, can be applied to this new situation.
What key lessons have you learned in the past and how can they be applied now? What
strategies did you use to succeed? Repeat those.
Navigate New Norms
While there are old things that can be applied to a new situation, there are times when new
factors arise and they have to be handled differently.
Make a list of new factors that have presented themselves and brainstorm to find all possible
solutions to address these.
Work around the challenges. "Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, dont turn
around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it" Michael
Jordan, former basketball star
Productivity is a pre-requisite for success. The survival and success of churches are dependent
on faith, focus, commitment and productivity in the pandemic.

4. Captivating Solutions Consultancy is the provider of over240 training programmes for
churches. See some of the programmes offered below:
1. Stewardship: "Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant!"
2. Mental Toughness: "Hold Up. Hold On. Hold Out."
3. Success Tips: "Endless Possibilities"
4. Change Management (for Leaders): "Smooth Transitions"
5. Change Management (for Individuals): "Rough Changes - Smooth Sailing"
6. Coping Skills for the Current Crisis (for Leaders): "Coping With COVID - The Leadership
Edition"
7. Coping Skills for the Current Crisis (for Individuals): "Coping With COVID"
8. Crisis Management: "Crisis Legacies"
9. Service: "A Life of Service"
10. Maintaining Focus: "The Single-minded Pursuit of Success"
11. Maintaining Your Commitment: "Committed to the Course"
12. Resilience Building: "Play On!"
13. Ministry Building: "From Strength to Strength"
14. Leadership Agility: "Church Agility"
15. Personal Excellence: "Raising the Bar"
16. Work Ethic: "Personal Integrity Plus"
17. Remote Work: "Mastering the Art of Working Remotely"
18. Remote Work - Working in Remote Teams: "Together Apart"
19. Remote Work - Managing Remote Workers: "Holding It Together"
20. Self Motivation: "My Personal Cheerleader"
21. Capacity Building: "Fully Loaded"
22. Time Management: "Time Well Spent"
23. Surviving in a Negative/Hostile Environment: "Sailing Through the Storm"
24. Attaining Goals: "Momentum Maintained - Goal Attained"