Since spring 2020, many governments have been attempting to protect general public from COVID-19 infection boom by enforcing lockdowns in different forms and shapes. To make the best decision in this situation, I have applied my own developed Strategic Storylining Framework and have come up with the win-win solution.
Governments have enforced lockdowns with noble aim to assure that medical system does not come to an overload and that all citizens maintain their access to medical care, despite the spreading COVID-19. Government is trying to protect one group of citizens, the doctors, from having to be the judge deciding who lives and who dies. As a result, lockdowns have driven thousands of citizens to barricades in UK, Netherlands, US, Austria and other countries, which represent the free world. In the free world people expect the right to make their own choices. Government is there to assure that each adult citizen understands and takes responsibility for the burdens that follow their own decisions. Government is there to protect that the wellbeing of one citizen is not affected negatively by the decisions made by another.
With the noble act of enforcing the lockdowns, governments have taken from people the choice to make their own decisions and to bear their consequences. As a result, governments are burdened with double whammy – overloaded medical systems and attack from some citizens.
Decision responsibility can be handed to people assuring win-win outcome to all, as long as everyone accepts and bears the consequences of their choices. This means that the decision made by one group cannot negatively affect the wellbeing of the group that decided differently. In the COVID-19 instance, the wellbeing is access to medical care. Citizens and business owners, who feel that lockdown rules are too much, can make free choice and accept the consequences, which is no access to medical care. They can make their decision to not comply with the lockdown and in return give up their access to medical care until the end of pandemic.
This solution will not fully stop the spread of COVID-19 but is compromise where all sides need to take a step toward middle ground. It will assure that people who decide to take responsibility for stopping COVID-19 spread and remain respectful to lockdown rules, maintain their problem free access to medical care. It will also assure that doctors will not have to make decisions on who lives and who dies, such decision is made by citizens, who have executed their own judgment. Considering the 21st century IT capabilities, such solution is easily and speedily implementable.
Every situation has win-win solution, even if it’s not noticed at first sight. Decision maker needs to simply structure factual information to see the different possibilities.