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COVID-19: Briefing Note #100, April 13, 2022

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Risk Practice

COVID-19: Briefing note


#100, April 13, 2022
As COVID-19 becomes endemic in much of the world, we turn our
focus to sustainable and inclusive growth.

© Eugene Mymrin/Getty Images

April 2022
On March 2, 2020, just over a week before a McKinsey is already exploring how to achieve
global pandemic was declared, we published sustainable and inclusive growth, the topic of the
COVID-19: Briefing note #1. Our plan was to inaugural episode of the new Future of America
publish an update on the virus’s implications podcast. McKinsey Global Institute director and
for business for as many weeks as the news felt senior partner Kweilin Ellingrud and senior partner
urgent. We did not expect to continue for more Greg Kelly discuss how leading companies can
than two years, nor to ever publish Briefing note use the pandemic recovery as an opportunity
#100, as we have today. to accelerate prosperity for more Americans.
Customers and consumers want to be associated
It’s painful to reflect on these 100 editions, on the with companies that are making a positive
millions of lives lost, the suffering and grief, and difference. Companies can accelerate inclusivity
the myriad disruptions to lives and livelihoods. But and sustainability by having real awareness,
in what is perhaps a hopeful sign, we now feel the committing to change, rewarding the change, and
time is right to stop. COVID-19 news seems less providing coaching and development to make the
urgent than at any time in the past two years. All change happen.
of McKinsey’s published work now intrinsically
accounts for the pandemic, even if it is not directly Much near-term growth will arise from a once-in-
mentioned. COVID-19 has gone from being a fresh a-lifetime wave of capital spending on physical
emergency to a fact of life. assets between now and 2027. This surge of
roughly $130 trillion in investment will flood
In a few weeks, we will relaunch this weekly report into projects to decarbonize and renew critical
with links to the latest McKinsey publications. infrastructure. But few organizations are prepared
Our new theme will be sustainable and inclusive to deliver on this capital influx with the speed
growth. After more than two years of reporting and efficiency it demands. Companies should
on a destructive force, we look forward to sharing consider implementing a portfolio-synergistic
our research and thoughts on how people and strategy in which planning is top-down, a major
organizations can build a better world. business challenge requiring savvy stakeholder
management, capital markets expertise, and
understanding of complex approval processes.

After more than two years of reporting


on a destructive force, we look forward
to sharing our research and thoughts
on how people and organizations can
build a better world.

2 COVID-19: Briefing note #100, April 13, 2022


Sustainable, inclusive growth will require changing Here are other key findings from our research
the workplace to maximize the contributions of this week:
all people. In the COVID-19 era, women across
all sectors have shouldered more household — Lithium is needed to produce virtually all
responsibilities, and more women report feelings batteries currently used in electric vehicles (EVs)
of burnout. These problems can be more acute as well as consumer electronics. We believe
for women in healthcare, who have fewer the world will secure enough lithium for the EV
opportunities to work remotely and report feeling revolution, as long as new mining technologies
greater pressure to prioritize work over family. In and potential mining sites receive funding, and
spite of these challenges, healthcare continues end users communicate upcoming needs so that
to outperform other sectors in the representation lithium miners have enough time to react.
of women, who make up more than two-thirds of
entry-level employees and 53 percent of senior- — Our interactive explores how fashion is finding
managers or above, which is 18 percentage points ways to participate in the metaverse.
higher than the average across all sectors.
— McKinsey’s methodology can be used to
Each sector, industry, and function will have to prioritize investments in innovations based on
reinvent themselves to achieve maximum growth the economic impact of the health improvements
and sustainability. Procurement leaders, for they deliver to society.
example, are facing one of the toughest market
environments of their careers. Procurement Our latest edition of McKinsey for Kids explores
organizations need to take a leading role in how programmers use games to teach computers
protecting enterprise margin and growth, invest how to think, ultimately developing AI. Kids can
in proven technology and process automation, read, take quizzes, and watch animations to learn
and build deep expertise in supply market about how the human brain and computers are
dynamics, among other fundamental changes. A both alike and different and a cornerstone of AI
pair of articles featuring McKinsey and outside programming called “reinforcement learning.”
experts explore how the CFO’s role is also rapidly
evolving—expanding in scope, requiring new In our latest edition of Author Talks, neuroscience
capabilities, and demanding greater collaboration expert and Cognitas Group cofounder Dr. Laura
with C-suite peers. Among the most significant Watkins discusses her new book (coauthored
changes to the role is the demand for CFOs with Vanessa Dietzel), The Performance
to help promote capability building and talent Curve: Maximize Your Potential at Work while
development within their organizations. Strengthening Your Well-being (Bloomsbury
Publishing, November 2021). Using insights from
Find more content like this on the
McKinsey Insights App neuroscience, adult development psychology,
yoga, and behavioral therapy, the book proposes
practical ways to improve work performance
without sacrificing mental or physical health.

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