The Synergist spoke with Armstrong and Bergeson in July to explore how the pandemic has changed the way product stewards approach their profession, what lessons from the pandemic are informing product stewards’ work going forward, and how product stewards can help companies prepare for future disruptive events like the COVID-19 pandemic. Confronting Change For Armstrong, the pandemic has reemphasized that Earth is a “delicate, interconnected ecosystem subject to catastrophic consequences” when its balance is upset. Inspired by product stewards who worked throughout the pandemic to minimize waste associated with vaccine distribution and healthcare supplies, she has renewed her focus on material use and disposal considerations during product development—a practice she calls “proactive product stewardship.”

“We need to build in material and end-of-life considerations as we develop new products and processes, no matter the situation or time constraint,” Armstrong stresses. “If companies could build these in while they were figuring out how to manufacture a vaccine for an ongoing pandemic, we can do this in our everyday lives.”

Likewise, Bergeson says the pandemic renewed her drive to “think through how to manage change more efficiently and more nimbly in the moment.” For her, COVID-19 coupled with other pressing global concerns such as climate change uncertainty have highlighted the need for product stewards to hone their skills to be able to adapt and pivot immediately in the face of disruptive events.

“The pandemic as an operational modem really forces us to be very creative and very mindful of managing change efficiently, effectively, and in a way that puts the best foot forward of any organization and any product steward in doing her or his job,” Bergeson explains. Lessons Learned Armstrong points to product stewards’ experience in dealing with conflicting information like ambiguity in regulations and their knowledge of risk concepts as attributes that positioned them well to provide managers and other leaders with the data and information necessary to inform business decisions in response to the pandemic. Other characteristics that prepared product stewards to tackle pandemic-related issues include a strong foundation in the basic sciences and the ability to understand complex scientific and regulatory issues, Armstrong says. But there’s always more to learn—especially during a global health crisis.

Two things Bergeson learned are that it’s important to remember that people are extraordinarily resilient and that the only certainty in life is change. She encourages others to “be ready for [change], count on it, and assume nothing”—a mindset that she says promotes receptiveness to both the challenges and opportunities associated with adversity. It’s also essential for product stewards to recognize the importance of courage and creativity, she stresses.

“Innovative, out-of-the-box thinking got us through this challenge, and that’s what’s going to get us through the next one,” Bergeson says.

Armstrong found that it’s critical to avoid getting waylaid by extraneous information. She cautions product stewards to rein in their love of details during the decision-making process—especially when time is of the essence—and urges them to apply triage principles to discard proposed solutions that are obviously not appropriate or workable. Similarly, she stresses the value of being skeptical.

“I saw so many products that made so many claims that were unsubstantiated during the course of this pandemic,” Armstrong says. “Making sure that people understand that you need to check the facts before you believe some of the things people are saying about products, workplace situations, or virus information is really important—be polite and verify.”

Product stewards understand that conditions can change rapidly, Armstrong continues, so they must remain informed of changes and be flexible when responding to disruptive events. For example, product stewards are well versed in dealing with situations that range from addressing supply chain shifts to managing the expectations of marketing departments that want to sell several new applications for an existing product on short notice. The pandemic adds yet another element for product stewards to keep on their radar, Armstrong says: continual updates to science and guidance. COVID-19 has shown that government authorities can release this information more frequently than usual during new, unfolding situations with many unknowns. The Next “It” Armstrong and Bergeson agree that product stewards are ready to help businesses prepare for future disruptive events—”the inevitable next new ‘it,’” as Bergeson puts it. Product stewards are often involved with incident response planning—a key function of product stewardship, according to Armstrong—and product stewards understand how to build plans to respond to challenges like product recalls and other incidents. But she hopes that the pandemic will help organizations realize the value product stewards can bring to organizational discussions around business continuity planning as well.

“It’s important that businesses capitalize on the experience of product stewards to help them drive incident response and business continuity planning, and it’s important for product stewards to have a seat at the table,” Armstrong says.

Bergeson describes the role of product stewards in any organization as the voice of preparedness—someone who is focused on anticipating the next disruption.

“Stewarding is all about the foreseeably unpredictable and thinking of creative ways of ensuring both sustainability and continuity without sacrificing excellence and a commitment to stewardship,” Bergeson says.

As a product steward and voice of preparedness herself, Armstrong knows that how information is presented to organizational executives and senior leadership is just as important as what is presented, especially during times of crisis. She urges product stewards to ensure that their messaging to senior management comprises clear, concise terms and the actionable information necessary to make appropriate, timely business decisions. But leadership must also be made aware of any uncertainty.

“What the pandemic has brought home for me is it’s important to clearly say what we know, clearly say what we’re uncertain about, and then clearly identify the gaps that we have in our knowledge,” Armstrong says. “That’s what enables sound business decisions.” A Changed World As the pandemic progresses and restrictions are ultimately lifted, Armstrong is glad to see how fast the supply chain for basic necessities has rebounded. While some industries will take longer to recover, store shelves are stocked with toilet paper and disinfecting wipes, and consumers no longer face limits on meats, produce, and other items. Bergeson thinks that new ways of communicating more visibly—including via online meeting platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams—are here to stay. She welcomes the option to have remote conversations visually rather than over the phone. And Armstrong sees a shift in culture and society that is driving both product stewards and others to think more broadly.

“We’re thinking about people and planet in a bigger picture than we were before the pandemic,” she says. “As product stewards, we’re looking at more sustainability considerations, we’re looking at the societal impacts of products, and we’re looking at longer-term consequences of the decisions that we’re making to select materials.”

As COVID-19 restrictions lift across the United States, Bergeson eyes the way people are slipping back into their comfort zones with worry. She is concerned that complacency has made the world less prepared for new variants of SARS-CoV-2 or the next threat—viral or otherwise.

“We can all rejoice in the fact that there are diminished COVID cases, illnesses, and deaths, but we shouldn’t be letting up the accelerator one bit,” she says. “To say ‘we beat COVID’ and ‘let’s get back to life as we know it’ is the wrong direction, and product stewards need to be the voice of the anti-complacency campaign.”