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How will we talk to our future generations about 2020? In 50 years time ( ... 2070) how will we talk about the circumstances we so quickly found ourselves in? Many will recall listening to their grandparents tell stories of the great depression and World War II, not able to quite comprehend what it would have been like. What stories will we tell? In 3 years time, how will the case study of our actions and outcomes read? What do the 'benefit of hindsight' conclusions reveal of the decisions we made, and how we behaved?
Prior to 2020, our business context was commonly explained as volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA). Stable markets were being disrupted by new players with digital offerings, customer centred design was innovating our processes and shifting our workplace cultures. We were creating new ways of thinking, and looking to the communities we operate in for meaning and purpose.
That VUCA world appears like a storm in a tea cup bobbing in a raging ocean now. Yet to what extent have we been preparing for circumstances such as these? Our digital capabilities have developed so that largely, things are in place to support us work and socialise from home. GFCs, bushfires, royal commissions have improved our risk management frameworks and compliance regimes. Key principles of good leadership have been considered and rehearsed, and the ones that are recognised as important right now, are familiar to us. Concepts such as:
Leading with composure, and thoughtful consideration
When ready, taking clear decisive action
Providing regular, clear and purposeful communication
Leading with compassion, empathy and care.
These are behaviours that are easy to demonstrate when the pressure is off, but during times like this when circumstances shift ground on a daily and sometimes hourly basis, it is both harder to maintain, and all the more impactful and memorable when we do.
As is so often the case, we have seen the best of humanity, alongside the worst. We have seen a welcome new level of respect and regard for our healthcare workers, community workers and teachers; swift and generous support for those left without work; and beautiful and creative examples of community connectedness despite physical isolation. Alongside ongoing uncertainty and concern, we see many examples of positive thinking, steadfastness, resilience and warmth. But we have not been able to solve for transient, displaced and travelling citizens; we worry about the increase in people at risk of domestic violence; we see some segments of the community increasingly apply a xenophobic lens to the pandemic; and are unable to resolve our need for household essentials against the chaotic clammering in the shopping aisles.
Our change curve as a community has been interesting to follow - reinforcing the well known Kubler Ross model; from the initial and detached astonishment of what we saw in Wuhan China back on 31 December 2019, through a period where we denied, or failed to contemplate the potential for broader impact on our lives, tossing up if we were dealing with an epidemic or a pandemic. We have regularly seen blame apportioned on nations, institutions and individuals. Some of us were in denial and struggled to adjust to the new requirements, while others have spent moments in confusion and despair. We may not be halfway through this period, and perhaps there is more to come before we can truly move into acceptance and problem solving. How we as individuals move through this curve may create the narrative for the stories we tell in 50 years time.
Our economy, the markets we operate in, the businesses we are associated with, the societies we live in, have all taken a sharp divergence from where we were headed back in 2019. There is opportunity in that, and how we adapt, the principles we hold onto, and the decisions we make can shift our community onto a road that takes us to a better place.
I wish you good health and good fortune.
David
* Image credit, Simone De Peak, Newcastle Herald
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