Conclusions from the crisis

We have seen a lot in 2020 already and we are just half-way through the year.

Different crises have been in our faces - climate, racial discrimination and CoV, on the latter I will dive deeper in this article.

Many people have been experiencing the symptoms of crisis in 2020 and were rapidly pushed out of their comfort zone and pushed off the beaten track. We all have made many, partly new and unexpected, experiences during this year - social distancing, working remotely, emotions of fear and uncertainty and many more.

Which conclusions can we draw about how to proceed?

Like many others, I have attended many webinars in the period of home office, have read and discussed a lot about the situation during the corona-crisis. And I have listened very consciously to how different communities see the near future.

What is the quintessence?

The crisis triggered by CoV gave direct and sometimes brutal feedback, holding a mirror in front of our noses and raising key questions:

• For companies

How quickly and flexibly could we change over? How susceptible are we to rapid changes in the environment? What options do we have for the future?

• For teams

How stable and reliable are we? How well were we able to collaborate remotely? How good is our network?

• For individuals

How resilient am I? How do I deal with stress and change? How does my behaviour change in these unusual circumstances?

In the discussions there was largely consensus that,

1. in an organisation (company, team, but also family) there are clearly different forms and speeds of adaptation,
2. all those who had already invested in options and a toolbox for different scenarios before the crisis were able to act more flexibly and without major turbulences (both on organisational and individual level).

On personal level the critical question was not really a technical one (how quickly I could handle Zoom, Webex or the like), but how well, quickly and stably my self-management worked. Maybe I was very much in control how I acted and responded to the unusual and uncertain, maybe emotions and inner reaction patterns largely took over.

Panic? Overload? Staying calm? Think about what the crisis was doing with you.

What do we take out, what comes next?

Depending on the concrete experiences and the overall mindset, the conclusions in the discussions were less heterogenous than the analytical part.

Let’s take a look at some hypotheses that are present:

• Everything will be the same as before
• Nothing will be the same as before
• Digitisation has now proved its value, life will become much more digital now
• Cost saving is the right answer – less financial exposure is needed
• Investment is the right answer – vulnerabilities are clear, repetition in the next crisis is no option (plus: good chance to surpass those who only save costs now)
• Working together needs to differ, new robust structures are needed
• …

Probably there was something here that comes close to your view of things.

The amount of certainty in some statements on the future puzzles me. I don't think anyone can seriously predict what the near future will look like (not even to mention the more distant one). This rather confirms that the usual unconscious biases take centre stage and create subjective certainty of the uncertain (send me a private message if you are interested on details).

The main point is that speculation does not add real value, it is rather an intellectual exercise than a practical one.

In my view it is important to actually look into the mirror that the crisis put in our hand – which reflections do we see? They are clearer than before and trigger less questions of the kind "what will the future be like", but rather something like:

• What is really important
•  What do I actually want to do
• With whom and how would I like to work
• What is the best place to invest - in tools, machines, recreation, relationships,...or skills
•  …

Use some time to gain clarity on these key points. They are all related to elements you can directly influence.

It is also ok if there is no immediate answer to all of this – it will be developing if the question is kept present. And if you don’t advance, ask others for support!

When the immediate effects of the crisis are gone or reduced (as in my country right now), we are quickly pulled back into old routines and habits. Then the chance to learn is gone.

Personally, I believe that there is a good opportunity now to invest (especially time) and to create structures, competences, relationships and networks that are crisis-proof. Although there is so much talking now, only a minority will actually do this.

This gives additional perspectives for companies who decide to move into more pro-active approaches. For pro-active individuals the personal well-being will be higher during the next crisis.

Without doubt there is suffering, there are financial troubles and a lot of anxiety present. The next months will remain challenging for many, however: keep an eye on how you manage your time and which questions you are addressing!

2020 will be remembered as a difficult year, and perhaps one that has actually brought about a change in thinking. I hope so as CoV and other crises provide enough substance to trigger changes.

To close I share a quote of Desmond Tutu that I like: “A time of crisis is not just a time of anxiety and worry. It gives a chance, an opportunity, to choose well or to choose badly.”

Choose well.

What do you think? Share your thoughts, bring in additional perspectives, challenge me - dialogue is key!