Since March and the arrival of COVID, we have individually and collectively focused on what this virus has taken from us. For some of us, we have lost loved ones. For others, they have lost their health, their jobs and their sense of security.
Many of us have lost our normal patterns of work and family life, which translates into a lost of order and predictability in our homes, our offices, and our communities. And all the things that we normally did before COVID to cope with such instability, stress and chaos have been upended, too. In short, we feel adrift in a sea of unending complexity, wondering when things will get back to the way it was pre-COVID.
Still, in the midst of it all, we need to ask ourselves an important question: What has COVID given us other than disruption and instability?
First, I think this disease has stripped away the illusion that we are in control of everything. Now, we realize that there are so many factors that influence our daily lives, especially the ones we do not see. Furthermore, we have learned a lot about vulnerability and interconnectedness. Our health, our families and our communities are vulnerable. And it has taught us how interdependent we all are if we are going to stay healthy moving forward.
Second, as leaders, we have come to understand that we and our companies are becoming more adaptable and resilient on one level given what we have lived through so far. And, at the exact same time, we and our organizations have become more resistant to the continuous, uncomfortable and necessary disruptions, and the innovative choices that need to be made to deal with them. It is the combination of resiliency and resistance to pandemic-induced disruptions that have a long and a short term cost.
Third, with the loss of control plus the push pull of adaptability and increased resistance, we have the opportunity, if we choose to accept the work that comes with it, to explore future possible black swan events. By framing up this coming month as a crucial pause or intermission before more COVID related action is required or before another unknown unknown, i.e. black swan event, happens, we can give ourselves the power to review what we have learned to date and what we need to prepare for in the coming winter and new year.
As Stephen Covey wrote many years ago, “The best way to predict your future is to create it. You can use the same power of creative imagination that enables you to see a goal before you accomplish it, or plan a meeting, to create much of the quality of your own reality before you live it.” Now is the time to focus forward and think deeply about the future.
When I visit with leaders who are actively engaged in this level of work, here are the major themes that are surfacing:
- we need to create a more equitable and inclusive future for all within the work force, and within our communities.
- the work place is going to be a hybrid model with some people working from home and others working in the office for quite some time.
- given this hybrid office model, we are going to struggle in building and maintaining teams who only connect with each other via on-line portals, and occasional in-person connections.
- for working parents, the current struggles around childcare and school being on-line will continue to be highly disruptive as it pertains to productivity, communication, and project management.
- major issues related to the recruitment of staff are surfacing. In particular, it is becoming very hard to hire and retain front line workers.
- at the same time, there is a growing problem with retention. Highly qualified staff are leaving their current jobs. Some HR professionals believe this is happening due to poor supervision in combination with highly stressful and unpredictable working conditions. Others believe those leaving are getting employment packages that include larger salaries and signing bonuses.
- mergers and acquisitions are quietly being explored by key leaders with the recognition that many of them will take place in 2021. This is happening because senior leaders are recognizing that economy of scale and the resulting efficiency will generate a high degree of resiliency during the next 3-5 years.
- operational systems are being challenged by more customer expectations for greater flexibility and customization. However, most of these systems are designed to generate consistent outcomes and extremely limited customization. The tension between these operational systems in combination with the usual bureaucracy in large organizations, plus customer service expectations is causing communication related to problem solving between internal staff members.
- disjointed incrementalism, i.e. knowing where you want to go but not being sure how to get there, is on the rise for most people in management and leadership positions. The outcome is that many leaders feel like their organization is constantly on the verge of continual chaos. As a result, some departments are constantly planning and replanning what to do, resulting in analysis paralysis.
- the subject of downsizing operations or right sizing operations to meet changing customer demands has surfaced again. Some people believe this is the solution to meeting their financial targets. Others believe the loss of talent and the resulting damage to brand identity and/or the brand promise is a strong possibility. Therefore, they are focused on aggressive growth targets to acquire more customers. The upshot of this tension is being seen at the senior team level and is resulting a loss of trust and a feeling of not be heard by others.
- finally, people are struggling with language around all that is happening inside and outside the company. They also can not find the right words to describe what is happening inside themselves and their teams. And they are discovering how few places are safe enough to think out loud about different options and possibilities. With few confidents and limited allies, many are struggling with the stress and uncertainty of this time. As a result, burnout is on the rise.
As we all move through this year, individually and collectively, let us remember that companies are complex ecosystems. And given this complexity, incremental change may be easier than true innovative or revolutionary change. Still, within certain circumstances, the later may be the right choice even if it is the difficult choice. This is the gift of COVID and the opportunity to create a new and better future for all of us.
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