During the last 90 days, I have spent a lot of time discussing strategy and strategic planning with senior executives and their teams. During these in-depth consultations, we have explored the future from multiple angles and possibilities. Over and over the main subject during these conversations has been what will the world be like after COVID. And during the process of listening and participating in these consultations, I have learned a few things.
First, during the early onset of COVID, we approached the future in a binary fashion, namely before COVID and after COVID. Many people thought that the entire problem would be short lived and then we would return to normal operations. However, as COVID has continued to move through society in multiple waves, more and more senior executives and their teams are no longer using the phrase “post-COVID”. They are beginning to realize that we may never fully eradicate COVID. Instead, we will have to learn how to live with it like we do the seasonal flu. Linguistically, this is being communicated by a switch from the phrase “post-COVID” to the phrase “post-pandemic”. This indicates a major switch in strategic thinking and acknowledges the on-going and adaptive nature of this problem.
Second, as the language about COVID has shifted, there is a rising understanding that the health and safety concerns expressed by employees and customers related to COVID will not go away anytime soon. Instead, even in a post-pandemic period where an effective vaccine has been widely distributed, many people will want to continue working and living in a bubble, carefully choosing who they will interact with on an on-going basis. The implications of these choices will be become more profound over time within the work place, our homes and our communities.
One interesting element related to the continual concerns about living and working in a safe and healthy manner is the growing awareness among senior leaders that COVID is more likely the first of many global pandemics that we will experience during the coming decades. Therefore, as part of their development of strategy and their strategic planning process, many want to capture the lessons learned from this first pandemic because everyone involved knows that we must be better prepared next time and we must react more quickly.
Third, all involved agree that the pandemic has changed and will continue to change our business models for quite some time. There will be greater use of digital platforms and working remote will become normal during the coming years. However, most executives do not believe that a 100% remote and digital workforce is the key to success. Instead, it will be a hybrid mix of work experiences, i.e. a combination of home office work and in-person meetings.
The interesting thing for me as an executive coach and facilitator of strategic planning is how many times the subject of team work and teams has entered into these discussion when it comes to discussing the ongoing change in business models. All parties involved believe that teams are mission critical to strategic and operational success, but many privately are not sure if they are well prepared for a mix of analog teams (in-person meetings and office work) and digital teams (remote and digitally connected) to accomplish their goals. They also question if people in management and leadership positions are competent in leading both analog and digital teams. Still, everyone knows that they most create teams that are more resilient and adaptable during the next 1- 3 years.
Fourth, with the above in mind, many leaders are focused on how to do customer sales and service better during this pandemic and in the post pandemic time period. Traditionally, in the world of product sales and customer service, there have been three defining factors, namely time, price and quality. A customer gets to choose two out of the three, and then a company will deliver. For example, if the customer chooses time, i.e. fast, and high quality, then the customer will need to pay a premium price for the product or service. On the other hand, if the customer chooses low price and fast delivery, then more likely they would not be receiving a high quality product or service.
Given the global pandemic, there is a rising awareness that there is now a fourth variable in the mix, namely ease of use. With the continued changes in business models, people are willing to pay more for ease of use. Having less stress during stressful times does make certain products and services more attractive to consumers. I will be curious to see how this fourth element will change sales and service during the next 1 - 3 years
Fifth, one of the interesting topics being discussed during strategic planning is education, schools, and childcare. All are in agreement that the work place will continue to be a mix of normal and hybrid operations, and now they believe schools will be, too. The impact of this hybrid education model and the resulting long term stress on employees and their families is deeply concerning, strategically and operationally. No one is coming up with simple solutions to this complex and complicated problem but all recognize that it is not going away any time soon.
Finally, there is a growing awareness that a return to normalcy in the post pandemic period will depend entirely on where you live in the country and your level of economic privilege. This, in combination, with the realization that issues related to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion within the work place and within the communities where we serve are also not going away. They have and will continue to change how we work for quite some time.
I am sure during the next 3 - 6 months I will learn a great deal more about what’s next in a post pandemic world. I hope the above is good food for thought for you and your team as you prepare for the future.
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