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UN-PRECEDENT-ED5/28/2020 We can't fault our wise men and women for not being able to predict the COVID-19 black swan, (although I heard that it was predicted sort-of in a horror novel sometime in the 90s!) Black swans are not subject to predictions or forecasting.
The word 'unprecedented' comes from the root word precedent, which means, "a case that will serve as an example of a later case." This falls under an unprecedented category of events. In this new dispensation, some are going to be successful and some will not survive, evidently because adaptation is not an inborn trait. Organizations must willing to bear the burden and opportunity to adapt immediately, consistently, and in painstaking way, strategically. They consistently believe that they have nothing to lose but more to gain from the evolution. They see the big picture but very pragmatic and practical in their approach to their work, occupation, business. They know that change is constant, and that instead of fear and trepidation, they should be quick to improvise and test what works. They consider the fact that timelines are set artificially, for example: "when vaccine is available", setting their own timelines and strategies ahead of the crowd. They do not sit tight and wait for dole outs or supports. They support others and do not have the scarcity mentality despite the situation. Some are very fortunate because they are reaping the benefits of a fearful public through goods, services, and cultural supports they can provide right now. Kudos to them! But for us that are not severely impacted, we can make a huge difference with what we have and can leverage. One thing I like about this new change is that opportunities are new every morning. Our actions make those containment possible. Our current actions make those future decisions possible.
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WE NEED MORE (RE)IMAGINATION5/25/2020 In times of crisis, calamity, and/or disaster, we turn to the people that we trust to get advice, feedback, or correct information.
The Internet and the public space have churned in enormous amount of the same information regurgitated in many forms and at various levels. After the first few weeks of the pandemic, none of them is useful anymore. The world had moved on and the people have coped well despite the initial fear and chaos. We don't need a crystal ball or sooth sayers. We need independent thinkers. Now, it is imperative to reimagine organizations that can progress past-COVID19, in a new dispensation that does not respect past records of success. There are two types of organizations responding well to post-recovery: One type of organization refuses to get behind the public path to recovery and have chosen to enact their own norms and policies that demonstrate clear strategic awareness of their organizational capabilities and understanding of the dynamics around them. They have made 'lemonades out of the lemons' and unafraid to keep on reinventing themselves to get the right challenge they need. Another type of organization is preparing themselves to have multiple capabilities on various types of implementation and service delivery. At the granular level, it means that staff will be competent whatever the next 6 to 12 months will be. There is no more postponement or cancellation of programming, but all will be migrated to virtual delivery. The knee-jerk reaction is over. Going above the noise of recovery is a challenge in itself. This means that leaders should have the clarity of intent and objectives with the latest information on what's allowable and not. The rest hinges on the boldness of their imagination.
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CONFIDENCE BUILDS CONFIDENCE5/21/2020 We were out and about yesterday doing our weekly errands, we thought it would be different to start eating out to help local businesses and save myself from cooking.
The local restaurant is a franchise of a large chain and owned by a young entrepreneur couple who moved to Canada 11 years ago. This couple is commendable in their attitude towards the reopen and how much of their effort is building confidence with their customers by showing how they approach the preventive measures. Confidence-building is essential in every customer interaction especially in this time. It shows that you are on the ball and are committed to ensuring that they can count on you for safety as part of their experience with your products, services, and programs. Exuding confidence is like a balm on a very itchy skin. It assuages and builds further confidence that is required if you want to keep more business coming. The right mindset is always an optimistic one-one that is pragmatically positive. Who can tell you need confidence? We all need confidence. We all need to be boosted up one way or another. We all need a word of comfort and acts of solidarity. We all need to know that others care for us and we care for our community. Small business owners are particularly hit hard with today's recession. They are the unsung heroes of our community. Every lay-off is a difficult decision especially when a staff has no other options on the horizon. A lot of workers do not have the cushion of savings to rely on during temporary setbacks. Last March, 2M people lost their jobs. Despite these, they are open and they are serving us with a smile and a confident demeanor that they are ready for better times ahead. What are you doing to exude confidence and build trust with your customers and stakeholders now? |
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