“Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity. Don’t fight them. Just find a new way to stand.” – Oprah Winfrey
When things start to feel like they are out of control, I begin searching for a new center of gravity.
With so much uncertainty in the world at the moment I’m looking for some certainty. Something I can control. Something I can count on. A stable place to stand, and more importantly, a solid foundation to build from.
I doubt I’m the only one thinking like this.
Everyone is fatigued by the non-stop news cycle around COVID-19 (a.k.a. Coronavirus) that we’ve been subjected to 24/7.
In the matter of just a few weeks Coronavirus has progressed from some mysterious “flu-like bug” in a distant Chinese city most had never heard of, to something that has completely disrupted every facet of daily life across the globe. The human and financial toll have been staggering.
We are all trying to make sense of it all, and yet also figure out how we might start to move on when this pandemic comes to pass. Which it will.
Looking ahead, to the time when the world emerges from our self-imposed “shelter in place” hibernation, I’m starting to think about what comes next. What is the “new normal” going to look like?
There is no question that our personal and work lives will be different, we just don’t yet quite know how.
I’m predicting we are about to enter a period of rapid business innovation, unlike anything the world has ever seen. Driven by the massive collective shock we’re in the midst of right now, and fueled by technology and shifting demographics, I think the world of work will be forever changed.
One obvious, but still dramatic, impact: there will be a lot more people working remotely. It is estimated that 78% of the US workforce (those who still have their jobs and aren’t in essential industries) are working from home during the crisis. This compares to roughly 4% just two months ago.
Take a few moments to think about that…
Smart CEO’s and thought leaders have been talking about and trying to implement digital transformation in the workplace for 10+ years. Yet COVID accomplished it in the matter of just a few weeks!
Moving forward, I think many more (perhaps most?) organizations will choose to structure themselves virtually, powered by remote workers doing distributed work.
It is hard to imagine an industry sector that won’t be impacted in some way. A few of the more obvious ones that will likely have their business models altered:
- Healthcare
- Travel and hospitality
- Food services
- Grocery
- Retail
Fear of the unknown is the hard part of change. We know things won’t revert back to the way they were. We know change is coming and its necessary. We just don’t know what it is. In the vernacular of startups – it’s time for a pivot…
But pivot to what? We don’t know yet…
This lack of certainty can be very uncomfortable. However, if there is one important takeaway from the world of startup innovation it’s that you must get out of the building and into the market to find it. That’s where all the innovation and learnings will come from. And from that effort our new strategic plans will materialize. Then we can take action.
Put your seatbelt on. Once the economy starts back up and we all are no longer sheltering-in-place it is going to be a wild and crazy ride.
Post Script
This shelter-in-place “forced sabbatical” has been a challenge…sitting still and not being out in the market is hard! To keep busy, I’ve built this platform (called 1CMO) where I can share my thoughts and ideas on business strategy and growth with like-minded professionals, and offer my assistance as an advisor to those who want to grow their organizations. Who knows where it might take me – It could lead to some interesting early stage investments, another executive role, or perhaps a startup will materialize!
I hope you’ll join me on the journey by subscribing and becoming a regular reader of this blog.