2021: Of Hope and Beyond

I recently watched Shawshank Redemption for the 3rd time – it’s one of those movies that you can watch again and again, and you would discover something new every time.

The story in the movie in itself is pretty straight-forward. Andy is wrongly accused of a double murder and is sentenced to life at Shawshank prison. He initially struggles to settle down but then goes on to thrive in prison and contribute significantly to the place. I don’t want to give the suspense away for those who haven’t watched the movie, but the one thing that stood out for me was the debate that Andy has with friend Red about hope.

Andy talks about hope and how it is what keeps him alive and about what he would do when he gets out of prison. Red, who has been in prison for nearly 30 years and has had his parole application rejected several times, is more pessimistic and thinks that hope is a bad thing since you feel disappointed and frustrated if things don’t work out. 

Andy doesn’t just stop with hope, he actually goes on to plan what he would do when his hope becomes a reality. I think this is also a very important quality- the ability to plan ahead.

In many ways, 2020 has been like living in a prison with so many lockdowns and restrictions due to the pandemic . But one thing that shone through universally was hope- hope that the virus will not infect us, hope that even if it did it would be mild, hope that the lockdown would be lifted soon, hope that the vaccine is round the corner and hope that things will get better soon.

As a leader, it was my primary responsibility to keep the flame of hope burning within the organization. The first step was for me to connect with all employees on a regular basis to understand how they are, what they feel and ask them to stay safe. I did that one-on-one, in small groups and through mass communication. The next step was to manage external environment to ensure business continuity without taking any undue risks. And the third was to re-assure our employees that given our strong business fundamentals, we will bounce back as an organization once things start settling down. But the most important thing was to keep the hope alive within the organization.   

Along with kindling the hope, it was also important for me and the leadership team to plan different scenarios once the new reality unfolds. This helped the teams move into action mode quickly as things improved in the external environment.

“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering ‘it will be happier’” said Alfred Tennyson. Well, I sure hope that 2021 will be a happier year than 2020!! As we stand at the threshold of 2021, there are some key things that we have learnt this year which will stand us in good stead as we enter the new year.

Creation: 2020 has been a destructive and yet a creative year in many ways. Destructive because it has shattered many myths, busted several paradigms, and broken many rules. And yet amidst all this destruction, there has been creation- of new ways of working, of new ways of learning, and indeed of new ways of living. And we would do well to carry some of these creations into the future.

My actions for 2021: Work- Break paradigms, leverage technology and create new ways of doing things in the organization that make us more effective and efficient. Personal- Complete my coaching certification and positively impact people around me.

Discovery: 2020 has been a year of discovery- of our self, of our family, of friends and inner peace. During the lockdown, many of us reached out to long-lost friends and forgotten cousins via Zoom calls and Facetime chats. We discovered new passions and in many cases, rediscovered old passions- cooking, painting or pottery. We spent more time on taking care of ourselves. This is something that we should not let go of as we enter the new year.

My actions for 2021: Work- Contribute to building an organization culture that enables people discover their potential. Personal- Further progress on my journey of self-discovery through my yoga practice.

Moderation: 2020 has been a year of moderation- we have been forced to cut down on travel, on holidays, on socializing, on dining out. It has made us realize that we can get by with much less than what we think we need. The collateral benefit of this is a cleaner environment. Moderation is something that each of us can carry into the new year.

My actions for 2021: Work- Continue work in the organization on reducing water consumption, carbon footprint through various initiatives. Personal- Moderate my personal consumption at all levels and support a cleaner environment.

As we enter 2021 with renewed hope and optimism, it would be good for each of us and for the world at large to carry forth these learnings from 2020.