HOW TO SLINGSHOT FROM CHAOS TO CREATIVITY

What was meant to be an exciting milestone year, 2020 has become a reminder that the universe has an intolerance for sameness and that perhaps it is time to unsettle ourselves. 

In the past six months, the global pandemic has forced many established industries into unknown territories. Alcohol brands started making hand sanitiser, fitness studios went digital, events companies made furniture and tele-health apps replaced waiting rooms. COVID-19 brought about unwanted chaos in peoples’ everyday lives. Kitchen benches became office HQs, bathrooms became salons, and parents became teachers. Everyone has been forced to re-engineer their lives, quickly. 

In 2000, I founded a business called TABOO, which exists in today’s pandemic panicked world. I put its continued existence down to adaptation to its surroundings and a sheer determination to survive. Throughout those 20 years we have built teams that represent anti-fragility properties, that is they increase in capability and thrive on shock, change and volatility. I have purposely run the organisation near to chaos, to the extent that its somewhat of a constant. This may sound like a harsh environment, but let me assure you, people love working at Taboo. 

It’s my belief that with the right navigation, what comes out of chaos is more often than not, a better version of what went in.

This article hopes to explain and rationalise the theory behind this statement and how to make bearable - rapid uncontrollable change.

Here’s what the Chaos Slingshot looks like: 

1. THE NORMAL
2. CHAOS STRIKES
3. CREATE OR CAVE
4. THE (NEW) NORMAL

It’s important to know that when chaos strikes (2), it’s uncomfortable, scary and disorientating. It feels like you’re moving backwards. Chaos can be small and happen regularly, such as a piece of technology breaking or large, like a restructure at work, becoming sick, or heaven forbid a global pandemic rifles across the planet.

When chaos strikes it’s important to gather composure and know that normality will occur again, some time in the future. Ambitious individuals will see chaos as an opportunity and begin the process to create (3). Creation leads to action: ideas, communication, team alignment, testing, building, and launch. This phase brings forward new found goals, excitement and energy.

A spark can gain momentum quickly when the only alternative is failure.

After creation and execution, we enter into a new beginning, more often than not, better than the last. This is what is now commonly referred to as ‘the new normal’ (1). The likelihood of finding a better ‘new normal’ is high for two reasons. Firstly, the new normal is a stark contrast to the gut-wrenching feeling of when ‘chaos struck’ and secondly, the ‘slingshot’ nature of this model suggests that we will create a better, stronger, more competitive solution to move forward with. All of a sudden, we’re moving forward again, and faster.

When we find ourselves at ‘the new normal,’ we can enjoy looking back and have a better understanding of why we had to go through the chaos in the first place. Gradually, without notice, the new normal simply becomes the normal, and we become ready for the next round of chaos.   

In the event we can’t find our orientation or motivation, we risk the likelihood of ‘caving’ (3) amidst the ‘chaos’. Here we’re experiencing a sense of defeat, and an inability to forge forward actively. An example of this situation might be a legal battle that has worn down a business owner and the money required to settle the case is neither fathomable, nor possible. The company may close and with this could come sadness and ongoing financial hardship. Eventually, ‘the new normal’ will be a worse situation than what was experienced previously. 

However, it is possible to stop the downwards step. Believe it or not, we have a choice between ‘creating’ or ‘caving’ following chaos. Composure, rest, exercise, a positive mindset, determination, support from people around you, and goal setting are some of the tools at our disposal which can help turn a ‘cave’ into a ‘create’ outcome, and realign ourselves with discovering a ‘better’ new normal. With this, we begin to accelerate and over time, our new normal phase turns to an ordinary day and the chaos slingshot starts again.

For Taboo, COVID-19 brought experiential marketing to a halt; 100% of our events and activations were canceled or put on hold. To keep the agency afloat, we were forced to rapidly shift into other areas of our business and find new opportunities in live streaming and digital experiences. 

We vigorously investigated new customer needs in the midst of COVID19 and found them seeking entertainment, escape, and connection. At the same time, we could see the venues suffering and the musical industry decimated.

This led Taboo to dream up Live Loud & Local with Coopers Brewery, Australia’s biggest virtual pub, providing support for venues and artists around the country. While the beer category struggled in May with a total sales decrease of 19%, Coopers saw Live, Loud & Local contribute to an uplift of 8.4% over the same period. Furthermore, sales increases were identified in every state that virtually “hosted” a Live, Loud & Local event.

Also amidst the mayhem of COVID, the AFL put a halt on the 2020 season, leaving isolated fans devastated. The team at Taboo saw an opportunity for Telstra to partner with the AFL and quickly launch The Australian Dice Football League, enabling fans to connect with their heroes and enjoy some friendly competition while the big game was on hold. Both of these initiatives were born from chaos induced creation. 

The certainty of life is that there will always be unforeseen challenges, the variable is how you handle them. It can be hard to recognise it at the time, but it’s often these experiences that are our most defining. After a while, if you’re like me, soon you’ll go looking for chaos, welcome it with open arms, and enjoy the slingshot ride forward.