"New Normal" or New Mindset ?

Embracing Disruption

As we continue going through unprecedented times, the idea of a "new normal" became an attractive title and topic in webinars, articles, and conferences. Some try to predict how this new state will be and even preparing you to get there. Good stuff. But let's manage the expectations carefully.

As humans (and our organizations), we need certainty. We need to feel in control and to know what’s coming next to feel secure. That is how we operate. We look for a solid ground from where to plan and make decisions. And this is 100% understandable. But the reality is there may be no such thing as a "new normal"; at least no so "normal", and no for a while.

What we need instead is a new mindset that helps us to accept disruption and uncertainty and to be able to operate through it.

If we analyze recent times, we were already going through deep transformations:

- Climate change and global warming and its global effects.

- The technology disruption impacting all industries also called the 4th Industrial Revolution.

 - Global geopolitical and economic reconfiguration. 

- The dynamics of causes and movements urging for changes like equality, sustainability, inclusion, and more.

And several other transformations, where now Covid-19 has created the "Perfect Storm" to accelerate all this and more.

And yet, I also hope that in the post-pandemic era, the world becomes more conscious, sustainable, equal, and our organizations authentically purpose-driven. Just as the World Economic Forum advocates for a new paradigm instead of a new normal, given that our previous system was neither equitable nor sustainable, and was not working for most people. And from there, the case for The Great Reset.

However, there is one thing for sure:  the world is not going to a "normal" or a steady stage any time soon, disruption will continue, and it is better to embrace it.

Brands and Businesses:

Not trying to frame here what "a new mindset or embrace disruption" should mean, which would be a non-sense, but for brands and businesses, some perspectives below:

Engage and take care of customers and communities. There is no better opportunity to build a closer intimacy, engagement, and experience with customers, partners, and collaborators, taking care and accompany them through this uncertain journey. They will always be grateful and stick with you wherever forms of services and products you transform the business in the future. We have heard amazing stories of companies in the epicenters of disruption that decided to stand for their customers and employees at the imminent industry collapse.

Authenticity:  This is essential for building trust. It is not just about reacting quickly to causes and movements, as some brands seem to have learned. It is about practicing brand values and purpose when matter most. Authenticity also means not to pretend everything is under control, or that your company has a clear direction and a solid plan for the future.

Hyper - awareness: It has never been so crucial to continuously track and understand trends and change patterns, but at the same time, it has never been so challenging and dynamic. The market and consumer insights practices have fundamentally changed. Static studies and long term market projections are no longer relevant. Measure the continuous transitions will be essential and a "Sense and Response" approach is a must, unlocking the power of data.

Agility:  This is the time to adopt agile practices and take them to the next level. As part of this, the prevalence of "Doing" over planning, continuous business innovations sprints to develop minimum viable solutions and outcomes, the capacity to create dynamic partnerships and ecosystems, super-fast execution, and even more relevant at this moment, the tolerance of "failure".

Innovation and Transformation: The other disruption we are living in is technology disruption, and taking advantage of this will be the best ally to transform the business. It is about leveraging the emerging technologies and business models to innovate, such as A.I. , A.R., IoT, BlockChain, and advanced data analytics, not based in a technology-centric approach but with a customer innovation focus. Keeping in mind that innovation should not be limited to the internal capacity to create, it happens everywhere, even more at this moment, and it is better to co-create with customers, partners, and collaborators.

I know all of that is easy to say, but hard to put into practice, especially in businesses or entire industries close to disappearing. In those cases beyond resiliency, what it is required is Anti-Fragility, the best concept I have found to describe a sort of capacity to thrive from chaos.

True Leadership

In summary, this is a moment of truth, where the values that ultimately define us should emerge. True Leadership is not about having all the answers or showing that everything is under control, as no one has it at this moment. It is about being authentic, even to show vulnerability, and accept the unknown. That is not going to mine your leadership. In the end, we all are going through this journey. But certainly, it is required to lead and make the best-informed decisions and actions, to protect our people and communities, acting based on values, and not to let go of the opportunity to transform and innovate. That is part of the new mindset we need to build what is next.