A Positive Outlook on the Next 12 Months

These last 9 months have been some of the most interesting in my lifetime and it’s been an absolute rollercoaster to manage through all the lack of predictability, ambiguity, dysfunction, uncertainty, obscurity, vagueness, equivocation, suspicion, dubiousness, incertitude and so many more things.

What’s most interesting is to watch all the various industries work to survive in all of this change and undoubtedly challenging time. Some industries have found themselves thriving as a result of the change, while others struggle to make it to the very next day. No matter what industry you represent, the leadership of these businesses has been pushed to the limit to figure out a short-term or long- term plan. I can’t think of any other event in my lifetime that has caused the entire world to make its adjustments accordingly and awaken the most creative strategies we have ever seen in such a short period of time. 

We know in the next 30 days the weather is likely to shift dramatically for most of us in the Western Hemisphere and those changes will cause for even more adjustments. We know that most, if not the vast majority, of businesses have discovered alternative methods for providing their services and producing innovative products.

Most of us in business think about the future state of our country and what all this confusion will mean to the next generation, as well as those to follow. With so much going on, we don’t want to quit on the hope that we are about to pull out of this mess. I am personally very opportunistic that this pandemic has forced us to rethink our current strategies, build new initiatives and consider new plans for our business when things get back to more familiar grounds. I don’t think we will be a society that is not unchanged long term from this event. In 12 months from now, we may not be wearing masks in grocery stores and our children will return to the classroom, but I’d imagine the idea of a snow day has forever been changed. 

I think many businesses have made significant process changes that are being measured every day in regards to their effectiveness. I think businesses a year from now will not look the same as they did 9 months ago. More people have become comfortable shopping for whatever their needs and wants are online and retailers and other companies that sell products and services realize the impact of these behavioral changes and what’s required of them to market in an e-World market place.

In 12 months from now, we will reflect on these unpredictable circumstances and feel like survivors. We will talk about the things we did in 2019 as if it was year’s ago. I realize many peoples’ lives have been lost in this pandemic and I genuinely acknowledge that loss. Our children that have been forced to study virtually and the professionals that are all working remotely and conducting their communication through virtual platforms will all continue to do so in many cases. In 12 months from now, our world will appear as a hybrid of the old ways and the newly discovered ways. There is great promise for this vaccine to work, meaning that our fears about COVID-19 in the future will be less than they are currently. I have personally watched many businesses simply dissolve in this madness, but I have also watched and observed business owners and leaders rise to the occasion and fight their way through this situation.

The United States is a country that refuses to quit, and the current situation has only proven that to be the case. We used to say that whatever is bothering you now or causing you a great deal of stress will not matter in 12 months from now. I think that will continue to be the case.

This accelerated survival process is pushing businesses to constantly re-evaluate themselves. Even those that are thriving are worried that they may not be in 12 months from now. However, I think that a more united front is likely to exist in 12 months. We have forced ourselves to look at others opinions and many people have learned how to listen before they share their beliefs. We’re not perfect by any means but I believe working together and being respectful towards each other will be better in the next 12 months. Our traditions have been broken, and in many cases, they have been cancelled. In 12 months from now we will get back to the things that made our family and business dynamics strong and resilient. 

We can do this together! Chins up, because in 12 months from now everything is going to be better than it is currently.

Scott Swidersky, Vice President

Quality Associates, a Konica Minolta Company

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