Releasing lockdown

Strong leadership and strategic planning is needed to remodel organisations.

Photo by mikeinlondon/iStock / Getty Images

I’ve had lots of conversations this week about how society reorganises itself and learns to live with the COVID-19 virus. I’ve spoken to people in the arts, business, education and sports.

Responses are polarised between organisations moving quickly to remodel and think about new ways of operating, and those holding out for leadership and external stimulus.

These are the opposing forces of energy and inertia. The difference between the two approaches could not be more distinct.

Both behaviours are understandable. Three months of lockdown has created both an urgency for life to return to how it was in 2019, and a huge anxiety about social interaction.

What’s certain is that we can no longer continue the status quo.

Arts venues will fold unless they start to welcome back visitors or the government steps in with external funding.

Educators can’t continue dumping PDFs on websites and expect working parents to home school. University students didn’t sign up for distance learning.

Professional sports are returning behind closed doors but we need equal energy to be directed at grass roots activities in villages, towns and cities.

Business is continuing to remodel, eliminating physical events and meetings. Staff continue to work at home where possible but this isn’t sustainable. The relationship between home and work needs a rethink.

Leaders need to step up and start planning for a sustainable recovery if they haven’t already.

We are beginning to understand the shape of the virus and the measures that we need to take to live alongside it.

That’s cleaning, social spacing, home working wherever possible, track and trace, and protective equipment.

Each of these issues needs to factored into a reorganisation and rebuilding of arts, business, education and sport.

Planning should start by listening to and collaborating with staff, customers and stakeholders. Managing risk and sustainability should be the primary objectives.

Planning and processes need to be agile to cope with future changes in government guidance.

It provides an opportunity for tremendous innovation. Those organisations that move quickly and confidently will benefit from first mover advantage.

Equally be aware of false confidence. The financial markets may be recovering but COVID-19 has been an unprecedented hit to the economy and we’ve Brexit to come.

Job losses are already hitting the economy. There is a recession and possibly a depression to come as the furlough scheme unwinds, depending on next stage government interventions.