FUTURE SKILLS FUTURE THINKING

The Decade of Radical Disruption

As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, many business leaders are still reeling. With 2030 looking like a distant point on the horizon and radical disruption forecasted, it’s time to take stock. Economic instability has been compounded by the conflict in Europe, which has taken many by surprise. Scarcity of food and resources had, up until this point, seemed an ambiguous threat. With supply chain challenges exacerbated by disruption to transport and shipping routes, the impact is being felt across nearly all sectors. The vicious cycle of the cost of living and soaring inflation is piling the pressure on organisations as they seek to support their employees, while working hard to attract and retain the talent they need to be able to adapt and grow to secure the better and more sustainable future they aspire to. Meanwhile, the reality of climate change came into sharp focus during global lockdowns as people took stock, re-evaluated, and embraced new ways of working, which resulted (unexpectedly) in both personal and wider societal benefit. With a reduction in travel – both air and road – climate change champions rejoiced in the unexpected outcome, hoping some headway had been made as a result of the experience of quiet roads and reduced pollution in deserted cities. And indeed there had been – for a short time, at least. COP26 resulted in a call to action for business leaders as it soon became clear that the member states would only achieve a better future, or at least a ‘net positive’ future by 2030, if business leaders committed to clear and decisive action right now. The well- timed publication of Polman and Winston’s ‘Net Positive’ heralded the opportunity for business leaders to be ‘purposeful’ and (unsurprisingly) ‘net positive’. So as we consider how we must now move forward, having had a glimpse of what’s still to come, it’s time to ask ourselves:

Do we want to survive or thrive?

In Kotter’s latest book about ‘Change’, he discusses how the emerging science of change shows that this phenomenon will continue to increase as we move forward through the century – and, as a result, we need to be aware of the innate human responses to change, to ensure we can optimise the outcome.

He states that we have two channels: a ‘survive’ channel’ and a ‘thrive channel’.

Survive – survival is a human biological response to perceived threats. It is powerful and it can overwhelm us. We know that, when this instinct takes over, leaders will often struggle to see the conscious pathway or the creative opportunity. Operating in ‘survive’ state for long periods of time drains energy and leads to stress. It results in reduced productivity and less effective decision-making. Thrive – thrive requires a conscious shift in mindset, from threat to opportunity. It is a more sustainable response state because energy levels are more consistent, avoiding the spikes caused by threat responses. Our focus and capability expands rather than shrinks – it unlocks collaboration, creativity and innovation. The impact of operating in these 2 opposing states can be seen in case studies of organisational responses to disruption. Those organisations that were ready for change and embraced it as an opportunity experienced success, where others only just survived.

Leaders, take heed. How will you ensure you and your organisation are change-ready?

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