Crisis as an Accelerant for Change
Think about how institutions who have been talking about doing online learning for years - they "figured" it out in a matter of weeks. If necessity is the mother of all invention, crisis creates the necessity.
Crisis is an accelerant for change. However, not all change is the same. The changes above are what I would call "forced change." In a crisis, an opportunity also exists for "influenced change."
Right now, we are in a great unknown; the old rules don't apply anymore. What was status quo pre-COVID, no longer applies. Conventional wisdom is out the window. New rules are being shaped and written as we speak. Influenced change means taking an active role in shaping what the ways of being will be inside and outside your organization.
“ Don’t waste a good crisis.”
Now is the time to be actively engaging in shaping the new reality that emerges post-COVID - particularly when it comes to planning and adapting your organization. As Winston Churchill said, "Don't waste a good crisis." Just as organizations are embracing the forced change, please don't stop there - take the opportunity to consider how to engage influenced change in your organization and your environment.
Crisis is an accelerant – the question becomes, can we move beyond forced change and engage in influenced change so that what emerges post-COVID is healthier and stronger than our pre-COVID reality.