Hanging out with a great friend this past weekend, we started brainstorming around the campfire. Both of us play with words and language. We enjoy delving into how it shapes us.
In the course of the evening, we got around to the current state of the world, and I posed a question to him: What are three words that describe to you how we’ve living these days?
It’s a tough one. You have to think about it. What words broadly encompass this landscape that defies definition and has no playbook? How do we navigate?
That’s what I was getting at with the question. How do we get from here to there safely? What words are positive and can help society better understand the challenges and see through the haze to a clearer sky down the road.
Our first word was “transparency.” Speak the truth. Tell our citizens exactly what is going on to the best of your ability, whether you are in a position of leadership or run a business. Don’t mislead or distort.
Transparency implies you can see through something. By definition, let’s provide information that everyone understands and can access.
The second word we came up with was “pivot.” This one focuses how we’ve changed the past few months, and will continue to have to change in the months ahead as issues surrounding Covid-19 play out.
We must adapt to circumstances. We must pivot. We may be heading in one direction and suddenly stop. What’s next? Do you turn right? Do you reverse direction?
Individually and collectively we’re going to be doing a lot of pivoting in the coming months and we need to mentally and psychologically prepare ourselves for this. There is no map. There is no core strategy. Things will change, and often quickly, and it may confuse us. To survive and thrive, be prepared to pivot quickly.
Finally, there is “possibilities.” This was my buddy’s favorite, and actually became mine as well during our conversation. As he put it, “there are always possibilities available.”
It’s a simple concept he put forth. Whether in dark or evil days, us humans still face choices and can make decisions to improve our lot, or we can sag into marsh.
What keeps us going, ignites our souls, is the endless possibilities open to how we can solve some of the inconveniences and problems posed by the virus. We have choices. We can be creative. We can learn from incidents as our responses develop to different situations and be smart about how we move forward.
There are possibilities to build new businesses. There are possibilities to reduce traffic and lighten our worldwide carbon emissions. There are possibilities to learn from other businesses or countries regarding how they are finding success.
The key is to remain open. Don’t circle your personal wagon. Listen with an active mind to experts presenting solid information and think through what you can do to make things better. Those are your possibilities.
Embrace transparency, pivot as necessary and see the possibilities for a better tomorrow. Three words that say at lot. What are your three?
In the course of the evening, we got around to the current state of the world, and I posed a question to him: What are three words that describe to you how we’ve living these days?
It’s a tough one. You have to think about it. What words broadly encompass this landscape that defies definition and has no playbook? How do we navigate?
That’s what I was getting at with the question. How do we get from here to there safely? What words are positive and can help society better understand the challenges and see through the haze to a clearer sky down the road.
Our first word was “transparency.” Speak the truth. Tell our citizens exactly what is going on to the best of your ability, whether you are in a position of leadership or run a business. Don’t mislead or distort.
Transparency implies you can see through something. By definition, let’s provide information that everyone understands and can access.
The second word we came up with was “pivot.” This one focuses how we’ve changed the past few months, and will continue to have to change in the months ahead as issues surrounding Covid-19 play out.
We must adapt to circumstances. We must pivot. We may be heading in one direction and suddenly stop. What’s next? Do you turn right? Do you reverse direction?
Individually and collectively we’re going to be doing a lot of pivoting in the coming months and we need to mentally and psychologically prepare ourselves for this. There is no map. There is no core strategy. Things will change, and often quickly, and it may confuse us. To survive and thrive, be prepared to pivot quickly.
Finally, there is “possibilities.” This was my buddy’s favorite, and actually became mine as well during our conversation. As he put it, “there are always possibilities available.”
It’s a simple concept he put forth. Whether in dark or evil days, us humans still face choices and can make decisions to improve our lot, or we can sag into marsh.
What keeps us going, ignites our souls, is the endless possibilities open to how we can solve some of the inconveniences and problems posed by the virus. We have choices. We can be creative. We can learn from incidents as our responses develop to different situations and be smart about how we move forward.
There are possibilities to build new businesses. There are possibilities to reduce traffic and lighten our worldwide carbon emissions. There are possibilities to learn from other businesses or countries regarding how they are finding success.
The key is to remain open. Don’t circle your personal wagon. Listen with an active mind to experts presenting solid information and think through what you can do to make things better. Those are your possibilities.
Embrace transparency, pivot as necessary and see the possibilities for a better tomorrow. Three words that say at lot. What are your three?