The COVID-19 crisis has forced businesses to reassess what they do, how they do it and even why they do it. We are also asking ourselves these questions at a personal level. While this can be scary, it’s an opportunity to get back to basics and do some fresh thinking, writes leadership and project management coach James Sweetman.

Envisioning the post-COVID world

Of course current realities and challenges have to take precedence, but proactive leaders are also looking down the road and envisioning the post-COVID world. It’s hard to contemplate, but the seeds of the next big growth industries are being planted now.

In the book ‘Ikigai; The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life’ by Hector Garcia, Ikigai refers to a reason to jump out of bed each morning. Your ‘ikigai’ or purpose, resides at the intersections of what you love doing and what you are good at, as you deliver a service that the world needs.

COVID-19 has changed the world’s needs. We’ve seen the evidence of people and organisations responding to their communities’ immediate needs, exploring new ways of being of service.

In the early stages of this crisis, we had to ask – what do my clients and contacts need from me? To answer that, another question is needed – where do I/we add value?

These are fundamental questions for every business, but so often we are too busy with the daily grind to pause and contemplate them. Now, in fact, we have no choice.

From a business perspective, here are questions worth contemplating?

• In the short term what do my clients, connections and community need from me?
• For the foreseeable future, what is likely to change about my customers, resources, markets, and business environment?
• How can I and/or my business add value in this emerging reality?
• What should I/we abandon?
• As a people manager, what does my team need from me?
• What am I (are we) in business to do?
• What’s my (our) definition of success in the short and long term?

Redefining the bottom line

It can be argued that the purpose of a business is to make a profit, to give its investors a return, to offer employment and contribute to the economy. In recent years, companies have widened how they define success, and the COVID-19 crisis is prompting many more to do likewise.

An enterprise needs to be viable, but perhaps there are other components of success that are not as easily measured on a spreadsheet. Factors such as contributing to society and the quality of people’s lives, being a source of community, creating an enduring body of work, or being a voice for a cause.

This prompts the larger question – how are your customers or community ‘better off’ because of you and your business?

While ‘business as usual’ satisfied our needs for routine and certainty, the old normal wasn’t working for everybody. There were many aspects of the old ways that were beyond their sell-by date.

We won’t go back to a world of compulsory office attendance, lengthy commutes, or stale meetings. The phrase ‘we’ve always done it this way’ will be resigned to the history books.

Listening

'We must be silent before we can listen. We must listen before we can learn. We must learn before we can prepare. We must prepare before we can serve. We must serve before we can lead.' William Arthur Ward

I’ve often closed leadership workshops and talks with this quote by the American philosopher and writer William Arthur Ward. This is a time for listening. What are we hearing and what are we learning?

For some, it’s the call of changing consumer needs, and the businesses that are pivoting and adapting to these needs are demonstrating leadership.

At a personal level, others are hearing the call of long held dreams and ambitions, now audible in the absence of routine busyness. Many of us have a growing desire to take back control and instigate meaningful change in our lives in the post- COVID world.

If you are seeking a personal reboot, here are more questions to ponder.

• In a work context, what do I enjoy doing?
• What do I want my work or career to do for me?
• What do I want more of and less of?
• Where do I excel?
• What are my long-term aspirations?

It is impossible to overestimate the gravity of the present crisis and looming recession. Many people are wrestling with existential challenges and we are all operating in a world turned upside down. It can seem indulgent to use this time to set a new vision for our lives and our business, but perhaps there is no better time.

In fact, I believe this is what we are being called to do – to switch off and reboot. If we are able to manage the daily challenges, but also lead with vision and a sense of possibility, we will emerge from the crisis stronger and more resilient. While we cannot predict the future, we have a role in shaping it.

Author: James Sweetman is a motivational speaker and executive coach focusing on leadership, presentation skills and personal development. He is also the author of five books. More information is available at www.jamessweetman.com