Pandemic Fatigue? - A Year Full of Accomplishments

In the last few weeks we all observed a sentiment of fatigue. Many of us feel exhausted of what the year 2020 brought to us and are craving for the festive break. Why did this happen?

From my perspective, I can see two things that have contributed to this feeling of wanting to pause. One is external; the continuous uncertainty of what is coming next. The widespread consequence of the reaction to the pandemic has created big shifts on the economy, how we work and how we interact with our family and friends. The second element is more internal; due to the environment, many of us reacted with activism directed at keeping the lights on, stemming the impressions and impact from the ecosystem, and simply putting the head down and keep running. In this situation many of us stopped pausing and reflecting on the bigger picture. Budgeting and forecasting were not done properly because the felt meaningless. Any long term plan was avoided because we were in survival mode.

Today, when I look back at the last 12 months, I can see many accomplishments and great opportunities for the future. We have learned about many new possibilities which we can leverage. For example, focusing on the essence when forecasting, improving the way we discover the needs of our customers, crating flexibility how we are working, strengthening the work environment with a focus on the value of our people, and connecting to friends in a more meaningful way.

Last month, McKinsey published an article - Overcoming pandemic fatigue: How to reenergize organizations for the long run - that outlines five key points how we can go "beyond grit and perseverance". Which was for me a reminder of the relevance of the Wheel of Antifragility we at Hive17 Consulting have developed.

1. Purpose - this is the northstar, the collective dream we imagine that gives us the direction for our efforts. This is related to the bonded optimism and positivism; let's celebrate what we have achieved and look into the future with realism and passion.
2. Customer Value - here we get inspired by the value we can create to our internal and external customers. This means we have our ears on the ground; we listen to the signs of exhaustion and opportunities.
3. Experimentation - this is about validating our assumptions and taking small steps towards the bigger picture. This is a way to thrive under pressure; we keep moving forward and growing personally and as a group.
4. Relationships - the foundation of sustainable success is the strong connections we have with all our peers, which is based on trust, respect and a great experience. We want to build these relationships and also rethink the organisation; this will unleash energy by pausing and uncovering better ways of working together.

We believe that these four pillars establish an environment and a culture that enables short-term benefits that evolve into lasting success.

How are you looking forward into the New Year?