3 Lessons Learned from the Lockdown

Is everything back to normal now? Of course not. Do we even want to go back to normal? Here are my takeaways from the lockdown.

The demise of the office space: I think Corona was THE major change agent when it comes to digitization of the workplace, including remote/home work acceptance across all industries and cultures. So do we really need that much office space in the future?

The same for one day business travels. My quality of living went up dramatically as well as I was able to reduce my carbon footprint big time as video calls were suddenly accepted by everyone and I did not have to catch the red-eye planes to meet someone in person for 1.5 hrs… Sometimes change just happens.

The revival of uncertainty: After more than a decade of continuous growth it is hard to tell what the economic collateral damage of the lockdown will exactly look like – but it will be massive for sure. So how do we tackle strategic challenges? What's our modus operandi when it comes to execution without really having reliable data? How do we anticipate stakeholder changes we are not even seeing coming?

For a start-up, the situation is actually not so new as we’re constantly struggling and therefore always in a crisis mode, sort of. So I believe we have a massive advantage over established and mature companies and businesses.

The return of pragmatism/fatalism: What do we really need to have in order to be happy – both in our private and business lives? Where are we really sitting in the driver seat and calling the shots? What are we able to influence and where do we have to accept that we only can react? Who can cope with the fact that several "bubbles" bursted at once?

But: Having the necessary life saving AQ (Adaptability Quotient) would be a very human trait by evolution. So in fact we are designed to assess and adapt. The difference will be: Do you adapt or will you be adapted? First never follows.

So: It all comes down to what WE do with the situation. Because the world keeps turning. My approach: Take the next step. Luckily we've chosen a pretty visionary claim 4 years ago: #makingfuturereality. Believe in the future! Be bold. Be humble. Be human.