A Detour and Opportunities
The first half of 2020 embodies the VUCA concept - volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. In a nutshell, the first half of the year has been disruptive and 'dark.' First, it was the Australian bushfires, then the pandemic. What started as a high fever in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 became a global pandemic in March 2020, shutting down the world's existing system. We experienced a pause in time. But how can we live in a paused time, especially one unplanned?
The need to survive made us look for alternatives and new ways of living; we used technology and digitization to bridge these pauses and gaps.
Just when a ray of hope shined through the darkness, and we were beginning to define, adjust, and adapt to our new realities, another tragedy happened in Minneapolis - Minnesota, US. The tragedy brought to the fore a cankerous sore that was long covered, hoping that it would heal with time – systemic racism that created inequalities in opportunities available to the colored race. With the tragedy came a cry for a critical review of the current system believed to enable the racial crisis.
In all its shenanigans, the first half of the year 2020 could also be described as a digitization catalyst. We witnessed the accelerated adoption of digitization in the business environment and social circles. We use 'zoom' conference calls to attend business meetings, connect, educate, and train. We also use the same digitization platform for birthdays, weddings, funerals, and other types of social gatherings. However, what we have come to embrace as our new normal —the full use of digital technology to manage and transmit information, was predicted to happen (Caldera-Serrano, 2008; Lederman, 2017). Lederman's (2017) prediction suggests that our new normal was not entirely unexpected but accelerated by the pandemic.
The cry for a review of the current system that allows inequalities and institutionalized racism did not come as a surprise either. The agitation was always there - the 'George Floyd' incident only gave it a volume, making it louder to create a pause in the systems impacted and, hopefully, listening ears and steps towards the desired change. Suddenly, George Floyd's name has become the symbol of 'change.'
Whether we care to admit it or not, my gut tells me that the 2020 drama is not over yet. While we cannot predict what the next half of 2020 will bring, we can assume that there will be groundbreaking events judging by past and current happenings. To survive the times ahead, I plan to keep a resilient and positive mindset, knowing that there will be opportunities for new learnings, lessons, and adjustments or the adoption of new ways.
References
Caldera-Serrano, J. (2008). Changes in the management of information in audio-visual archives following digitization: Current and future outlook. Journal of librarianship and information science, 40(1), 13-20.
Lederman, D. (2017). Clay Christensen, doubling down. Inside Higher Ed.
Update
It is a couple of days before the end of 2020, and, as predicted, the second half of the year was as eventful as the first half. The Beirut explosion in Lebanon, the #ENDSARS demonstrations in Nigeria, the U.S. election, and the approval and launch of the COVID-19 vaccine have all been significant events. It has been an eventful year, no doubt, but, hey, we're still standing. As the curtain closes in 2020, it is time for us to take stock of whatever is left of our businesses, professions, and lives.
2020 may have been a detour from the norm. Still, there were opportunities for versatile alternatives, a deeper sense of self-awareness, and an appreciation of the gift of life, family, and the world around us. Finally, let's be reminded that we are more connected than we think, and our actions and behaviors have impacts that affect our immediate and extended climate.