5-2020 - A Little Hope

Wiebke Brüssel

March, 2020

It is not easy to find a topic for a strategy column these days. In many companies, it is all about existence. They cannot deal with planning for the future until the immediate crisis has been overcome. I suspect that this will take quite a while and will make life harder for many companies, especially our small ones, by the day.

But even in dark times, there are glimmers of hope. I spend a lot of time researching upcoming projects and have also found glimpses of light on the Internet and in the news. It turns out that the current difficult and completely unexpected situation makes inventive.

Piktogramm einer bunten Blume, die zwischen Pflaststeinen wächstd

Here are my personal favorites:

Conferences take place on the Internet. If the parties now find that this is a productive possibility even without a crisis, it may save a lot of travel in the future. That would be good for the environment.
Companies that have not offered their employees a home office job are now discovering that it's actually possible, and often very well. If some of this remains in Corona, it will relieve the burden on professional traffic.
Consultants, coaches, and coaches find ways to make online offers for conversations and tutorials – whether music, sports, or completely different topics. I have already completed my first Skype appointment myself. Unusual, but doable. It is possible that the existing business areas will expand in this way.
Restaurateurs and caterers offer takeaways or deliver products and ready meals directly to households – a new business area they may not have served before. Or they sell brands today (for example, for beer), which can then be redeemed after the crisis. This creates much-needed liquidity.
Shops that have previously worked exclusively in-patient work deliver their products to customers – from clothing to books. Other companies with free logistics capacities, such as cargo bicycles, offer their support. Lived solidarity and a win for both.
Artists offer their services on the Internet. Most of the time it's free, but they get a lot of attention and become known.

In times of crisis, adaptability and ingenuity are evident. That gives hope.

Personally, I now also have time to dedicate myself to one of my favorite projects: since last year, our garden and company site has been a place for biodiversity. He hardly needs any care anymore, but a few fences need to be renewed and one or the other herb can also be plucked. If you feel like and have time, you can take a look at the website of our project Initiative Vielfalt, a Diversity Initiative, and connect with it. A corner in the garden or a flower box is enough.

For many of us, the crisis is indeed turning a new point. Whoever survives it will think about how the future can be better and safer. Those who spend a lot of time at home have time to think and may also change the future lifestyle.

I wish you and your company to get through the crisis in a healthy way. See you to Corona.

Editorial Notes

About the Author

Wiebke Brüssel is managing partner of Das Strategiebüro.

We structure and facilitate planning and change processes, including their preparation and documentation. Our work ranges from addressing individual strategic questions to supporting comprehensive corporate planning. Our clients include established companies and organisations in the private, social, and public sectors, as well as early-stage companies and founders.

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