by Thato Mokhothu-Ramohlanka
The ability to look ahead and prepare for the future is rare. As human beings, we have mental models and biases that prevent us from thinking differently and looking out for alternative outcomes. We prefer existing within familiar territories and are supportive of our beliefs and intellectual conceptions of what reality ought to be because the alternative is incomprehensible. However, with or without our awareness, these conceptions prevent us from tackling problems more efficiently; they hinder our creativity and ability to seek solutions in unlikely places even at the risk of operating at our minimum capacity.
Human interactions force us to be aware of our biases and mental models especially when there is conflict, and the solutions require some form of negotiation. There is nothing inherently wrong with being confident about our set of beliefs and convictions. Many of these form a central part of who we are, and we protect and defend them simply because they threaten our identity. Many of our problems as individuals and society stem from the inability to fundamentally understand and recognize that other people have their own set of beliefs that may differ from our own. So, we fail to leverage these differences to create unique offerings in our personal and professional capacities. We miss opportunities because it is easier to duplicate what others are doing rather than interrogating and navigating our own paths to greatness.
While we insist on shying away from our unique differences and the nuances that make us who we are, society continues to undergo rapid transformation with or without our input. While organisations can play a pertinent role as drivers of change, they often find themselves paddling frantically like ducks in water as the need for innovation and adaptable workforces intensifies. The future belongs to those who can adapt easily and think beyond the horizon. But this is easier said than done. In the spirit of trying to look for the easy way out, we instead look towards the external environment for solutions whereas many times the bottlenecks and inefficiencies lie internally. Scanning the environment and identifying issues and fool proof strategies can create an illusion that the job is done because we forget that behind the ideas and visions there are people. At the end of this trying year many of these people will be broken and performance will be compromised next year if leadership doesn’t step up to motivate employees and ensure that there is synergy within the organisation.
Once we move past the Covid-19 era and realise that the pandemic is merely one of the many events in our history that highlight our volatility and fragility as a society, it will be difficult to cope with a consistently challenging and uncertain future. If you ever find yourself in the presence of someone who is looking forward to the end of Covid-19, readily eager to welcome back normality, please give them a hug. The only certainty about the future of our world as we know it is disruption and this needs to be met by equally agile and adaptable individuals who are ready to navigate the difficulties that are bound to emerge.
The greatest casualties of our time will be people who are unable to embrace a culture of learning and fail to foster creativity and innovation as the tenets of their identity. These vicissitudes are relevant for governments that often operate in very rigid and traditional environments. At the country level, policy makers need to undergo a process of self-reflection in order to identify the issues within themselves that are impeding progress. The rising unemployment and low economic growth rates have to be challenged by men and women who are willing to take the high road and think differently to survive and it simply cannot be business as usual. Donald Trump and many others offer case studies of the importance of good leadership in our society. Through them, we have seen how errors in judgment towards our representatives can come at a great cost.
While nobody can predict the future, at least we can find some comfort in knowing that if we can survive a pandemic of this magnitude and its unintended consequences, we are well positioned to tackle the challenges of the future, if we brace ourselves for it.
Thato Mokhothu-Ramohlanka is the founding director of MR Consulting which offers legal and management consulting services to SMMEs. She graduated with degrees in Psychology, Sociology, Marketing Management and Law from the University of Cape Town and the National University of Lesotho. Thato is a member of the Global Shapers (Maseru Hub), a global non profit organization founded by the world economic forum that seeks to uplift the youth through various educational projects. She is passionate about young people and uses her writing to uplift and motivate them through their various challenges.
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