The one thing right now that is certain is uncertainty.

 

The shot above this article was taken at my Sainsbury’s in Balham last night.  I was stunned when I saw it. What’s happened (I said to myself), what have I missed? I admit I was feeling very unnerved, slightly panicked, and wondered if I’d missed the boat on this.

 

I’ve been reading through all of the excellent posts on mallowstreet from the past two weeks on Covid-19. There is analysis on how things are unfolding, explanations for reactions in the market, and a variety of sketchy predictions of what’s next. The reality is, no one knows what’s next.

 

Covid-19 has changed the game. So much is still unknown: will is spread across the UK? If so, how quickly? Will the UK look like Italy in a few weeks? 

 

One thing that is clear, however, is you will see example of exceptional (and poor) leadership over the next few weeks. In the face of uncertainty, how will leaders react?  People still need to communicate, collaborate with colleagues, deliver to clients, and maintain relationships. How this is done will change radically. How prepared are businesses to run a ‘virtual office’ for a sustained period of time? Are companies even prepared for something like this? What tools are you going to use? How are you going to support the mental health of your employees and teams?

 

The last time I remember things moving this quickly was in September 2008. Every morning the entire landscape seemed to have shifted beyond recognition, and beyond what seemed to be possible the day before. I remember feeling fear, panic, sadness, and hope.

 

I would love to know what mallowstreet members are doing in their organisations to address these challenges. How are you planning to continue conducting business in this suddenly incredibly uncertain world?