Emile de Girardin’s (1802-1881) sentence “To govern is to plan ahead. Not to foresee anything is not to govern, it is to run to one’s ruin” is very well known and remains very topical in the working world.
It is interesting - not to say surprising - to note that some business leaders have not yet understood that it is necessary to anticipate and imagine the unimaginable not for the next three months but for the next few years.
This is more striking after having gone through a pandemic, witnessed increasingly frequent cyber-attacks, and seen, with horror, a war taking place in Europe.
While it is perfectly conceivable and even salutary to remain calm, we should not persevere in a form of naivety or a blissful wait-and-see attitude.
In the ‘new’ world of work, it is increasingly necessary to anticipate - and therefore foresee - major changes in the market, customers, suppliers, and employees. Here are some examples or questions that may be useful:
• Are our data and processes secure and do we have a plan “B” in case something serious happens?
• Have we introduced more flexibility into our operational mode of functioning because of the pandemic?
• Can our staff work remotely if necessary or desired according to established and practiced processes and principles?
• Is our work tool still adapted to our needs, those of our customers and our employees?
• Do we have the possibility to switch to a hybrid environment to handle customer flows, i.e., to be able to switch from a physical to a virtual channel?
• Do we have agreements with other service providers to take over our services if necessary?
• Have we trained our managers in the new hybrid, remote working modes, etc.?
• Are our supply chains secure and do we have alternatives?
• Have we anticipated our needs for space, resources and have we assessed generational change and planned for evolution in these areas?
These are certainly just a few examples, sometimes far removed from the concerns of some CFOs who must first enable their companies to evolve on a day-to-day basis in a totally chaotic environment.
Nevertheless, anticipation and scenario building must be part of the governance and agenda of managers, otherwise they risk simply sitting on the platform and watching the trains go by. If they were on their own, that would be a choice, but the problem is that they are taking many employees with them on the journey and that is simply not tolerable.
It is not a question of “scaring oneself” or seeing everything in a negative light, but of developing and preparing sometimes delicate scenarios so that, when the time comes, one can approach these crisis phases with a minimum of serenity.
The famous phrase mentioned at the beginning is unfortunately still very topical.
Have a good week, think well, and good readings.