Build Back Better after COVID-19
As we re-enter a “different” world and attempt to get back to some kind of familiarity, we need to understand that we will undergo a period of adjustment; of almost trying to find a new way to operate, new guidelines and rules in all aspects of life. It might even be fair to say that things may never be the same again. Do people really want to go back to before though? Back to 2020 BC as I have heard it called (before COVID-19?) or will the last few months have changed us forever and do we want to Build Back Better after COVID-19?
For my colleagues and I at CITI, I know it has significantly altered thinking and has actually propelled the change agenda and timeframe that had been set for 2020 and condensed a lot of it into just a few months. Is this a good thing? We were in a position where we had done some thinking about our vision, supporting strategy, and resulting business model whereby we believed we were becoming a Deliberately Developmental Organisation (DDO) and with me as the new CEO in place for around six months, a new 2020 vision and strategic implementation underway, we were ready for the delivery of a more sustainable value proposition. Build Back Better after COVID-19 has mandated we get there at an accelerated pace – challenging but necessary.
So, what happens next?
Well, unfortunately the story is still unfolding and none of us know precisely what is next. I do know that the world will continue to change and we must come to see this as an opportunity for post traumatic growth whereby we try to find “new meaning” within our businesses and ourselves. One of my stipulations for the CITI vision was to be involved in meaningful work, with sustainable project delivery and so we had signed up to the Project Managers Declare movement. This commits us to supporting clients, partners and our own organisation to plan, design and deliver projects and related change that have a positive impact on the world around us by providing sustainable project outcomes.
There will be a great deal of soul searching, planning and thinking about how institutions, organisations and people generally enter the changed world of living with COVID-19 and Building Back Better after COVID-19. No-one really knows how long we are in this for and whether there will be another surge? These are uncertainties at this time and we are all learning together how to adjust and what we can do to support ourselves and our organisation through a forthcoming recession.
From a leadership point of view, there needs to be new thinking applied to how your company will adjust and make the necessary changes to survive and thrive going forward. This may well mean a revised or new vision, strategy and a focus on reprioritising programmes and projects as some of the 2020 BC change initiatives will no longer be relevant or appropriate.
CITI is able to support leaders with their thinking and provide access to some of our well established tools to help with the thinking, prioritisation and decision making, our experienced consultants can facilitate teams’ conversations and debates that will need to happen to ensure a cohesive and consistent vision is formulated to accelerate meaningful change and enable leaders to successfully deliver change.
The opportunity here is to remodel the world in a sustainable way; one may argue that my vision is a very ambitious one. I might even agree, but you have to encourage development of thought, innovation and new ways of working in order to progress…you have to visualise a future for the generations to come and therefore it is our responsibility to drive positive, sustainable change and seize the opportunity to Build Back Better after COVID-19.
Kay Sanders, CEO
As the CEO of CITI, I specialise in change enablement consultancy, building capability within organisations to support the delivery of strategic change through effective portfolio, programme and project management. We believe that people not only need the technical expertise, but also the behavioural consciousness to sponsor, manage stakeholders and realise benefits within P3M to deliver successful change. Kay can be contacted via email at KSanders@citi.co.uk
