All tagged Working through uncertainty

The Last Time We Won Something

The last time Arsenal (the English football team I support) won the Premiership trophy was in 2004. It was the greatest title triumph in the history of British Football as that Arsenal team went the entire season undefeated - a feat no other team in modern football has achieved before or since.

It was the icing on the cake of years of continuous success and the expectation of us fans was that it was only a matter of time before we would win the trophy again.

What Can We Compare This To?

In times of uncertainty, we want to look for comparisons. Situations that are analogous to what we’re going through so that we can identify trends or find indicators - some sort of sign(s) - that allow us to better predict what’s going to happen. It’s a natural thing to do. We want comfort. We want certainty. We want to see a way out.

But, of course, that’s not how things work.

For every comparison to previous pandemics, there are several others that can point to how this one is different.

Partnerships: Time To Walk The Walk

There’s that old saying that it’s easy to have principles until you have to practice them. Well, it’s the same thing with partnerships, especially when it comes to buyers and suppliers.

We like to throw that word around, especially during the early days of a relationship, during a QBR or during renewal times (by both sides). And that’s easy to do. It’s no sweat off anyone’s back to do it then. And we probably believe it, too.

The Point Is Productive Struggle

We crave clear cut answers. We love How-To’s. We keep looking for the ultimate 10 Step Process.

Why? Because we’re always on the hunt for clarity, predictability and, more to the point, security. It’s a natural human desire.

The problem, though, is that when we’re creating (a team, a piece of output, a business), that’s not often possible or realistic.