Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UKHSA, warned that the spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus was “probably the most significant threat we’ve had since the start of the pandemic”. Speaking to the Commons transport select committee, Dr Harries said the infection rate was doubling in less than two days in most parts of the UK, adding: “The numbers that we see on data over the next few days will be quite staggering compared to the rate of growth that we’ve seen in cases for previous variants.”
FT.com December 15, 2021
After those two pieces from the FT came out, later yesterday we saw announced that the UK had 78,000 cases in one day, by far the highest number ever in the pandemic. The Omicron wave is a tsunami already.
Also yesterday, I saw a business leader ask for this in a post online:
“What we immediately require is absolute clarity and a timetable of proposed restrictions to allow us all to plan our lives, businesses and future commitments”
To which I responded:
This is simply not a tenable request at this particular time, we are in a highly VUCA environment as the Grey Swan of Omicron is an overwhelmingly powerful influence on the environment.
Add to that the politics of politicians, who recognise that locking down from now for at least several weeks makes sense rationally but not politically.
So what is a leader to do? First to recognise then seek to be comfortable with the U in VUCA, the uncertainty.
With that in mind, then be self-responsible around resilience and redundancy. I’d say “Prepare for worse and hope for better”. You may see projects go on hold, sites shut down with covid outbreaks and more, so (again) prepare for worse, then, if things are better than such scenarios, have a plan to capitalise on a better scenario.
Above all though, care for your people, Omicron is having major human emotional impact.
I would have said more on that last point, but I ran into a character limit on that platform.
I truly understand where that business leader is coming from, but there are no answers right now.
What I recommend to any leader is to focus on resilience and focus on caring for themselves and their people.
As to topics such as VUCA, “prepare for worse, hope for better”, resilience, uncertainty, feel free to google search my site, each topic is one I have written around from varying angles in the nearly 1500 daily posts, and particularly in the last 21 months of the pandemic.
In closing today’s post (and who knows what tomorrow will bring), I note that several times yesterday I received an end of year email from London-based business leaders saying the same thing: “see you on the other side”.
Be safe, be well. See you on the other side (and well, will post again tomorrow as ever!)