Yesterday, in between other meetings, I attended some sessions at the CIPD Festival of Work Conference – online of course, and focusing very much on the current situation, Covid-related.

The keynote address contained some real nuggets that have stuck with me since then – with regard to:

  • the organisations that I work with and for,
  • some of my coaching and counselling clients and supervisees,
  • my own personal aspirations and career plan.

From Peter Cheese (CIPD Chief Executive):

How businesses can acquire the skills they need for now and in the future:

  • Buy
  • Build
  • Borrow
  • or Bot (ie use technology instead of people).

A quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln and Peter Drucker:

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

And from Sir Winston Churchill:

“Don’t let a good crisis go to waste.”

Professor Andrew Scott (economist and co-author of ‘The New Long Life’):

  • “Businesses now know the true meaning of the word ‘disrupted’.” (see also my recent blog: Disrupted lives – what next?)
  • “Our government has decided to crater the economy to save lives.”
  • “Scenarios are more useful now than forecasts.”
  • Regarding what organisations should do now (and, I’m thinking, this could also apply to each of us as individuals thinking about our own jobs/aspirations and careers):
    • “Stick to the mission not the plan,
    • Don’t sew seeds in winter, (means don’t confuse hard work with productivity)
    • Manage the bounceback, (much as you would seasonal variations)
    • Robust not optimal policy,
    • Pit stop recessions.” (ie: take some time out to plan, re-organise, etc)
  • Don’t plan for the best/worst case scenario, but the most likely one.
  • How healthy are you?
    • You wouldn’t answer “I ran a marathon 25 years ago”.
    • So, if asked about your education/learning, don’t rely on a degree you did 25 years ago.
    • What have you learned more recently?
    • What more do you need to learn?

And, lastly, two particularly powerful statements, I think:

  • “Each of us is being given more opportunities than normal to be helpful, kind and supportive to our neighbours, team members, customers and employees.”
  • “You will be judged by your actions today for a long time to come.”