What started as a brutal few months has spilled over into a couple of hard years. We kept our nose to the grindstone because we thought grit and determination would keep us on track. We haven’t experienced this much lack of control since our diaper days. We now know how it feels to be at the whim of a government that closes down the economy in the name of public safety, and at the same time, closes down our way of life.
We languished in the hope that our life would return to normal; we continued to push through our modern Dark Age to be among the first to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We’ve all felt our way through periods of darkness before, and we know that a sudden burst of light requires us to blink as we focus on what is before us. In the same way, our eyes, mind, and heart need time to adjust to our new reality as we emerge from the black hole of covid, economic upheaval, and changes in the marketplace.
The time in Europe’s history known as the Dark Ages lasted over a thousand years because people thought there was nothing more to learn. There was nothing new to invent so there was no more different thinking. The Dark Ages gave birth to the Renaissance, the re-birth of thinking, and the generation of new ideas.
The modern corporate office was created after World War II. It might as well have been a thousand years ago because it was built around a military model — strict hierarchies, created by men for men, and a reflection of lifestyles that are very different from today.
Our modern Dark Age has shown many of us that the old model of office is broken. Some new thinking is required.
These past hard years have given us both the time and the incentive to rethink what we want in life, and how our job can fit into the way we want to live our life. It’s the re-birth of values and a radical shift in priorities.
In addition, these past hard years have shown us the joy of spending quality time with family and friends rather than sitting in traffic. They’ve shown us that we can still connect with colleagues, but do we need to do that every day? And does it need to be in person every day?
Whether we call it The Great Resignation or the Great Exodus, people are quitting…
