Things can’t continue as before. That is the message from the Fast Forward Forum virtual panel on economy.
Introducing the topic, kraftwerk’s CEO Heimo Hammer posited that we are at the end of a globalisation cycle. Previous FFFs have highlighted the need to do things differently but Hammer stated: “The COVID crisis is the tipping point for change.”
He Introduced speakers Dhiraj Mukherjee, co-founder of Shazam Entertainment; Sunnie J Groeneveld, managing partner, Inspire 925; Matteo Atti, executive vice president, marketing and innovation, VistaJet; Arno Wohlfahrter, ceo of Trenwalder Personaldienste; Igor Beuker, speaker and trendwatcher and Alicia Garcia Lopez, brand management and innovation specialist.
For Mukherjee, the era of digital transformation is over – it is already here, and has echoes of the transition from silent movies to those with sound. “Lots of stars failed to make the transition,” he warned, urging the populus to practice self efficacy in order to cope with a new world order. “If you think you can, that will make the biggest difference, “ he said. “This is a mass simulation for all of us and we’ve been transported to the future. We can now visualise how we can adapt to this new normal before it unfolds.”
This new normal, says Groeneveld, should embrace ‘true’ and ‘honest’ collaboration. She talked of her experience in helping set up Digital Switzerland – a public-private initiative aiming to push innovation and solve problems together. This, she said, was a small example of how the world should work together in a post-COVID world. Instead of thinking of what the world of work can do for you, and your company, look at what you can give and get back from that experience.
Learn to let go, she urged. “Share the journey and take people along with you. It’s the only way to make impact. You have to embrace the chaos.”
