When the wind of change blows, some build walls, others windmills.  â€” Chinese-Dutch (!) Wisdom

"Now let's stay factual ..." — Sounds good. But leads too almost nothing. We need a 'new perspective'! 

The factual would be to say: OK. We have the worst crisis of our time. Now, above all, we have to see how we can get out of it reasonably well so that we can continue as before. 

Acting in a new, optimized way means adopting and practicing thought leadership. With the initial consideration: If the crisis caught us so cold and it blows us away ad hoc, was what we have done so far correct because it is system-relevant and / or valuable? 

At the moment, many companies understandably see a picture of unrest, fear, and sometimes helplessness. Contingency plans are being made. Supported by the hope of somehow being saved. But to continue as before, is that a good goal?

Catharsis comes after the crisis

No question about it: COVID-19 sweeps over us like a gigantic fire for slash and burn. Metaphorically speaking, the hut is already burning, but everything still looks as we know it, only deserted, quiet, condensed to a close community at home. But the horror and the fear of existence are deep. 

There are ways out. The US marketing thought leader, keynote speaker and bestselling author Mark Schaefer never tires of communicating and discussing his idea of ​​"Embrace the Chaos". He answers questions via LinkedIn, Facebook and his blog. He develops with hundreds of thousands of network partner amazing new ideas in real time. And offers wise advice with critical vigilance. Clever in that he can listen, learn through conversations, take other people's comments seriously, think through them, evaluate them and compare them with his knowledge in order to then enrich it and share it again with others. 

In antiquity, what Mark Schaefer is so passionate about, greek and roman philosophers called 'the dialectical principle'. Back then, an author didn't just publish its content and then pay attention to the KPIs (haha). Instead, he did test readings in a small group within his peer groups. In order to experience constructive criticism, to make changes, if necessary, and to achieve publication maturity. We know the results: There are countless writings that have survived to this day and are worth reading. Thereupon also visits our humanistic worldview.

Benchmark (failing): If we look on the WWW or on social media platforms to see what is currently being published by company directors or on behalf, a lot can be 'factually' like a medication package insert. Everything and everything is OBJECTIVED. But where is the warmth that is made for us humans? We as humans are not objects, we want to be perceived as subjects. If this is not the case, it will not work and can, in the worst case, make us sick. 

The opposite of good is good intentions!  

The 'new objectivity' via thought leadership focuses on 'being able to listen' before speaking and acting. To be able to do this, you have to understand the simplest basic principles. Here are some:

1. Cultivate mindfulness, transparency and critical thinking. 

2. Let clumsy male / macho behavior. And finally accept women as system-preserving and don't want to keep them small. 

3. Be.More.Human: We are not dealing with 'the staff', 'the customers', the 'investors', 'the suppliers' etc. But always with people and personalities. 

4. Develop relationship skills, via personal contacts, peer groups, and if direct, personal contacts are prohibited, preferably via social media platforms. 

5. Find relevant messages that (can) reach people. Keyword: Smart Communication (see reading tip below!). 

6. Ideally: become a knowledge worker. 

7. Internalize the principle of hermeneutics. It is always about the meaningfulness of our actions and actions. Less for ourselves, but for all of us.

Sequel follows! 

 PS: In the meantime I recommend checking a video of me on YouTube, including a simple checklist, to better understand 'The Beauty of Smart Communication': "ValueCheck! How smart communication should be .. (2006-2014)"