Today’s world instability is on everyone’s mind, but doesn’t it take more prominence than it should? After all, disruptions are nothing new. There are several reasons why this time seems to cause more anxiety.
A lot has to do with control, or lack of it. It seems that there is another crisis every day and they come from all corners. There is a compounding effect between the present crises and trauma caused by those that occurred in the recent past, like Covid for instance. Even though part of the anxiety is very much human-generated, it is real. Considering the number of media platforms and the continuous avalanche of information, this is not surprising. We can hardly get any rest. What’s next? Where does it end? These are common questions nowadays. Next to that, we seem to have more and more difficulties to cope with adversity, and tend to consider any setback as unfair. Maybe it is, but problems are for us to find solutions. The show must go on, and when needed, we must improvise. Improvising does not mean being unprepared. Quite on the contrary, (good) improvisation is about using all the tools from the toolbox.
The level of preparedness and our ability to get ready has a lot to do with what we can control, and what we cannot. For the first group, the solutions are mostly in our own hands. Action is ours. For the second group, our influence may be limited but that does not mean that we are defenseless.
Which issues to address? Just ask yourself what the top 5 issues are that would hurt your business the most. In my experience, thinking in terms of vulnerabilities rather than weaknesses works better. Vulnerability does not sound as negative as weakness does.
What if such events happen? How much is within your control and how much is not? Doing this exercise before “bad luck” happens is quite valuable. If you don’t and the bad news hits, it means that you are too late, and that is on you. This is the lesson I learned from the practice of jiu-jitsu. By anticipating, you can nip the danger in the bud, while lack of anticipation will lead to damage that is more difficult to manage. That does not happen by accident. It is the result of mastering techniques (the toolbox) and specific practice for all sorts of situations. That is how effective improvisation works. It is a skill that comes from training.
Anticipation is paramount to stay safe, and so is collaboration. An important part of the top 5 issues is about identifying which stakeholders and partners will make the solutions to your problems work. There is no future without collaboration.
This combination of anticipation and preparedness is the cornerstone of resilience. That is of importance when we look at the future. Indeed, there are many worrying uncertainties. How much of a problem is it? A good way to assess that is to ask yourself a simple question: What do you think is the probability of fixing current problems by year 2050, or even 2035? Envision the world in these years and see what has a future and what does not! Then, think of what you can do to adapt timely and be among those who will prevail.
This must be a pragmatic exercise. Dogma and ideology are liabilities. They have the tendency to set goals in the realm of rigid wishful thinking. They usually generate division and resistance more than anything else. Instead, we need realism and attainable objectives on which to build momentum. It is better to have more modest objectives and achieve them, than aiming high and underachieve, or even realize that it was not possible. The wrong approach makes us waste precious time.
What actions to take to protect yourself from future problems? This is a great brainstorming exercise. Of course, business people will immediately think about how much the adaptative measures will cost. Thinking about money has this annoying tendency to freeze our mind, instead of freeing it.
Just leave the money out of the equation for now and review all the solutions that come to mind. Their economic assessment will come later. Considering the nature of the challenges we face, it is not just about the cost of a solution, but just as much about the cost of not doing it.
First, just focus on all the practical aspects of possible scenarios, keep an open mind, and enjoy the drill! Be assured that regardless of the outcome, this process will be beneficial to you
Copyright 2026 – Christophe Pelletier – The Food Futurist – The Happy Future Group Consulting Ltd.
