A time for innovation. And thought.
In the midst of great change and adversity comes incredible innovation. We now have businesses like Dyson, famous for making vacuum cleaners, designing and building ventilators to save lives. We have young students redesigning diving equipment to become life saving breathing devices.
Traditional bricks and mortar businesses are re-inventing themselves as digital enterprises, businesses just like ours have had to adapt their ways of working at the speed of light to operate in this new world of remote working.
I believe that a surge in innovation will be one of many positive outcomes that will emerge from these terrible times. This will be great news for businesses like ours, where we source great talent, find rare skills and deliver platforms in most of the major economies around the world, fuelling innovations and turning ideas into reality.
As we come through these times our businesses are well placed to grow even stronger than before. It is exciting when we dare to think of a life beyond this current period and start to plan for the return to what will be the new normal world.
Connected to this I have been considering that it seems there is not enough time available to think. Thinking time is something i have always valued.
Those moments when we can simply stop and consider all that is going on, to let ideas percolate through our minds for longer than the split timing decisions we seem to be needing to make in these times. There is real value of stopping and thinking something through, letting our minds wander through possibilities.
So, I am encouraging myself every day to put aside just a little time - early mornings always work best for me - to daydream just a little. I know my best work has come from my thinking time. Maybe, try it yourself or perhaps you already are. You never know, your next big idea can come from these moments that can transform the work we do.
There is a favourite poem of mine that makes me smile when I catch myself realising that I may have gone days without just taking time to think so I thought I would share it with you as we head towards the weekend.
Keep safe and well.
"LEISURE"
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
By Wm. Henry Davies.