Looking Back at 2020
Reflections, recommendations and a request as we begin 2021.
Kirsten Wigg delivered the opening monologue in this year’s season finale of Saturday Night Live. She began by assuring the audience that everything would return to normal on January 1, 2021 and was cut off as people in the audience informed her that it wouldn’t happen that way. She pretended to be crestfallen. As I hear so many people talk about turning the page on 2020, I remind myself that on January 1 COVID will be raging, we’ll still be living out the final days of the current administration and the suffering that the last year has brought to large swaths of the globe will not have disappeared. I recognize that the end of the year is a marker in time and not a turning point. Our challenges are deeply entrenched and belie easy solutions. I am very grateful that I’ve been a student of complexity for the past few years. That has served me well.
And, as in previous years, I am pausing for a moment and reflecting on what I have learned this past year and what I bring into the new one. I don’t do New Year’s resolutions as a rule, but I do relish the opportunity that the end of the year affords for reflection. I also love “best of” lists—and will use this space to share a few of the things that enriched my year and enabled me to better understand some of what we are experiencing.
The Paradoxes of 2020
Typically at this time of year I wonder where the time went. It normally feels as if it’s speeding by. One of the things that’s been different about this year for me is that this year has felt slower. Doing less outside the house and spending quiet evenings and weekends slowed time down. We now have fresh baked bread in the house, are eating better and healthier food, and have taken care of a lot of the little things around the house that we had been ignoring. I’ve read more of the books I wanted to read than usual. My closets are organized. My pace is a little slower and that’s been a gift.
At the same time, I understand the enormous cost of living this way. We are not supporting the services that employ so many as we once did. Only a very small percentage of people across the globe are able to enjoy either the benefits of slowing down or the safety of working from home. There is an enormous amount of economic and social pain. Many of my clients are struggling with parenting when their kids can’t go to school. I watch businesses I love shut down and know that it’s not just about the coffee shops or restaurants but mostly about the people. I know how many have been sick and how many lives have been and are still being lost. I realize that every time I order delivery, which I am lucky enough to be able to do, I am simultaneously creating work and creating risk.
The Opportunity to Listen
Every day I talk to people—mostly leaders. That’s what coaches do. Sometimes it amazes me that I get to do this for a living. This year has been the most amazing, in many ways. My clients live across the globe—in East Africa, throughout the United States, in Latin America, China, Europe and the Middle East. It’s quite extraordinary and yet has become quite ordinary to be able to work this way. It gives me a unique vantage point from which to understand the impact of the events of this year—from the pandemic, to the politics, to the racial justice movement in the United States. In March I noticed how similar our experiences were—and as the year progressed I noticed that they diverged. The pandemic played out very differently in different geographies within the United States and across the globe. Some of my clients are mostly back to normal—while others have a sense that the worst is yet to come. All of my clients outside of the States are watching us intently. Many times they are more up-to-date than I am about what is happening here. Our fate matters to them for a myriad of reasons. And, while I am glad to see that in the United States we seem to be withstanding a test to our democracy, I am saddened to learn just how weak our infrastructure is and how inadequate our safety net. I see how that can be different when I speak to people in parts of the world that better protect their weakest.
I have also been able to watch as my clients—no matter where they are or what they do—figured out ways to navigate this moment. Many shifted strategies and created new offerings almost overnight. They stepped up to ensure that their stakeholders received their services—be it healthcare, technology, education or soap. I watched them navigate the initial chaos and move into a period of experimentation—that continues today as we remain unsure of what will be next.
Revisiting Old Themes in New Ways: Complexity and Polarities
If you’ve read my posts or if you’ve worked with me, you know that two pillars of how I think about the work of leaders are grounded in Dave Snowden’s work on complexity and Barry Johnson’s work on Polarity Thinking. This year included a deeper dive into both. Soon I’ll be sharing new posts with more about what I’ve learned. Meantime, here are some new resources and also a request from Barry Johnson that I’d like to pass on.
In honor of the 21st birthday of the Cynefin model, the folks who work with Dave Snowden created a book of articles, vignettes, etc. While some of the writing on complexity can be slow going, this book is highly readable. I strongly recommend it. Since the book was compiled this year, it is particularly relevant to our current context.
This year Barry Johnson published a new book about polarity thinking—his first since he introduced polarities in the 70s. And: Making a Difference by Leveraging Polarity, Paradox or Dilemma is both a guide for working with polarities and explores some of the polarities that are most relevant for us now. It isn’t a book you’re likely to read cover to cover—instead it’s one you’re likely to dip in and out of frequently.
The request: Barry Johnson is requesting that people who are familiar with and appreciate the power of his work introduce it to their elected officials. His belief—which I wholeheartedly share—is that our ability to work with polarities is essential to navigating our current reality. He’s created a website, Thriving USA that is specifically directed to those officials. Barry is asking that those who share this view take the time to write to our representatives and point them to his work. And, if you go to the site you’ll find chapters from the new book and videos that can orient you, more deeply, to polarity thinking.
Books That Mattered
After the murder of George Floyd, books that were sitting on my shelf or on my kindle that I’d been meaning to read about racial justice went to the top of the list and I bought and read a few more. As I think the reading I’ve done, three books stand out: Isabel Wilkerson’s newest book Caste and her first book The Warmth of Other Suns. Both are long—and so beautifully written that I missed them when I finished them. The first has a thesis that Wilkerson then sets out to prove about race in America and the second is a work of narrative non-fiction that covers the entire period of the Great Migration from the south to the north. The third book is a novel that takes place in the UK, but left me thinking quite a bit about race in America. And, mostly, it’s a wonderful book to read: Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo.
The other book I want to mention is James Hollis’ Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life. It’s already about fifteen years old and Hollis has written other books since—including a book about resilience that was published this year. Hollis is a Jungian analyst. This is not a quick read and it is a profound one. It seemed especially relevant this year as the things that we think of as giving our lives meaning are being reconsidered. More generally, it’s a book about growing up. It sat on my shelf for years and I am so glad I finally picked it up. You’ll hear more about his work from me this year, I hope.
And on the Lighter Side
While my reading this year was generally heavy—there was little that was light in the mix—my viewing habits were the polar opposite. I avoided anything long, heavy or demanding. I ended most days with 30 minutes or so of light viewing that settled my nerves. The shows that most hit the mark for me this year and provided an antidote to the world “out there” were, in no particular order—Schitt’s Creek (Netflix), Midnight Diner (Netflix) and Ted Lasso (Apple TV.) Each of these are smart and, in different ways, heartwarming and funny. There were no bad guys in any of them. I also loved watching David Byrne and Spike Lee’s American Utopia (HBO) and Pixar’s Soul (Disney+.) Again, no bad guys.
I wish you a peaceful New Year and a good beginning to 2021!
