Confinement and Professional Darwinism

The greatest benefit from the pandemic may be the significant improvement in environmental impact from the reduced usage of energy and industrial activity - at an enormous financial and social cost. But we will know it can be done.

However, humanity is not very good at adapting based on lessons learned - there will be studies, investigations, commissions called to try and figure out what happened and recommend actions going forward but the papers/binders will again be stored on bookshelves in dark rooms. Time will heal all wounds and dull all recollection. We will revert to mass consumption and short term happiness in no time. The rich and powerful will become more rich and powerful.

I do not believe the current scare will make a significant change in our destiny.

You are right, a bit pessimistic today but how can you not be when you take a hard look at the world today - the pandemic may not be the worst part of the recent developments.

Dear Luis,

Examples from history teach us otherwise.

The Great War (WW2) was the called "the war to end all wars" yet this was not achieved.

The Versaille Treaty was enacted in order to prevent Germany from Starting another war yet this was not achieved.

The UN was Established in order to prevent war and World wars yet this dream was never realised.

The World Bank, IMF and Federal Reserve were born (WB and IMF after WW2) in order to prevent run on banks, bring financial stability and stop, boom and bust financial bubbles, however this was not realised.

The WHO was created in order to lead a global response to pandemic outbreaks however this was not realised.

Dictators were toppled in the middle east in order to fight the war on terror and bring democracy to these backward countries however this only exacerbated the problem and created policical crisis, created a new type of terrorism and started oil shortages.

History is littered with examples of the world limping from one crisis to the next and the hope that we will learn from each crisis to prevent the next crisis quickly evaporates.

So I do not think Karma and positive thinking is enough for their to be a dawn of reality for humans that will jerk them into a new golden age of enlightenment. It just another blip on the radar screen.

Daire

I "retired" six years ago and it doesn't go away - we remain part of the community.

Dear Peter

Thank you for sharing your opinion with us

What are the reasons why you are still active?

Dear Daire
Thank you for sharing your opinion with us

People's lives throughout human history have changed, as well as the way they

There are more fracturing moments than others

At these moments, humanity reinvents itself

I am convinced that we are experiencing such a moment

So the question: "What will the future of our profession be like"

Most likely a number of reasons:
1) retired too early and most likely for the wrong reasons
2) after three months got bored
3) old clients asked for assistance on short contract basis
4) money was/is good
5) hard to walk away after 40 years
6) thought I could still make a valid contribution
7) more time for free thinking with less daily hassles
So, Back to 1).

I do not believe that the pandemic will impact on the main challenge to civilization - the massive and widening gap between the 'have' and 'have-not'. If anything it will increase that gap, wealth and power is being concentrated to fewer and fewer countries, and individuals. Whether a democratic or authoritarian state it makes little difference.

In the long term I see little, if any, change to the challenges of project management. We will continue to deliver projects adapting and using more and more technology however managing people will remain the focus. If anything we, as project managers, have to learn to adapt to the latest fads even faster while keeping our focus on the basics - deliver the project as effectively as possible.

Dear Daire
Thank you for sharing your opinion with us

People's lives throughout human history have changed, as well as the way they

There are more fracturing moments than others

At these moments, humanity reinvents itself

I am convinced that we are experiencing such a moment

So the question: "What will the future of our profession be like"

Dear Daire
Thank you for sharing your opinion with us

"Prognosis, only at the end of the game" as they say

I am convinced that nothing will be as before

Dear Luis,

What or who do you think will be the great enabler of this change?

Daire