Simon Erskine Locke, Founder & CEO of CommunicationsMatch™

At this time, we need to find, as the 1979 Ian Dury and the Blockheads song goes, “Reasons to Be Cheerful.” (If you’ve never come across the song – I encourage you to take a listen. It’s an earworm.)     

Dury provided many reasons for cheer…  In homage to the song, here are three of the moment:   

We are turning a page

Although there’s always the potential for further black swan events, there is light at the end of the pandemic tunnel that bodes well for the future. Vaccines have been developed and are being rolled out in record time. There’s new-found recognition for frontline healthcare workers and all essential workers who provide the services and support we all need for the economy to function and food to get to our tables. We are more focused than ever on the need to end racism. And, more people chose democracy than demagoguery in the election.  

We are learning to appreciate what we have

With so many deaths from COVID-19 and economic damage, again and again I hear friends, neighbors, and colleagues expressing their appreciation for what matters. Life. Spouses. Grandparents. Friends. The ability to go outside. Takeaway food. A salary. Much of this comes from what many have lost. A deeper appreciation of what really matters, and recognition of the importance and urgency of helping others as an outcome of the pandemic, will make us better humans for it. 

There will be new opportunities in a different world

COVID has shaken up our lives, the economy, and world in ways that will only become fully apparent over years. The pandemic is driving both change and receptivity to change. This applies both at an individual and national level. It is not a coincidence that at the same time many businesses are struggling, new business formations are rising. Or that big ideas like a government run healthcare option have gained currency. And, that de facto technology monopolies are now at risk of being broken up. Times of crisis force us to think differently. Necessity is the mother of invention and opportunity.

Some are making the argument that this confluence of events will drive a new social and economic boom – the roaring twenties. There is reason for optimism, but for people standing in line at food banks, families who have lost loved ones, jobs and capital, recovery will be uneven, and it’s unlikely to be quick.  

During this dark winter it is important to keep sight of and plan for the promise of a brighter future on an economic, but even more important a human level – relative to 2020.        

We need “Reasons to be cheerful part one, two, three.”        

About the Author: Simon Erskine Locke is Founder & CEO of CommunicationsMatch™. He has started several startups and is a former head of communications functions at Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank and Prudential financial. CommunicationsMatch™’s search tools and services help clients find, shortlist and engage agencies, consultants and services providers with the industry and communications expertise that match needs. Developed by communicators for communicators, agency and professional profiles provide an opportunity to showcase capabilities with clients when they are looking to hire communications partners. CommunicationsMatch™’s Agency Select™ RFQ/RFP tools offer a path to streamlining the hiring process. Find out more at www.communicationsmatch.com.