The post-normal world: what future will you chose to build

The world after this pandemic will not be the same as before. The coronavirus brought with it a series of transformations. Life has changed dramatically within quarantine and the future seems to have been put on hold..

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It is too early to be absolutely sure but, as researchers and innovators, our duty is to seek solutions and understand how they will help us going forward. The following is an overview of what the post-normal scenario will be like.

Drivers of change in a developing new world

In the post-normal context, the continuation of new routines and resocialization of society will cause changes throughout the globe. In this new scenario, the only certainty we have is reinvention. The new normal is a continuous construction for us all.

This is where the “Engines of Change” come in. They are disruptive forces present in all scenarios that can have different impacts on the future. Below, we will discuss what role each of these engines have on the world, post-pandemic.

1. Collective human body

In the post-covid world, health gains a new layer of meaning. It goes beyond the individual, fueled by the media, data and surveillance, boosting the sense of collective responsibility.

2. Titanic syndrome: layered inequality

Inequality is reaching new records and also new areas. They are: workers, businesses, lifestyles, health, public education, government policies, as well as access to technology and can even vary among nations.

Global problems are solved with injustice and unilateral views, all while demanding collective, holistic and fair responses.

3. Virtual Intelligence, digital intimacy and loss of serendipity

There is a feeling that the benefits of personal contact will be lost. A new type of social intelligence must emerge, since the way we relate to one another is being changed.

More time in front of a screen requires energy. We will have to develop a new type of intelligence in order to deal with this and combat superficiality, automation and the lack of variety in our digital routines.

4. Life on the inside

If recurrent isolation or simply remote work is incorporated into society, relationships, spending habits, as well as our personal and professional lives are likely to change dramatically.

There is still a question that remains to be answered: what will the external world be like if our lives take place more and more from the inside? Certainly not as it was before.

5. The future is urgent

It seems that the future is already paying the price for this delay. It is urgent that citizens, governments and companies start working on their antifragility skills, recognizing the correlations and implications of today’s actions on tomorrow’s reality.

We need that sense of urgency in order to think about our next steps. The future is being born and it is up to us to help it grow and develop.

6. Individualization at scale

Thanks to technological developments, the world seems to be increasingly distancing itself from centralization and mass production to decentralization and individualization at scale.

The pandemic is now broadening our scope. What was previously used mainly for consumer goods and entertainment, now reaches new fields. The needs for health, education, transportation and work routines are also becoming personalized.

7. Crisis of confidence and infoxication

People are more confident in sharing ideas they find online. They are spreading dubious information with the same authority you would expect from verified sources. Everyone has become “experts”.

The internet has become a fertile land for mass online gossip, information wars and false facts that lead to widespread distrust. At the same time, science and traditional academia are no longer accessible.

Add information intoxication to the mixture. Result: mass hysteria, anxiety and other unpleasant by-products.

Values ​​are changing and what was once sufficient is now obsolete. People are looking for different sources and speakers to deposit their trust in.

8. Digitization without borders

As digital literacy increases, companies can take advantage of this new “market” and develop a relationship that currently does not exist with new products. In the midst of worldwide confusion, a new agent appears.

Hyper-digitization can lead to the hyper-acceleration of the digital economy. Emerging demands for virtual jobs related to creating and maintaining a strengthened digital economy further propagate a digital, borderless world.

9. World in suspension

There is a general feeling that everything is happening too fast. People and markets don’t know where to go, what to expect or how to react.

Companies have gone into persistent survival mode, focusing on short-term actions and strategies.

• Governments are disoriented and without solid plans.
• Female government leaders emerge as leading protagonists in the crisis.
• The skills of rapid adaptation, antifragility and reinvention have become a necessity.

10. Money and value reinvented

Non-monetary values ​​are being “tokenized” and used to mediate trade and enable investment. The very notion of profit can change to become a more “human” metric.

As a by-product, people are beginning to question the traditional roles of companies, governments and civil society.

• All of these engines are in our “New-Normal Under Construction” survey, which mapped out uncertainties and opportunities in unprecedented times. To learn more about our discoveries, check out our articles!

How to be prepared for the future?

With so many changes, what really matters in this new scenario is strategic repositioning. MJV was born with the co-creation mindset. Design Thinking is in our DNA and will become the backbone for this reframing process.

We propose a specific format to quickly diagnose, conceptualize and validate an assertive strategic redirection that adheres to current challenges. Since new uncertainties demand agility, the proposed format aims to revisit and “pivot” current business plans quickly.

In this post-normal scenario, anti-fragile culture will be essential. In the midst of the chaos brought about by the pandemic, it will be necessary to prepare to face new events naturally and learn to use them opportunistically. Instead of betting on risk prevention, we recommend using the changing landscape to your advantage.

With the valorization of life and the humanization of relationships, User-Centric strategies will become even more important. They will help meet the needs that have not yet been explored and will become a model for future endeavors. It will be important in this new scenario to identify different tools and objectives that can help us better understand people. In addition to creating, testing, and implementing solutions with expert planning.

In order to be prepared for the post-normal world, it is necessary to cast aside the dated views of business-centrism. Similar to how Galileo discovered that the sun was the center of our solar system, we will have to accept that the user has become the center of our universe.

Do you already have an idea of what kind of future you want to build? Let’s sit down for a [virtual] coffee and talk about it. Contact us!

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