Despite a tough first quarter ahead, there is a light at the end of the tunnel and it’s time for creativity and innovation to break out
There is no question that 2020 was a difficult year. In fact that’s likely the understatement of the year. But here we are at the dawn of 2021, and most of us are still standing, which is a testament to our own collective resilience as much as anything. It wasn’t easy, and everyone suffered in one way or another. But a lot of people stepped up, surprising themselves and others, and did whatever was necessary to make it work.
Women’s Wear Daily reported that at Tiffany & Co., which had the added stress of an on-off-and-on again acquisition by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, chief executive officer Alessandro Bogliolo said the workforce shined, and surprised him.
“The stamina, the creativity of the people has been amazing,” Bogliolo told WWD in a recent interview. “This really was above my expectation. Don’t underestimate the potential of your team, their endurance and their stamina. We were all in the same situation and that stress test really enhanced the agility of the teams.”
We experienced the same thing here at Panzano, both with our own team making sacrifices and going above and beyond, as well as with our clients, partners and vendors, who all seemed to rise to the challenge, lending a hand wherever possible, and going the extra mile time and again.
We are finally in a position to see an end to the madness, and can begin to make plans for coming out of this stronger than before. But if there is one thing that everyone should have learned from this past year, is that it won’t be like before.
The organizations who ignore the lessons of the this past year, and attempt to return to whatever we considered normal before are destined to be left behind. There is a lot of talk about trends accelerating. We were already in a period of radical change, and that is the only thing that hasn’t changed.
The future will belong to those are looking forward to things they cannot see, with faith and hope. We can’t shrink from it, we must embrace it. We must be bold and take risks. That is how we are going to win.
We at Panzano+Partners are committed to staying on the edge of innovation, and by working with clients who have the vision and foresight to recognize the future when it appears, we will all succeed.
