Over the years at QED, we managed to talk about creativity, experimenting, failure, harmony, and trust. In 2020 we planned to address vision or the ability to predict the future. And look at how destiny mocked us! I guess we are all tired of thoughts like: “If somebody told me there will be a pandemic and a major earthquake followed by the full-fledged war…”. But it makes us look back to how different we have been just a couple of years ago, from many perspectives.
I, for example, keep going back to QED 2019 Trust edition. I cannot stop being amazed by myself and how preoccupied I have been with, believe it or not, RAIN! As stupid as it sounds today, my biggest problem was the bad weather during our conference. Today, I wonder if it is even right to prepare for the conference while people literally fight for their freedom and lives. I wonder if the virus is going to stop us again. Or maybe this time we will be lucky enough to organize the QED to its full potential and enjoy togetherness.
But do not get me wrong, I am optimistic. I cannot wait for the 22nd of May! I’ve promised myself when we arrive in Zadar, rain or not, I will have a great time there! In a nutshell, this is the human spirit, this is how fast we can adapt to new normalities, and I bet you all have similar stories you can relate with. We survived, we made it to this point, and we do our best to keep going. Both as individuals, and organizations. But can we learn from this experience? Can we see patterns or algorithms on how to front bumps on the road and not crush into them? Can we understand better what kind of people or organizations are resilient? And most importantly, can we bet on those who have been resilient in the past to repeat success in the future? Is future-proof something that you just have, or is it a function of many variables and you can never be sure where you stand?
Now, we know that we cannot predict the future. But we can try to prepare ourselves differently. The last couple of years proved that if we are open to new ideas, work closely together, have trust in others and what we are doing, and if we are bold enough to try (even if we fail) there is a huge possibility that we will succeed. And if we translate this to organizations and technologies – the formula might work as well. And I will add one more very important ingredient into the mix – diversity. Diversity of viewpoints. Have you been missing random, new people with different topics and attitudes in these long months of separation? New ideas and opinions? I have, and I still do. There is no growth without that kind of conversation. There are no breaking new discoveries without the collaboration of different kinds of scientists. No great projects without tech and business working together. No solutions to big problems without different generations putting their minds to it. No personal growth and for sure no organizational growth without collaboration. So let us think together in Zadar, let’s be creative together. Maybe we can really find the answer on how we can be at least a little bit more future-proof.
Be part of the QED2022: bit.ly/Registration-QED2022.
