No year has been looked forward and long awaited like the year 2021. After the challenges of 2020 across the globe, we all couldn’t wait to cross-over to this new and amazing year of great expectations. In-spite of the second and third waves (in some countries) of the Covid 19, January 2021 has been filled with activities. The “Almighty” US hand-over drama was just the “comic” relief needed to commence this new year. So let me welcome you to this year of all possibilities

If you survived 2020, then welcome to your new era of ingenuity, creativity and innovation. These are the survival tools for 2021. You must be able to rise above all limitations presented by threats of lock-down and economic meltdown. We certainly cannot approach 2021 with the sense of year 2020. Too much time wasted, efforts lost and failed results characterised year 2020 particularly in developing counties of Africa. This is not the time to cry over the losses. The fact that nothing much has changed in the nature of the Pandemic and its spread is enough hindsight for nations, organisations and individuals  to deplore options that will move them forward in the midst of the pandemic and its consequences.

Covid 19 will no longer be acceptable as an excuse for failure from governments, CEOs, and all people. We have had a year to prepare, mitigate, as well as deplore options to ensure business continuity. For example all schools should be in session either remotely or physically, all offices should be opened and rendering services if they must continue to be in business. Any office that is fully closed now, be it government MDAs or private companies was probably not rendering any profitable service or was never required in the first place.

In this season only an organisation’s ingenuity and the creativity of her CEO will sustain the business. The earlier this is gotten right in January the better it would be for everyone. Covid 19 will not fizzle away. The world can only beat it by living and moving forward in spite of it.

To drive the point home to individuals may I ask the following questions?

• What are your plans for year 2021?
• Are they documented?
• Have you done a SWOT analysis?
• How do you intend to achieve them?
• What is your business continuity strategy? What options have you deplored incase of a lockdown or other unforeseen occurrence ?
• What new projects do you plan to undertake in 2021?

The above and many more questions require the attention of everyone this January. These must be settled early enough otherwise, we would once again fall victims of the several inefficiencies of the year 2020. Technology must be efficiently deployed to maximise returns. The new norms created in 2020 should be improved upon and all organisations should take their positions in the schemes of things. The truth is that “thinking outside the box” has become an outdated phrase. The box has been replaced by a global limitless space to be occupied only by the creative and innovative individuals.

It is worthy to note that with or without the Covid 19 vaccines, the virus like all other viruses in the past will run its course. We will live our lives and succeed with it if we are determined.

Adenike Babajamu (January 2021)