Disruption

Disruption is the title of an interesting book by the Canadian author Sthéphane Mallard about the huge changes resulting from the digital revolution that, affecting in a first instance the technological field, will eventually reshape drastically the world that we know.

The ideas the book present us have acquired a deeper sense now that when first read at the date of publication two years ago. Or. better said, revisited now, they make us more aware of the deep implications of the changes that the so called fourth industrial revolution, will represent to all and at all levels.

The COVID-19 has obliged us to confront with a situation which, two months ago, few considered possible outside from a comic about dystopic futures. However, this future is the present now and the sooner we adapt the lower price for all to pay for the foreseeable consequences.

Meanwhile important assets and aspects of our lives have been negatively affected by the crisis, as a sort of compensation it has also provide us with plenty of time and the occasion to use it to reflect about issues which should be central to all of us.

As to the, in the circumstances, not so important matter as profession and consultancy industry, the crisis has given us the perspective we lacked to for the evaluation of a reality that many wrongly though soundproof but which, on the contrary, is proving fragile and lacking of the required global leaderships and making decision structures, being difficult as the situation stands to figure out which the actual outcome will be.

A Spanish saying comes however as a comfort, the one stating that “what I can't control doesn't worry me” which has been a criterion I have recurrently tried to apply when in trouble either personally or professionally. This proofs especially valuable now when there is so much to worry about and so much time to do so.

As happens with the digital tsunami originating the disruption described in the book giving title to this reflexion, we have no control of the disrupting circumstances which are now facing and, in both cases, the conclusions proposed therein are equally valuable:

“The disruption looks forward obsolescence. It is so necessary to let the old world disappear and concentrate into building the new world. To this end, each individual, company, institution is required to stop believing its present role as indispensable in the future world and search how to adapt it, so it keeps existing”.