Saying what no one wants to hear

In February I was at a conference in Spain for the event sector- news was filtering through that Mobile World Congress in Barcelona was being cancelled because of COVID 19. When I think back to that moment I am surprised by how unable I was to put together that event cancellation, the experience in China and my understanding that diseases do not respect geographical boundaries, and be able to see the future would be an event industry significantly impacted by COVID 19.

The one thing I understand very clearly from thinking back to that moment is that I only paid attention to what I wanted to see, hear, imagine for my future. I actually think this is one of my personality traits and I like that, but I’m seeing it may have restrictions.

Two months later living in a world where large groups of people meeting is very restricted and where the global event industry is struggling to survive I am starting to understand there are not many leaders in the event industry who say what no one wants to hear. In other words they speak what they want to see, hear and imagine for the future and when you have built a business or led a company a certain way all you want to hear is that, that way is the right way. The majority of meeting industry associations and recognised thought leaders are talking about the future being just like the past with terms like ‘when we get back to normal’.

I’m struck by the echo chamber of the event industry (which I am sure is replicated in other industries) and by the sudden switch in communication from leaders. What a few months ago was communication charting the future of our industry’s direction is now an example of inability to say what no one wants to hear- the fact that no body knows what the future is and explaining it as ‘the past coming back’ is leading backwards, not forwards.