Editorial

In the last couple of weeks we have seen The Bank of England’s chief economist say that the UK economy is “poised like a coiled spring” to leave lockdown and more than likely have annual economic growth in double digits next year. At the same time The European Commission officials expressed optimism that their economies will rebound later this year, whilst in the US a traditional February dip is seen as a temporary reset within an equally optimistic outlook for the latter part of 2021 and into 2022.

Across the world, this is partially due to a variety of government based fiscal policies and post Covid jobs programmes, but equally it is because in many of these countries, households have actually improved significantly their finances after being forced by the pandemic to stay at home and reduce expenditure. If you take the UK alone, the household saving ratio average has risen to an all-time high of 29.1% according to the Office of National Statistics. The expectation, to use my mother’s phrase, is that such money will be ‘burning a hole in the pockets’ of those wishing to get out, travel, purchase the new and embrace the hospitality and entertainment sectors once again.

This is all positive from an economic perspective but as individuals and communities at large, we will be picking up the pieces of a society racked by issues such as mental health, unemployment, domestic violence and our children’s education. If you place them alongside the long burning issues of gender disparity and discrimination, the Black Lives Matter movement, general economic inequality and of course the climate challenge we face, we can all recognise that simple economic measures of ‘Springing Back’ a ‘Rebound’, are far from sufficient to describe or assess whether the future is optimistic, equitable and sustainable.

In creating this magazine at the start of lockdown back in late Spring 2021, we attempted to share, through the rich content of our clients, collaborators and friends, a set of thinking which would help us all continue to move forward, viewing the world and gaining new perspectives and insights. As a replacement to our UK events and in line with our sister ONE HUNDRED group in North America, where their ‘Forging Forward’ weekly podcast series has done the same.

As we enter a new year, one of general positivity with vaccine role out and the belief we will resume our activities in offices and elsewhere over the next few months, we will continue to share such content in the hope that it will inspire as we build what is described as a new normal.

However, my question to everyone is that in decades to come, future generations will ask what we as individuals, as businesses and as communities; what we did when our world was attacked in this way. Did we brush ourselves down and try to re-build the past way of doing things, or did we take this extraordinarily messy period of social-economic disruption, to step up with new ideas, new hope, new ways of thinking to build better businesses, more cohesive societies and a more just and kind world. This is the challenge before us all and in our own businesses will be actively working hard to ensure we do our bit.

Equally, in some small way, if we at ONE HUNDRED can support you in your thinking, your communication of your vision for the better, then please do reach out. Never before have we all felt the need to rely upon each other and as we say, wherever you are, we are here with you, ONE HUNDRED percent.

John O’Brien MBE
EMEA Managing Partner ONE HUNDRED
Twitter: @johnwritlarge
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnobrienwritlarge/
Personal Site: https://www.johnobrien.world/

Next article

Editorial

In the last couple of weeks we have seen The Bank of England’s chief economist say that the UK economy is “poised like a coiled spring” to leave lockdown and more than likely have annual economic growth in double digits next year. At the same time The European Commission officials expressed optimism that their economies will rebound later this year, whilst in the US a traditional February dip is seen as a temporary reset within an equally optimistic outlook for the latter part of 2021 and into 2022.

Across the world, this is partially due to a variety of government based fiscal policies and post Covid jobs programmes, but equally it is because in many of these countries, households have actually improved significantly their finances after being forced by the pandemic to stay at home and reduce expenditure. If you take the UK alone, the household saving ratio average has risen to an all-time high of 29.1% according to the Office of National Statistics. The expectation, to use my mother’s phrase, is that such money will be ‘burning a hole in the pockets’ of those wishing to get out, travel, purchase the new and embrace the hospitality and entertainment sectors once again.

This is all positive from an economic perspective but as individuals and communities at large, we will be picking up the pieces of a society racked by issues such as mental health, unemployment, domestic violence and our children’s education. If you place them alongside the long burning issues of gender disparity and discrimination, the Black Lives Matter movement, general economic inequality and of course the climate challenge we face, we can all recognise that simple economic measures of ‘Springing Back’ a ‘Rebound’, are far from sufficient to describe or assess whether the future is optimistic, equitable and sustainable.

In creating this magazine at the start of lockdown back in late Spring 2021, we attempted to share, through the rich content of our clients, collaborators and friends, a set of thinking which would help us all continue to move forward, viewing the world and gaining new perspectives and insights. As a replacement to our UK events and in line with our sister ONE HUNDRED group in North America, where their ‘Forging Forward’ weekly podcast series has done the same.

As we enter a new year, one of general positivity with vaccine role out and the belief we will resume our activities in offices and elsewhere over the next few months, we will continue to share such content in the hope that it will inspire as we build what is described as a new normal.

However, my question to everyone is that in decades to come, future generations will ask what we as individuals, as businesses and as communities; what we did when our world was attacked in this way. Did we brush ourselves down and try to re-build the past way of doing things, or did we take this extraordinarily messy period of social-economic disruption, to step up with new ideas, new hope, new ways of thinking to build better businesses, more cohesive societies and a more just and kind world. This is the challenge before us all and in our own businesses will be actively working hard to ensure we do our bit.

Equally, in some small way, if we at ONE HUNDRED can support you in your thinking, your communication of your vision for the better, then please do reach out. Never before have we all felt the need to rely upon each other and as we say, wherever you are, we are here with you, ONE HUNDRED percent.

John O’Brien MBE
EMEA Managing Partner ONE HUNDRED
Twitter: @johnwritlarge
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnobrienwritlarge/
Personal Site: https://www.johnobrien.world/

Next article