Alex Barker of Be More Pirate tells ULN about how the pandemic has sparked a movement focused on better ways of working.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, we experienced what I would call a collective ‘no one is coming to save you’ moment.
Overnight, we were all plunged into the void of complete uncertainty and as weeks of panic, confusion and tedious televised speeches dragged on, it became ever more clear that our dear leaders did not appear to have a reliable plan of any kind, and that we were going to be muddling through this thing on our own.
I do not want to downplay the hardships of the pandemic (it was not kind to the newly self-employed, believe me), but sometimes, when the rug is pulled from under your feet, it also presents unexpected opportunity and liberation. Crises are often catalysts.
The pandemic unlocked many things; thousands decided to volunteer their time, digital became the default, and we found joy and safety in community again. So many people realised they could do and be a lot more, and doors that seemed locked and bolted for good, creaked ajar, along with an invitation to cross the threshold into something, as yet, undefined.
The arena in which this played out most significantly, was work. For decades we’ve been confined to a very narrow concept of what work should or could be. Org charts resemble the engineering diagrams harking back to the industrial revolution. The team and role based silos we still adhere to in the name of efficiency, often create confusion and miscommunication. The hierarchy and status games that served empires continue in the form of modern management, disrupting our mental health, and for decades, we’ve been confined to being in the same place at the same time, day in day out, regardless of whether it gets the best outcomes.
Covid-19 fundamentally shook up that operating model, and now it is up to us to redefine the new rules. What has so far been a quiet revolution – a tacit tussle of what flexible working really means steeped in the need to recover from economic difficulty – now has the potential to become a lot louder, with more of us at the helm.
To get there, I ask organisations to look to the spirit of piracy circa 1700.
Unusual, but effective.
The largely untold story of piracy is that of a group of disenfranchised young professionals facing huge disruption, uncertainty and a self-interested establishment. Their dilemma was clear – forever be a servant, or stand up and fight for something better.
Their rebellion carries three fundamental attributes:
Sustained imagination – business as usual acts as an invisible elastic band that pulls you back if you don’t actively and intentionally push toward a new horizon. We need space and time to dream and feel into the future.
Courage – a willingness to sit in the discomfort of the unknown, where there is both dragons and treasure, fear and opportunity.
Crew – we understand who we are in relation to each other, so finding the right allies to go forward with, is essential
I absolutely believe we can do work differently. We can create working environments that are peaceful and inspiring. We can have authentic, supportive relationships with colleagues and collaborators. We can rewire old narratives about scarcity and competition.
This would be nothing short of a revolution, but a creative and inclusive one.
You may have heard ‘seek forgiveness, not permission.’ Our #BeMorePirate update on this, is to seek neither forgiveness nor permission, but rather set a precedent.
Make your own rules, and watch as the world catches on.
Join Alex at GCUC London, tickets are still available for the conference on 2nd/3rd November 2023 – uk.gcuc.co/
