Déconfinement : to give meaning to the recovery

at the head of Geneo Capital, an investment company in SMES and ETI, Fanny Letier and François Rivolier believe that the human collective will make the difference tomorrow.

Past the shock of the first few weeks, it is time to step back.

This crisis is not that of 2008. Because it put the entire global economy to stop it, and more than one half of humanity in confinement, and its consequences will be long and deep. In France, economic activity declined by 36 % overall, of which 43% are in the industry, 88 % in construction and 90 % in accommodation and food services, which should translate into a recession by 8% in 2020. It will need to be resilient, keep in the duration, for better bounce.

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above all, this crisis confronts us with our existential questions personal and societal. It affects every person in his inner heart, in its daily experience. The experience of China [1] but also the studies of european and us experts [2] show that the impact on the psychological health of employees is extremely important. And that, in any event, the report to the work already has changed.

The construction of strategies of rebound will not skimp on the essential : the human capital, the treasure of any company. In most cases, it has been assigned. To restart, we need to put people at the centre.

Put people at the centre, this means, of course, accompany the recovery. In all of the actions are already being deployed to ensure the safety of all employees through the extension of the telecommuting or the establishment of sanitation devices as appropriate.

Innovate to meet societal expectations

But to create the impetus for the rebound, the energy that we will overcome this crisis, it is not enough. It is necessary to give meaning to the recovery. Resume yes, but how, and for what ? What have we learned, made, matured during this time period so special ? How to elicit the commitment of all in this vibrant novel of recovery of activity, which does result neither in a war nor a natural disaster or financial ? What will be the cap, the engine of the company and of each employee ?

What it is called purpose, engagement, usefulness, this crisis poses the question of the meaning and impact of each company, which are the intrinsic motivation of the employees.

The pandemic has challenged our modes of consumption, our choices of organization, our strategies of production and localization. It was given to see the extent of the health and environmental challenges that we face. Our company will have to rethink its model of development, to imagine a new social contract, bringing the health, the environment, the human at the heart of our growth models, they are viewed in the long-term answer to rising inequality, to question the sharing of the value.

It is the responsibility of each contractor to assess the extent of these changes and innovate to meet societal expectations.

The reason being, a anchor point

The businesses that already have a reason to be, it is certain, will come out stronger of this crisis. It will be necessary to refine it, make it live, and perhaps evolve over time, but the base exists, which gives an anchorage of great employees. Because these companies are aware of their contribution to the world of tomorrow, and this perspective is one of the most powerful engines of the human at work.

For others, it is the right time to formulate it, this famous reason. Every entrepreneur knows perfectly why he gets up in the morning. Choose to be an entrepreneur, it is somewhere, engage in the city. Send to make this spring great and share it with its employees, it is already, as M Jourdain, without knowing it, give themselves a form of reason.

The recovery will not be without a human collective. Our teams, our suppliers, our customers, our ecosystem, regional and sectoral level : it is the alliance of all stakeholders that will shape our ability to rebound.

Anticipate, prepare for the rebound, it is, therefore, to create the human collective that will make the difference.

It is to carry a positive vision for the world of tomorrow.

It can be in the background, the more strategic and the more engaging projects.

It is to be a business positive.

[1] Centre of mental health of Shanghai, Qiu J., Shen, B., Zhao M, et al, "a nationwide survey of psychological distress amond Chinese people in the COVID-19 epidemic : implications and policy recommendations", General psychiatry, February 2020

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[2] See especially "A psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it : a rapid review of the evidence," The Lancet (February 26, 2020) and the press release from INSERM, 13 February 2020, "post-traumatic Stress disorder : new avenues for understanding resilience to trauma"