Learning by Training

By Arend van Campen

BUSINESS PERSPECTIVES?

When a gift shop owner committed suicide because he was ordered to close his shop just before Christmas after he purchased extra Christmas decoration from his supplier it was because needed perspectives to be able to survive financially had been taken away. A restaurant owner opened her restaurant here in Switzerland yesterday by ignoring the disproportionate lockdown regulations. She was crying when the police forced her to throw out her patrons.

Her tears tore me apart too. What we are experiencing is a dehumanisation process disguised as a humanitarian motivation to save lives. It is increasing a so-called social dualism, a separation between us and them, which will have its effects on everything, including our hazardous cargo industries. When hope, trust in institutions, confidence in future stable markets or trustworthy perspectives are reduced to the daily whim of unscrupulous politicians, all regular, perhaps old-fashioned businesses or industry will suffer.

The collapse of that gift shop can’t be seen outside its context and evokes a cascading effect, also touching our sector. When we look at these events systemically it becomes easy to realise that the domino effect is evident; gift shop-transport-manufacturer-chemical suppliershipping-trader-producer, everyone in the supply chain will be disturbed. Same for the restaurant owner. She won’t be able to sell her meals, therefore won’t buy groceries, vegetables or meat from local producers, farmers, cheesemakers, supermarkets, which then will endanger payments to landlords, staff, electricity companies, and so on.

At this moment, this collateral damage is either being overlooked or is deliberately ignored, because an obsession to eradicate an invisible virus is causing dangerous narrowmindedness. This can be physically understood as fear. People, including politicians, are afraid and a similar systemic causality can be detected: fear, stress, narrowmindedness, harm to other people. The excuse is a persistent self-suggestion reminding themselves that they are saving lives. This enables them to ignore their own conscience, supported by immunologists and virologists who are not aware, or refuse to see the psychological, social and financial impact on shop or restaurant owners and the interdependent supply chain.

So, how do we restore trust in the system and build confidence when we realise that business as usual is over? Well, we have to re-design our businesses, create sustainable, flexible methods to ride the low tide for a long while to come. We have the tools, the knowledge and experience to do it in cooperation with you. TankTerminalTraining celebrates 10 years of services this year. We are supported by the research of the think tank ‘Sustenance4all’. We developed a method to measure sustainability which can be implemented to predict business development and manage investment risks.

The criteria for a viable future have been recognised and can be applied immediately should you be open to change. The old times are gone. The virus can be seen as a messenger bringing us the good or the bad news. Choosing which news you want to hear is your choice alone.

This is the latest in a series of articles by Arend van Campen, founder of TankTerminalTraining. More information on the company’s activities can be found at www.tankterminaltraining.com. Those interested in responding personally can contact him directly at arendvc@tankterminaltraining.com.