OPINIONS The benefits of ambition New York–based New Zealander JULIE FRY, co-author of Ambition: What New Zealanders think and why it matters, says New Zealand’s response to COVID-19 shows how ambitious Kiwis really are. Gilbert Brim, a social psychologist who spent much of his life researching ambition, concluded that what people are ambitious about changes over time, as they, and their circumstances, change. The COVID-19 pandemic has generated deeply confronting changes in people’s circumstances. People are sick. People are dying. People have closed businesses, lost work and income, had to juggle work and caring responsibilities, and missed spending time with loved ones. The response of New Zealanders to these life-changing events should emphatically put to rest the notion that we are not particularly ambitious. An obvious example is the New Zealand government’s ambitious goal of eliminating the virus. New Zealanders took decisive action to keep everyone safe. Leveraging our national culture of humility, generosity, and collective responsibility, the “team of five million” worked together to meet a target that many commentators initially mocked as ridiculously unachievable. The government also moved rapidly to mitigate economic risks, through increasing benefits and providing wage subsidies. With initial signs of a sharp recovery in economic activity, New Zealand’s collective response seems to be working. But, with the virus still running rampant in other parts of the world, and no guarantee of a vaccine, there is scope for further ambitious public-sector responses. The funding set aside to respond to this crisis could be used to address more than just the urgent and immediate concerns. Level 4 lockdown highlighted the need for access to technology and connectivity for all kids. Some prisons and rest homes exposed staff and residents to unacceptable levels of risk. Closing the border provides an opportunity to reset migration policy so that it prioritises the wellbeing of both locals and migrants – including those people on short-term visas who are
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effectively stranded in New Zealand. Policies that would once have been politically untenable may now be more feasible given the change in circumstances created by the pandemic. COVID-19 has been challenging for New Zealand businesses. Unfortunately, some will not survive this crisis. But along with calls for a quick return to the good old days, there are also ambitious businesses that view “these uncertain times” as providing permission to innovate. During high-level lockdown, working from home and interacting with colleagues, business partners, and customers via video conferencing became the norm for many, rather than something possible with special permission. Businesses changed delivery models, quickly building an online presence and introducing options such as click and collect. GPs and hospitals moved swiftly to provide telephone and online consultations. Even as lockdown levels change, border closures will continue to influence the way New Zealanders do business. Some education providers switched to online teaching as physical flows of international students dried up. Recognising that high-volume, low-value international tourism will not be viable for some time, ambitious lower-carbon alternatives such as internal tourism and high-value international tourism with user-pays quarantine are now on the table. The end of ready access to migrant labour has led some employers to seek local employees (witness the GoDairy campaign). The ability to adapt to changing circumstances will be directly correlated with future success. Around the world, COVID-19 has also changed the focus of ambition at a personal level. The extent of this depends on where you happen to be. As I write this in New York, the state has reported 448,140 cases of COVID-19, and at least 32,815 people have died. Mask wearing, physical distancing, and minimising time spent in enclosed spaces with people outside our bubble are still essential. For every New Yorker with the headspace to dream big or try something new, there are many more finding the extent of their ambition is limited to ensuring day-to-day survival. This is the reality for some New Zealanders too – particularly people who are out of work or struggling to keep businesses afloat – but through successful management of the virus, the scale of the impact is significantly lower. In spite of the recent outbreaks New Zealand still looks like a lucky country (although we got here more through good management and shared sacrifice than good luck). Our robust initial response to COVID-19 has provided more than health and economic benefits – it has preserved the opportunity to live a relatively normal life, with the freedom to pursue a wide range of ambitions. Situations beyond our border show how quickly this can change, so this is no time for complacency. As with most great ambitions, success requires ongoing effort. No matter what happens next, ambitious Kiwis will continue to adapt and innovate, not just to survive, but to thrive.
