What does it mean to CHANGE?

It’s about a shift in mindset.

But first, a trip around the world….

The world is in a bit of a topsy turvy at the moment.

Wherever we look the world as we know it seems to be going through a bit of a “mid-life crisis.”

Food and wine loving Italy has returned (apparently) to its fascist roots. Far-right leader Giorgia Meloni swept to victory in Italy’s election in 2022, almost 100 years after Benito Mussolini’s Blackshirts marched on Rome. She defines herself, as conservative: a Christian and a patriot who wants to rein in illegal immigration, defend the “natural” family, and keep taxes down. And yet her Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party is rooted in the Italian post-fascist tradition—one of its co-founders proudly collects fascist memorabilia in his home—and has ties to violent neo-fascist organizations. As a member of a far-right party’s youth wing in the 1990s, Meloni said Mussolini had been “a good politician, in that everything he did, he did for Italy.”

As far as France is concerned no one knows what the hell is going on. Literally days after the vote, it’s still pretty much impossible to predict which way things will go. No party or coalition won enough seats (289) to claim an absolute majority in the National Assembly, the country’s lower chamber. As a consequence, nobody can propose the name of a prime minister with the assurance that they would get the support of a majority of lawmakers in a vote. The left-wing New Popular Front alliance came in first, with 188 seats, followed by the centrist alliance of French President Emmanuel Macron, Ensemble, which won 161 seats. Both of these are coalitions of various parties. After triumphing at an EU election last month, the far-right National Rally ended up third (142 seats.) It is, however, the biggest single party. The second far right party in the EU to date (and counting).

The UK has turned from the Conservative Party to the Labour Party – after 14 years – under Keir Starmer. And the world has changed significantly since the Labour Party last held office; notably, the UK finds itself outside the EU and potentially facing a more isolationist United States. Starmer promises a more active government than his Conservative Party predecessor, as well as investments in green energy and industrial policies that promote domestic manufacturing. But Starmer inherited an economy showing the strains of more than a decade of political turmoil, inadequate business investment and unresponsive government planning. He also lacks a ready source of cash. The economic climate represents “the worst set of circumstances since the Second World War,” Rachel Reeves, the country’s first female finance minister, said.

The US finds itself in a bit of barney. The Biden Trump Presidential debate on the 24th of June was a real eye-opener to all those that watched. And it’s clear that while Trump’s performance was full of his usual exaggerations and falsehoods – particularly about crime and immigration – the main thing that many voters are going to remember is the striking contrast between Trump’s energy and vitality and Biden’s struggle to deliver his points in a succinct and understandable way. The Democrats have – in not so many words – described Biden’s debate performance as woeful and sometimes incomprehensible, leaving them panicked and considering whether to replace 81-year old Biden with Kamala Harris who has repeatedly defended Biden saying that his record as president shouldn’t be outweighed by 90 minutes on a debate stage.

South Africa with its new Government of National Unity (GNU) comprised of eleven parties to the GNU including the African National Congress (ANC), Democratic Alliance (DA), Patriotic Alliance (PA), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Good Party, Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC), Freedom Front Plus (FF+), United Democratic Movement (UDM), Al Jama-ah, Rise Mzansi and the United Africans Transformation (UAT). Interestingly 11 ministers and 10 deputy ministers of the cabinet are not from the ANC. It’s new territory for South Africa, a new dawn – something echoed by the newly re-elected President Ramaphosa when he said, “The establishment of the GNU in its current form is unprecedented in the history of our democracy”. No one knows which way this GNU will take our country, whether it will be successful or a complete and dismal failure. The only thing South Africans know for sure is – it’s time for a change and we all hope that the GNU will be the vehicle that delivers us to this change – something which is much needed.

And lastly, the war in Ukraine which began when Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, has reached a rather unfortunate point. More than two years on and there is no sign of anything abating rather the opposite in fact. Take these news headlines as examples – Student jailed for treason after ‘passing troop locations to Ukraine’, says Russia; Ukraine’s state-owned defence company Ukroboronprom signing an agreement with leading US weapons manufacturer Northrop Grumman to produce ammunition, calls for Hungarian president to be ‘reined in’ after unapproved meetings with Putin and China lashing out at NATO after the alliance said it was a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war effort. And all the while interest rates around the world continue to rise. In the US – as an example – instances of micro loans have increased. Not in an effort to pay off car loans or mortgages but simply to buy groceries. And the general sentiment has changed from “We support Ukraine and her right to protect herself” to “Let Russia have Ukraine, it always belonged to Russia in any event. Let this war be over already”.

Moral fibre seems to grow really thin when money (and interest rates) is involved. But people are suffering. And the war in Ukraine, especially right after COVID, has done nothing to help the situation.

The World – as we said above – seems like it’s going through a bit of a mid-life crisis. Countries making decisions that don’t seem to be for the best. Making big changes in the hopes that “things” will change. Making big changes in the hopes that it will shake things up – in a good way. Causing a ruckus in a way that improves current situations – because the old status quo just wasn’t working anymore.

And enough is enough. Apparently a worldwide sentiment.

And that all brings us to our new topic. Something we feel we have to talk about. Something we feel the world is going through, so it must be a trend.

And that is – change.

What does it mean to change?

It was Albert Einstein that said –

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

And if that’s the situation, then it must mean that change is inevitable. Change is necessary. And that change is meaningful. Otherwise we would all be insane – continuing to simply do the same thing over and over repeatedly.

But change is hard. We have to admit.

It’s hard to move out of your comfort zone. It’s hard to put yourself and your insecurities out there for the world to see. And it’s hard to accept that you’re not perfect.

But it’s also how we evolve has human beings. If we think about it, change happens all around us, every single day. Change is what got us from neanderthal to homo sapiens. It’s change that took us some 12,000 years ago, from traditional hunter-gatherer to the beginning modes of agriculture which paved the way for permanent settlements and a reliable food supply. Something dubbed the “Neolithic Revolution.”

And the rest – as they say – is history leading to us today. And it’s because of change that we are here typing away on laptops or reading articles on our mobile phones. After all, it was Charles Darwin that said, “It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.”

But change is also a skill that you need to work on. Because, if you don’t, chances are you’ll be left behind. So, consider it a challenge – work on being flexible. On being adaptable. Because as Heraclitus said, “The only constant is change.”

And it starts with a shift in mindset.

This month will be all about change here at AJS. From embracing change – especially in the workplace – to how to be an effective change leader, and lastly a discussion around change management. We do hope you’ll join us on this change journey. You may even learn something about yourself along the way……

In the meantime, if you are in need of change where your legal tech is concerned or if you want to find out how to incorporate a new tool into your existing accounting and practice management suite, or how to get started with legal tech, feel free to get in touch with AJS – we have the right combination of systems, resources and business partnerships to assist you with incorporating supportive legal technology into your practice. Effortlessly.

AJS is always here to help you, wherever and whenever possible!

(Sources used and to whom we owe thanks: Foreign Policy; Politico; The Washington Post here and here; IOL; BBC; Sky News and National Geographic)

– Written by Alicia Koch on behalf of AJS