The past decade has enabled the world and its inhabitants to witness some of the most significant global transformations. To keep up with the booming population and its ever-growing demands, economies across the globe are expanding, and so are organizations and employment opportunities. However, as much as this boom translates optimistically to a growth that is both holistic and wholesome, it also means that the world around us is becoming increasingly complex and volatile.

Especially viewing things from a more recent perspective further enable us to see how the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has left the majority of the world in shambles and at a standstill. As we now enter the unprecedented and still unpredictable 'New Normal', how do we future-proof our organizations to survive the worst times?

There are four crucial foundations or founding pillars of any business that need to be restructured, especially now in the face of this pandemic.   

Cause

The primary foundation of any business begins with a cause. This is the centre of a business; it is the core reason why any organization exists or continues to exist. It can be moulded into its mission and, consequently, its vision.

Connectivity

The start of any business, after identifying its cause of existence, is formed with a concept that connects to the market. Every business organization comes to existence with an idea or concept, and it has to be real in the context of the market. The concept must be integrated with prolonged efforts that push through to incorporate multiple models, processes and unify them under one singular frame. That is the very essence of connecting.

Capacity

To run any business or organization smoothly, it is crucial to form its capacity or ability to fulfil its purpose through a combination of effective and efficient employees, operation, management, governance, and a strong persistence to assessing and achieving results.

Culture

The final yet just as a fundamental foundation - culture - is the set of values, beliefs, and norms that are continuously practised by the people, processes, and the organization itself. To put it more simply, the culture of an organization revolves around people and innovation and keeps changing with changing times.

All in all, when you assemble these four pillars, you form the four foundations or Four Cs of Future-Proofing, an organization.

It is at all times vital to remember that among all the four foundations, 'cause' is always the anchoring philosophy; it is timeless and stands tall against the odds of nature. As long as an organization is true to its core purpose of existence, it continues to exist, even when the other three foundations (connectivity, capacity, and culture) transform with passing time or fade away.