The Great Reset
by Shannon Wagers
As a Corporate Trainer and Master Facilitator for the world’s largest consumer goods company, I’m privileged to get exposure to some of the greatest thought leaders influencing industry and the marketplace. This list includes names like Seth Godin, Malcolm Gladwell, Eric Ries, and Simon Sinek. Another such leader you may not be familiar with is David Kidder, co-founder and CEO of Bionic. David has worked with some of P&G’s top leaders, including Kathy Fish, P&G’s Chief Research, Development, and Innovation Officer. Bionic seeds and launches startups “that discover and solve new customer problems for the world’s most competitive companies.” David, an active blogger, shared his thoughts on recent events concerning how the global pandemic and civil unrest are impacting the business world:
“We have entered The Great Reset—a period of radical change in acute customer problems and needs that spans all markets and all nations. In this turbulent time, safe, biased leaders who fail to understand, or worse, impede the permissions in developing new solutions to their customers’ often desperate needs, will not endure the sudden shifts in the world. Instead, this new world of rolling disruption demands leaders who will guide their companies through these equally radical resets that result in a renewed resilience, recovery, and a return to growth.”
Companies have scrambled in the midst of our current situation to keep the brands relevant and their products in demand and even more importantly—on the store shelf. YouTuber’s “Microsoft Sam” edited a super video of U.S. COVID-19 commercials that all use exactly the same messages and themes in response to our global crisis. There is endless use of phrases like “times like these,” “more than ever,” “home,” “family,” and “here for you.” These commercials featuring somber piano music are laden with clichés such as, “we’ve always been there for you,” “we may be apart, but we can stay connected,” and “we’ll get through this together.” 
Here is the video.
I have often said that if someone wanted to see how fast things change, just look at the page of your favorite Internet news site in the span of 24 hours, and you’ll be amazed. The year 2020 has clearly broken that paradigm and accelerated my point.
A Simpler Reset
When I was a child, one of the most magical Christmases I ever had was the year I received my Atari 2600. It was amazing. As a child of the 80s I spent countless hours with my friends playing classics such as Pitfall, Indy 500, and Defender. If you ever needed to start over, the game console had a special button to reset the system and start from scratch. This was most typically used when one friend was winning the game by a large margin and the other friend would “accidentally” hit the switch, usually resulting in the friend who was winning being quite upset. The first game my parents ever bought especially for me was Space Invaders. This game was unique as there was a special hack with the reset button. When you would first turn the game on, you could hold down the game reset and you were given double laser cannon fire instead of just one at a time!
With lots of video game play in my formative years I learned very quickly the concept of using the reset button to start over. As an adult, when things weren’t necessarily going my way, I’ve learned that’s a great opportunity to push the reset button. Most folks would agree that the world has become even more enveloped in crisis in 2020. However, crisis doesn’t need 
to be portrayed wholly as a negative. One of my mentors, Dr. Min Basadur, has taught a valuable lesson that I share over and over with teams I work with at P&G—the power of reframing a problem into an opportunity. Min shares:
“Written in Chinese, the word ‘crisis’ actually consists of two symbols: danger and opportunity. This symbol underscores the idea that there are positives and negatives in any ‘problem.’ If we think of problems as fuzzy situations filled with opportunities, we will be more likely to anticipate and seek them out.”
Rest, Relief, and Restoration
Getting through life in what was considered a “normal” year was already hard for many people. The additional elements of widespread fear, panic, and strife that 2020 has brought have made it even more difficult. But we can look to God and his word to find rest, relief, and restoration.
Rest
Some people claim that God created the world in seven days. They’re wrong. He did it in six days and rested on the seventh (See Genesis 1—2:2). We should be inspired by God’s desire for rest after doing great work. Jesus invites us in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (NLT).
Relief
Sometimes we all just need some space. Some time to process. Perhaps even just a bit of relief to distance ourselves from tough circumstances. God is here to provide that as well. The shepherd boy who would become king, David, proclaims, 
“Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!” (Psalm 4:1, ESV).
Restoration
We all stumble and fail miserably all the time (See Romans 3:23). This can seem daunting and disappointing (even more so in a global crisis!). But Romans 3:24-26 provides us with these words of hope:
“Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus” (NLT).
The pop song “Hold On” by Wilson Phillips was a 90s anthem for many people. It includes these hopeful lyrics:
I know that there is pain
But you hold on for one more day and you
Break free, break from the chains.
It is my sincere hope that you will trust Christ as Savior and hold on to him in these (please forgive the phrase) “uncertain times.” If you have not trusted in Christ as Savior, please feel free to contact a Christ’s Church staff member who would be happy to share coffee and tell you how their faith in Christ has changed their life.
A worship pastor residing in Cincinnati, Charlie Hines, brings hope in his song “Never Changing God.” Check out his song here.
Take my hand and lead me through the darkness,
Redeem the life I’ve lost along the way.
I trust that You can heal me and restore me,
’Cause You are my Never Changing God.
Shannon Wagers is a Corporate Trainer and Master Facilitator for P&G’s Innovation Lab called “The GYM.” Shannon resides in Liberty Township with his wife Ruth, daughter Katherine, and dog Bear.