BC Business
Candians fled the middle in the 2011 federal election, giving the NDP a record surge and the Conservatives a majority government.
In the 2011 federal election, Canadians abandoned the middle road and went for a touch of radicalism. Does this signal a change in their long-held attitudes? Well, colour me confused. This is Canada, where we’re a practical bunch who tend to consider before we do things. Given choices, we always go for the middle. It’s the Canadian way.
Well, colour me confused. This is Canada, where we’re a practical bunch who tend to consider before we do things. Given choices, we always go for the middle. It’s the Canadian way.
Any business in Canada that creates pricing regimes knows this and so often gives people three price package choices, hoping they’ll take the full-meal deal, but fully expecting them to take the middle one.
That’s why I predicted a large Conservative minority in yesterday’s federal election. And also why I predicted NDP growth, but a continuation of the Liberals’ second-party status.
It’s how I perceive Canadians’ thinking: Go for the safe middle.
And then came yesterday’s election, the Conservative majority, the fall of the Liberals, the Bloc’s demise, and the amazing NDP march to official opposition status.
The country’s voters split between right and left. I thought they might tend that way, but I didn’t think they’d be so enthusiastic about it.
So today, I, and many like myself, stand looking like complete fools. We predicated all our planning on a belief that Canadians would always cling to the safety of middle of the road.
This change has been apparent in B.C. for some time, and it appears now that the rest of Canada has caught up with us.
Could it be that Canadians are now less fearful, less tentative, less … uh … Canadian? Could this signal a bold new view of life, a view forged in the crucible of increasing engagement with internationals?
I think so. Looking back, I’ve been seeing increasing boldness and confidence in Canadians. Certainly, that’s true in business. Canadian companies, while still not at the level of their U.S. counterparts, are starting to become more brash, more adventurous, and more willing to take risks.
I suspect this is mirrored by Canadian society in general.
Maybe this is just a blip, a confidence created by our ability to weather the recession better than our American cousins. It could just be that Canadians took a bold chance because they knew it wouldn’t really hurt them that much.
Whatever it is, there’s no going back. Once you get a taste of the excitement inherent in risk taking – entrepreneurs come to mind – you keep wanting it. That full-meal deal looks more appealing.
I, for one, am going to re-examine my long-held views of the Canadian persona. I think it’s changing, and my business future depends on understanding it.