We take a look at the current turbulence in business and ask – maybe this is the change of focus that can really work for all of us?
It is a fact not commonly understood, that a business that battens down the hatches in times of troubles, will end up in a worse place when the troubles are over – than from where it started.
It’s not me that says that says that. Entrepreneurs that I talk to over recent weeks, have without exception, been quick to advise – give it a few weeks, but then get creative, don’t let your customers and future customers forget that you are there.
And yet every day, as soon as prophets of doom appear on our media radar, we see immediate downsizing, firing of trusted and loyal employees, and the very people that are described as the “most valuable asset” for any corporate, in their PR blurb and announcements – are the first to be discarded when things get tricky.
The result of all this, is that – when the good times start to roll again, companies are in no position to make the most of it, people remain unemployed, and costs go up, – because we are having to hunt for what we want, – when it used to be readily available.
But what if we look a it a different way?
What if, we use the moment to seriously examine the way we are doing things generally, and whether we really need to be doing the same things at all? And there are some good examples.
If we have now found a technology structure where yes indeed, we can work from home, without the stigma of not being “visible” in the office, because nobody is actually in the office – then why don’t we continue with this process?
National Geographic has noted that the waters of Venice are now clear again – because they no longer have the big ships, the industrial output from across the water, the small vaporetti – because none of us are travelling any more.
Pollution above Wuhan, China, has disappeared since people stopped going to work as such. In short, nature and healthy living and better climate resurgence, have come to the fore, by accident.
The question is how can we keep it that way? The answers may be simple and practical.
First – if we do away with the social need for travelling to an “office”, – then we save on our commuting, have time to see our kids, get a better work/life balance, live longer.
Second – don’t cancel the sales outreach. Just do it differently. Use the power of your email and redesign your material to something that actually engages with people. If people now have more time to do something, then make sure what you send and create is something people actually enjoy looking at.
Don’t forget that you absolutely must do something to build your business. This process never stops.
And finally – don’t be afraid of change. Use the moment, now that you are online remotely – to look at your established practices and ask – if they are what you have always done, then they are probably not working or fit for purpose any longer.
As said above, it is a fact not commonly understood, that a company that has been doing things the same way for years, is probably in need of a good wake up call.
ProfoMedia 