Do we have your attention? It is no secret, that COVID has not only changed business, but it has changed our daily activities. Grocery delivery services were mostly superfluous and intended for the very busy, or those who could not get to a grocery store. However, post COVID-19 this has shifted to a necessity. Technology which was previously reserved for corporate America has become ubiquitous and necessary as work-from-home, school-from-home and stay-at-home has become the standard and new norm.
You already know this, so the question is: how can my business survive COVID? The answer is simple yet will require deliberate adherence. For your business to survive COVID, you cannot chase history. Meaning, you cannot chase “how things used to be”. This cannot be your barometer for how your business is progressing. Just like with any organism, adaptation is a necessity for survival.
How should your business adapt? For your business to adapt, you must dissect your business. Separate the fluff from the necessity. What is the core of your business? Go back to your business plan, what was the intent of your business at the onset. If you are a larger business, look at the intent and purpose of your business. Look at your mission statement. Now look at your current operations as they stand. Where is the mismatch? Where is the disconnect? What is needed and what is not.
The second consideration is to redefine and reexamine your relationship with technology. The old thinking of “I’m just not good with technology” is going to prove fatal for businesses who cannot redefine this relationship. The apprehension some may have with technology is that it may seem cumbersome, or that there is a sharp learning curve. Whilst this may be true for some solutions, solution providers are aware of this apprehension as well. Because solution providers are aware of this reservation to adapt technology UX and CX are far more user friendly. User interfaces have become decluttered. In many instances, these technologies will show what in your business you can automate. Essentially, what you could have automated all along.
The third consideration is to have a strong core group. To bolster this group, there needs to be strong and deliberate emphasis placed on EX. Refer to our EX article for more insight on this. We must eradicate the myth that physical presence is a necessary requirement for building culture, and for building a workforce. Regarding culture, there are hundreds of online rooms, and online solutions to team building which can be implemented. Take for example, Facebook Rooms. You and your team can play games together, watch movies together. You can use Postmates to have food for you team as well, if so desired. This is why “deliberate” is the key operator. It will not be easy, but it can be done with an open mind.
The current way of business which has largely not changed since the industrial revolution has reached its apex. Now is the time to truly listen to your team, hear what they need. Your team will pick up the company banner while using the necessary required skills and move the business forward.
