The world is going through a period of prolonged transition and by all accounts will be for another generation at least. The consequence of this transition is everywhere you look; business and people unsure of what the “normal” state of operating is. With innovations and advances almost daily, all established rules for business and personal success have evaporated.
On the positive side technology, innovation and human progress have brought us to the safest, healthiest and most prosperous time in our history. There has never been a better time to be alive and certainly never a better time to be in business. We have the means to reach a global audience if we choose or build great local communities.
On the other side of the coin, this same technology, innovation and progress has changed every facet of being in business. 21st century business demands new insights, new mindsets and new tools. Leadership, Management, Customer Experience, Human Capital management, IT, business development.
Response to this transition is interesting to observe. You have those who are wildly excited about technology and all its innovation but have no sense of what to actually do and how to use it to grow their business. Then there are others are just confused, overwhelmed or terrified at the pace of change and decide to ignore it and do nothing.
Three simple shifts in thinking may help on the journey to finding a sense of stability in an environment of constant change:
Strategy: Today this should have INNOVATION at its center. Think about your business right now; from end to end and ask yourself. What needs to be innovated? From process to customer experience you can probably make a sizeable list of everything that frustrates customers, that slows delivery to customers, processes that seem ridiculously cumbersome. Why have those innovations not taken place? Whether the answers are money, time, resources or systems, your strategy should be addressing this. Strategic thinking today is always innovation.
Culture: Traditional organisational culture is rooted in structure: Command and control departments and units with hierarchy. This is the way business has been for over a hundred years. This system entrenches silos and slows you to a crawl. Think about building a culture around collaboration. How do your teams easily communicate and interact with each other? Empower decisions making at lower levels. Build a culture around collaboration.
Measure: It is almost certain that you are not measuring true markers of progress. We have become obsesses with measuring time and processes. How much time do our teams spend at the office and how well are they completing processes. Yet a transformative business measures only results. You should not care how or where work is done as long as results are being achieved. This requires being very clear on what results are. Results can only be achieved in an environment that keeps everyone focused on what is important.
As a final note, embracing transformation is messy and often a bit chaotic and you never arrive at the destination but when you have innovation, collaboration and results as your magnets, you’ll always be progressing!
To book Ryan Hogarth at your next event or conference contact USB on +27 (0)11 074 9800
Email: paul@uniquespeakerbureau.com
Brooke Rabe
Marketing and Communications Manager