First of all there is no back to normal, your work as you know it will never be the same again and here is why that is good news:
Everyone is now enlightened. Sure, we are all like caged animals wanting to escape back to the wild, but we have all learned just how much we can achieve in the captivity of our own homes. Will everyone return to work in a physical office 365 days a year? I highly doubt it. - Of course, I hate the virtual connections and fatigue just as much as the next person unintentionally on mute, but there is a new beacon of light guideline what IS possible remotely and it will shatter the 40 hour 5 days in the office work week forever. With two ten year olds and a 12 year old at home for the last year of course there have been equally tough and delightful times - which causes many to pause and wonder “do I really need to take all the *stuff* that this job brings my way....or is it time to return that headhunter’s call...”
Technology teams have proven you can implement in days not weeks. - remote working rollout anyone? - I can’t wait for all of those strategy and planning discussions where the retort to long project implementation is “but we did it faster in 2020 so why not now...?” There has been a new bar for implementation set that can only help challenge old assumptions and think bigger. Same applies to many functions, thoughtful speed wins the day. Superfluous documents, meetings, and conversations have been thrown out and you have the power to prevent them ever returning.
Your customer's tastes and demands change and so can you. Rapidly. There is currently a US shortage of ketchup. Restaurants can’t keep up with the unexpected boom of takeout and delivery so it has caused a ketchup shortage with those tiny packets you get with your to go order. Everyone is scrambling to adjust - Just like toilet paper manufacturers couldn’t pivot quickly enough to the in home vs. in office demands for toilet paper 365 days ago, now it seems that ketchup is having the same problem too. Retailer francesca’s were a dress up and go outbrand and they had to rapidly transform into a cozy up and stay at home brand. They launched new product ranges including loungewear, a tween brand called Franki, extended sizes , and a new app within days at the start of the pandemic and are similarly monitoring customers fashion needs as everyone slowly adjusts to going out again. Real time customer feedback is needed on parallel to dashboards and metrics that matter.
What does this mean for you? It is time to immerse yourself in the mindset of your customers and your employees. How do you stay connected with who is your current customer?, how have they changed?, how are you adapting? Where have you found unexpected strength in your teams and how do you deconstruct that so you can recreate it?
Most importantly ask and listen to your employees. —- because if you don’t not only do you miss out on their insights —but the job market is HOT right now and in favor of those looking for a new job. I’ve never see companies hire faster, but more importantly rely on their network for referrals. So it is time to keep your top performing employees close. Because if you don’t...a head hunter or another company will!
Dedicated to growing your business,
Val
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