Orangetree THINKING

Change - make it faster!

I believe it was a gentleman named Alan Kay who said 'The best way to predict the future is to invent it'.

I was musing about this, in respect of so many business challenges I see around me. You see, stuff is always changing, and we are trying to change to keep pace.

Stop. Think for a moment. That will place me forever a yard behind.  

In each of our businesses, we have an opportunity. Economic crisis, fast moving fashions, new technologies, these all present us with an opportunity. Instead of chasing today, let's invent tomorrow.

I am thinking mostly here of how we organise our businesses, how we market, how we present to customers, how we treat teams, how we choose our premises. And so on through a long list. Why do we have to stand in a crowd when we could walk ahead of them. Will they all follow? Maybe,maybe not, but no matter if your difference gets your brand noticed more.  Grey on grey is invisible, and invisible is a poor look. Bright colours sometimes clash, but go for it - at least people will notice.

Now folks. Understand that I am being metaphorical here.  But try to apply this to your business, and you will be amazed at what you might come up with. Better still, share this notion with your teams and let them come up with some stuff. They will be better than you. Yes they will.
What I am really wanting to encourage here is for people who are involved in businesses that are maybe a bit stuck, or who want to move forward, to be more radical in their thinking. Not reckless. I did not say that. But more radical. Really thinking through your ideas, but from the perspective of the affected parties. That will usually be your staff, and your customers. You know, for example, if you were running a large bank, you could totally reinvent the whole experience of a client. Not tweak it. Not retrain the call centre operatives. Not spend money on a new logo for the staff shirts. No. Really, really rip up the way your customers get their banking.

I promise you it would get noticed. I promise you if you got it right, you would have more customers. Ok. I suspect the bank manager is not reading this. If he is, phone me, I will show you how to do it. But you can take the same approach to your business.


So here are some tips:

1. Step away from the crowd, and do something different.
2. Manage some change. That means choosing the change, and making it happen.
3. Standing still is definitely wrong when the tide is moving.
4. Create a vibrant, fast moving, inventive world for your business where it can respond to opportunity.
5. Do not copy the market leader. Move the goal posts for them.

I wish you well with your business in a changing world.

Note:

Paul Norman has been described as a world class initiator and manager of change in organisations large and small. He has a big reputation for making things different. And from difference producing success.

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