Do you need to Change or Pivot your business?
We’ve spent some time recently going back to basics to understand what change management is and the impact it has on business
But, before businesses begin any kind of change journey, they need to critically evaluate why change is necessary.
With that, we discuss the difference between implementing change in your business versus, pivoting your operation.
There seems to be a huge amount of pressure to pivot businesses in order to survive the wrath of the pandemic. ‘Pivot’ has fast become a boardroom buzzword as we continue to fight to bring the impacts of the coronavirus under control. This is not an easy ask!
Is this a fair expectation?
As a positive voice for change, we continue to work with, and encourage leaders to implement change that is good. And, this means change that is good for their business. Is it fair then, to set an expectation that ‘pivoting’ a business is the way forward, the answer to surviving the ‘new normal’?
If you have the tools, solutions, and applications in place in your business to adjust and adapt in a disruptive marketplace, then you do not need to ‘pivot’. Pivoting an entire operation comes with a huge amount of risk. So let’s hold fire for just a minute.
Not all businesses require major change strategies. As we’ve shifted the way we work in a short amount of time, we’ll see that some areas of operation have adapted more efficiently than others.
These pain points are what will bring about the need for transformation. By critically evaluating why change is necessary, leaders will identify things that work, and don’t work within the organisation. Taking this data one step further, they’ll analyse why the things that work, work.
What learnings from these areas of business, can we implement in the areas that are not working? At this point, it’ll become clear whether embarking on a change journey will lead to business success, or whether in fact it is necessary to go back to the drawing board to rethink their entire operation.
It’s survival of the smartest.
This is not the first time we’ve seen external forces at play, challenging the very nature of running a business. Everytime we go through recessions or downturns, it’s the well-run, well-prepared and forward thinking businesses that emerge stronger than before. Sure, they experience change. They may have had to lay off staff or renew their business focus, but they’re in a position that allows them to keep the doors open.
These are the kind of businesses that are not focused on the here and now. They’re prepared for weathering operational storms for whatever reason. But it’s their focus on ‘what’s next for the business’ that determines their ability to survive. They’ve built change into their organisational DNA and as a result, focus on innovation as a key business driver. As a result, they’re continuously pivoting their business in small, manageable increments.
Email us on info@harmonisingchange.co.za or Contact us to find out more information on our Change Leadership Coaching. We’re here to help!
