Business planning for the unexpected in 2021.

2020 was a tough year for businesses and business leaders, but we did the best we could given the circumstances. We emerged from the lockdown having learned hard but invaluable lessons about preparing for the unexpected, and for 2021, we have the chance to start anew.

The poet, Maya Angelou once said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

This is the time of year when many businesses and business leaders are reviewing plans and strategies and solidifying them as we tackle the road to recovery, while others are taking the bold step to start businesses of their own.

We have come to terms with the degree of uncertainty that is looming, and as we embark on this journey collectively as a country, I thought I would share some tips that I believe will be key to preparing for a successful 2021 in business.

First, before any planning and forecasting are done, there must be a general level of personal and organisational optimism. The pandemic’s toll has been heavy for many and disastrous for others but we must cling to optimism and use that energy to intentionally shape the future for the better.

Gabriele Oettingen, a Professor of Psychology at New York University and an expert in motivation and mental contrasting says that optimistic people are more likely to invest, act and put effort into achieving their goals. She adds, “High optimism will predict high effort and success.”

While we must be realistic in the face of adversity, there is no winning in playing small, so let us develop ambitious plans that challenge complacency and paint a picture of the bright future we hope to see.

Secondly, we must set clear ambitions for innovation and the speed with which these innovations are incorporated. All worthwhile change results from adopting fresh approaches to situations and challenges. Whether optimising existing products, adding new products, entering new markets or turning rough ideas into real investment opportunities, businesses that have achieved some measure of success amidst the pandemic are those that have experimented with creative approaches to problems and increased the speed with which they made and implemented decisions.

In Uganda, for example, Kikuubo Online - which launched in 2019 as a wholesale e-commerce platform for fast-moving consumer goods targeting bulk buyers like shops and supermarkets - switched gears in May 2020, following the pandemic, and started offering retail services to everyday people looking to buy the same items in household quantities.

Elsewhere, lots of business people who had stores in malls and arcades moved their merchandise to their homes and utilized social media channels like Facebook and WhatsApp to cater to customers, with the added convenience of door-to-door delivery on BodaBodas, the latter of whom were not allowed to transport passengers at the time. Many of these have not returned to the malls and have completely transformed their businesses into the online space.

This innovative and quick-acting mindset is going to be necessary for businesses to move from a state of indecision and complacency towards the required energy and direction needed to implement and sustain growth in 2021.

Third, is to be flexible and to readjust plans in the face of change. Flexible strategies will be key to challenging complexity wherever it manifests.

Businesses must constantly adapt different strategies to suit changing environments because one approach will seldom work for the uncertainty we are facing.

Finally, culture is king.

The management consultant and author, Peter Drucker, once said: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”, which simply means that no matter how effective your strategy may be, it will be rendered obsolete if you don’t have the right culture in place.

Without culture, a business leader is simply a one-person show dictating orders that his team will follow without fully grasping their purpose, which limits productivity. But, with the right culture in place, every member of the team is aligned to a shared purpose and mindset which drives them and eventually the business towards the desired vision.

For 2021, we must set the bar high for ourselves and our businesses and prioritise optimism, innovation and quick execution, and flexibility when planning for the future. With all these aspects in place, the right culture will fuse them all and deliver results-centered plans and strategies that will drive sustainable growth.