Reboot. Relentless Relevance.

In the first quarter of 2020, our well practised way of living was rebooted. 

SHN, WFH, HBL and CB emerged. These are not just new acronyms. They are the new norms to keep us safe and healthy in this COVID-19 crisis. In a flash, our movements are restricted to minimise the spread and we stay at home.

Stuck. No longer in control. We can’t see the future. We ask anxiously, “when will this be over?”, wanting to return to before.

But, a stretched rubber band will never regain its old shape. When this is over, we have been stretched too. Through serendipity, we discover and experience new and better ways of doing things and building healthier relationships. We move forward with transformed lifestyles.

Positively, COVID-19 is but a catalyst that sparks the long-awaited and much talked about digital transformation plan at individual, enterprise and national levels. It amplifies the search for better ways of living in the face of environmental degradation, costs escalation, low productivity and poor work-life balance.

The value extracted when one is physically present at a fixed location to get tasks done has diminished in today’s digitally connected economy. With on-demand transport (Grab), music (Spotify), movies (Netflix) and gourmet meals delivery within an hour, the physical distance between consumers and sellers has shrunk.

Seamless collaborative communication technology spurs remote-working and delivers the benefits of health safety, reduction in office rental, savings in commuting time and money, and less pollution. Where physical meeting is necessary, we can opt for co-working spaces and drop-in business lounges.

How do we win in this pandemic? Tough times trigger pain points and unmet needs in people. They devise their own workarounds to cope. It’s time to understand their emerging needs, find new ways to satisfy them and reimagine what’s possible. By creating dynamic living experiences for our customers, we stay relentlessly relevant to them. 

3-D Approach to be relentlessly relevant.

Digital Savvy – Be digitally-powered. Alvin Toffler posits, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn”. The illiterate also refers to those with low digital intelligence because he/she is unable to participate fully and promptly.

Design Thinking – Be human-centered. In a disruptive world, be user-centric. Feel their pulse-rate. Adopt human empathy to design innovative solutions for them. 

Dashboard Execution – Be purpose-led. While working from home, employees juggle many roles. Apply dashboards execution to outline performance goals to help employees stay connected, productive and accountable. Instead of focusing on time, focus on results. Indicate clearly what success looks like. Huddle regularly using collaborative communication tools to check-in and support for achievement of actual results.

Stay safe and healthy!

Note: SHN – Stay Home Notice, WFH – Work From Home, HBL – Home-Based Learning and CB – Circuit Breaker.