Things Have Drastically Changed!

2022 looks unclear: The “new normal” doesn’t feel normal.

We are departing the “new” phase, wafting toward just “normal”.

Here’s how to set yourself up for success in the New Year.

As 2021 fades and we move into 2022, we need to put even more effort into ADAPTING:

We must continue to drive and embrace change.

·????????2020 was about DISRUPTION & SURVIVAL

·????????2021 was about UNCERTAINTY & REDEPLOYING

·????????2022 is about REWORKING & REINVENTION

Disruption provides an opportunity to go back to the basics and take stock of what truly matters.

While many companies successfully navigated the past two years of disruption and found better ways to reach and serve customers, many did not.

In the coming year, we’ll need to be diligent about not falling back on our old ways, but rather pressing forward. ?

In other words,

·????????Reimagine and rework YOUR STORY – Focus on what’s important.?Don’t get lost in the bustle most of us experienced in 2019.?Continue the 2021 change mindset and redeployment activity that’s working into the future (i.e., outdoor dining, when done right many people in fact like it – indeed it’s not all equivalent regionally... still indoor/outdoor hybrid dining, even seasonally, seems to be a key to sustainable success).

·????????Adapt, transform, and BUILD WISELY ?– Open doors where opportunity knocks.?Prioritize customer experience, understand how employees & customers feel in this new paradigm, and adapt to their newest experience.?Employees crave the truth, being trusted & valued, freedom to do meaningful work, and a chance to grow.? Customers crave attentive change, reassurance, and repeatable outcomes.?

·????????Embrace “remote work” and REBUILD CULTURE – Remote and hybrid (partial office) are here to stay. Welcome it and get proficient with the new tools.?“It’s a pleasure to e-meet you!” Provide upskill & online tools “etiquette” training on how to effectively work remotely to optimize your workforce productivity and create an accomplishment/outcome culture that still values human interaction and collaboration, albeit virtually.?

WARNING: Be careful not to rely exclusively on the internet with zero face-to-face (f2f) meetings over the entire 12-months, or only interacting with your customers via “smart” technology (see below).?It can be isolating, desensitizing, and a huge turnoff.?Adjust monthly f2f meetings… perhaps move to quarterly, and quarterly meetings to annual or bi-annual, etc.? Allow for adjustments – be diligent and communicate often, but also be agile and responsive to the everchanging local health rules and regulations, and employees and customers perceptions & worldviews.??

·????????Gain advantage through “SMART” TECHNOLOGY – With rapid innovations in technology, the Internet of Things (IoT), and Application Programming Interfaces (API's) businesses have become more integrated and globally connected than ever before.?Embrace technological advancements such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, connected intelligence, putting IoT to work to streamline operational efficiencies, ecosystem marketplaces that are reshaping fleet-tech solutions, the value of data integrity, and how B2B sales have changed and the buying vs. selling quandary (further accelerated by the pandemic).

Stop wasting time! Don't muck around. You aren't being OUTSOLD, you are being OUT-MARKETED! Succeed by?SMART MARKETING, not by chance!