What is The New Possible?

There are events in every generation that split eras into before and after. I believe we are living through one now. In just four short months, so much has changed.

As people start to emerge from lockdown, things we used to take for granted now feel a bit strange. Having that first coffee in a non-takeaway cup. Meeting colleagues in person rather than on a Zoom call. Greeting a friend with a namaste rather than a hug. And shock, horror - seeing someone walking around not wearing a mask. 

Many, if not most, organisations were unprepared for a crisis of this scale and were forced to rapidly digitise some parts of their business to protect employees and serve customers. Technology and services companies transitioned to remote sales and service and rolled out new products digitally. Retailers shifted to online ordering and delivery as their primary business as stores were forced to shutter. Schools had to pivot to online learning (and leaning on parents to be de-facto support teachers). Sadly, those who were unable to react were forced to close down forever.

Working from home, restrictions on travel, limited gatherings and focus on hygiene and personal care now seem to be the default position. And as businesses emerge from lockdown, global leaders are warning there’ll be no going back to ‘business as usual’ anytime soon.

With great change comes great opportunity.

As economies begin to tentatively reopen (and potentially periodically lockdown again), business leaders need to accelerate their shift towards digital first models – and fast.

And instead of debating whether this is a ‘new normal’ or not, we think it’s time to start asking: “What is the new possible?”

Uncertain times call for decisive action.

The first step to discovering the new possible is to start imagining your business as it could and should be. This is a time when we can reimagine our organisations from the ground up and plan for a better tomorrow. Change and renewal have always been how businesses propel themselves into a positive space. 

For instance, physical distancing may become a fact of life for the foreseeable future. How can we turn this into an advantage? How can we bring greater connection in events, where we can’t be in the same physical room? What is the potential for students to access better online learning – even after they have returned to physical classrooms? How can we think intelligently about workplaces to support our peoples’ best work and save spending? And how can the retail customer experience be improved so that people can still get the things they need even during lockdowns?

Be bold. Be proactive.

A recent McKinsey report shows businesses that invest more boldly and broadly come out on top. Increasing digitisation calls for quick-thinking and even quicker implementation.

At Rebel Owl we specialise in helping companies frame problems/opportunities, explore what’s possible and bring ideas to life through intuitive, results driven customer experiences which deliver tangible business outcomes. This includes helping our clients to bring their existing digital channels up to speed vs their competitors and launching new digitally powered offerings. 

Change and reinvention have long been key to business success. There’s never been a greater time of change – and it’s time to see the post-virus world as one of immense opportunity. 

What "New Possible" would you like to see? We’d love to see how we could help you get there.