Are you already thinking about how to run your business at the end of this emergency?
In normal conditions an organisation that wants to remain (itself) must never forget that its right to exist is always under discussion. At the same time, it must also dream of new opportunities and work every day on innovation, transformation and efficiency.
Just in case anyone had forgotten, a small invisible enemy has appeared to remind us about these principles. But, regardless, in times like these none of things you thought before are valid any longer. Plans that had been drawn up, sales budgets and investment forecasts have been swept aside by a threat the world was not prepared for. The impact of the change will be so extensive and profound that any forecasts and predictions on its consequences will be very difficult to make, even for research centres and organisations designated for this very task.
What will relations be like with your local and international customers? Will the businesses in your supply chain be resuming trade at the same time as you or later? Does that mean we all need to play it by ear for the time being? Yes and no. Some organisations have already undertaken momentous changes, transforming the nature of their production and adapting to what looks increasingly like a wartime economy. Take the example of the production of protective equipment, which had almost entirely stopped in our country and is now deemed strategic: after it became clear that procurement of this equipment cannot depend on other countries at times where speculation, the rush to stockpile and logistical and productive difficulties have hit supplies and consequently put at risk the lives of health sector workers and citizens.
Cases of companies like Miroglio, who started producing face masks in washable fabrics and Armani, that decided to convert its factories to the production of single-use overalls for personal protection, or other companies who have expanded their production to respond to spikes in demand, or the likes of Isinnova who have invented ingenious solutions, are just some of a growing number of companies at the forefront of this process of reorganisation and transformation.
These changes might prove to be transitory and we may eventually revert to our former ways but it’s equally possible that there will be a real transformation of business models. Once the emergency is over we still don’t know whether demand for entire categories of products (that suddenly became objects of desire, like disinfectants, ventilators and protective equipment) will fall back to pre-pandemic levels or whether a new lifestyle has been heralded in where the basket of goods will permanently include items that were once of little interest. We also still don’t know whether the return to work - for categories who were forced to shut down - will occur in its traditional form or whether #smartworking - that has saved many businesses from closure - will continue to grow and ease commuter traffic in large metropolises and cities. Moreover, we don’t know whether we’ll go back to eating out in restaurants and reduce our consumption of food products (and purchases from supermarket chains) or whether we’ll resume our habit to cook less and order meals from food delivery chains.
So how can we prepare for this change? If you like the article we shared on LinkedIn (“Il mondo non sarà mai più come prima. Come pensi che il tuo modello di business possa rimanere invariato?” The world will never be the same again. How can you think your business model will remain unchanged?), ours looks at the same subject from a different perspective and the importance of becoming aware of relations with your organisation (one of the six strategic relational areas from the training offer by Moovs*) to be ready for the restart when it comes.
* in previous articles we looked at relations with customers (Are customers really your main focus?) and relations with staff (Is your organisation already performing well?)
Talking about relations with the organisation means touching on pressing issues like leadership, management of change, skills, development of capabilities. Our range of learning interventions includes integrated methods which help organisations maintain that vital "relationship with themselves ". With regard both to the general framework and strategic aspects in the field of commercial operations (efficiency, quality, transformation of companies).
Leadership
Are leaders born or made? How can leadership be acquired? If the influence they exert on co-workers is a crucial factor for the success of a manager, then looking at your experience in the context of a practical framework, by learning to identify your strengths and weaknesses is an important step towards improving the effectiveness of your management. The programme developed by Moovs looks at the important things to do and the things that should be avoided, the difference between management and leadership and the areas to focus on to improve results, such as quality, finances, processes, services, etc.
Change Management
When change is imperative, organisational changes can be a difficult obstacle for many managers to overcome because the word itself is often a source of anxiety. How can one prepare to handle questions from employees? How can these sessions be conducted? What styles of leadership should be adopted? What should be said, what should not be said and why? With our help, you’ll be able to navigate confidently in these uncertain times and you’ll be able to deal with opposition to and uncertainty regarding changes by adopting an effective style of leadership for changing processes.
Team building and coaching
Team coaching is a specific style for managing and supporting teams, which focuses on the development of its components or members. When applied to a team, coaching can ensure significant improvements in communication and cooperation between individuals who learn to work together better and allow their mutual qualities to emerge. As a result, performances improve and the team greatly exceeds the sum of its parts. The aim of coaching for manager and executives, on the other hand, is to acquire a high level of trust and ability in coaching staff, aside from the ability to train their teams to progressively reach more and more ambitious targets and the ability to create a culture of improving performance, greater involvement and sense of responsibility.
Conclusions
Weak leadership or insufficient experience or training in dealing with the challenges from change could harm (or even jeopardise) any efforts to restart businesses affected by the Covid-19 lockdown. A prompt intervention will allow you to prepare to seize new opportunities at this time of radical transformation (and not just because of the pandemic). GoodGoing! is at your service with its expertise and the entire range of Moovs training services. To contact us and receive more information write to us on: info@goodgoing.it.
