Times of disruption and uncertainty can be paralysing for leaders, organisations and industries. Speculation about possible futures grows, indecision creeps in and there is hesitancy about which actions to take and where to allocate most resources.
If it continues for long, it starts feeling like any decision is better than no decision.
Rather than obsessing on what might or might not unfold, an alternative mindset is to place more emphasis on what won’t change. For example, investing more energy, effort and resources into making your product or service great for customers, clients or members.
Sounds too obvious? Well, most leaders and managers certainly understand this, yet too often don’t actually do it.
Instead, what happens is that short-term priorities take precedent in the face of the constant, intense pressure to produce quick results, cut costs, minimise risk. Leaders and managers compromise on things that are important to customers, clients or members.
Businesses start to forget that they exist to create loyal customers. Industry service organisations start to forget that they exist to create value for industry businesses.
In the future you’re unlikely to hear customers or members complain that your product should be less consistently fit for purpose, that your service is too responsive, that you should provide less value for money or that your organisation is too easy to do business with.
The good news is that it means the low risk decision in the long-term is to double-down on what won’t change – providing what you know customers, clients or members want and value most.
All the disruption we see today is not primarily technology-driven, but customer-driven. It is coming from those modern organisations that are building and delivering faster and more accurately exactly what customers, clients or members want.
If you or your organisation is under pressure, start concentrating more on what won’t change for those who provide your revenue.