Navigating Business Through Chaotic Times. Five ways to Evolve in a Post-Pandemic World

I want to start by saying this will all end. The world will change, and we will change too. Some things we all began to do while we were fighting the spread of Covid-19 will stay with us. Some changes will be positive as we realise how inter-connected our lives are and how we rely on others to do the right thing as individuals, families, countries, and societies.

Today the future seems bleak. Embracing a bunker mentality seems an attractive option. There are too many variables to consider, with little clarity on what the future will hold. So just clinging on and waiting, seems like a good bet.

But is there another way? How can and how should we plan to grow? How can we find opportunity in chaos? How can I ensure my business is well placed as we emerge on the other side of this crisis?

Consumer behaviour is and will continue to rapidly change. In the US, 40% of current  online grocery shoppers made their first online grocery shopping in March. The upper limit of the rate of e-commerce adoption has definitely been raised, a change which most companies have not even begun to fully explore. History shows that such changes are often not temporary and that crisis can fundamentally reshape our beliefs and behaviour for the long term in short spaces of time.

If consumers and habits are changing so rapidly, two things are obvious. Simply clinging on and hoping things will more or less go back to the way things were is no longer an attractive option. Secondly, by being purely defensive in mindset, you will miss opportunities that this period of unprecedented disruption will present. This is backed up by data from the last recession – companies that aggressively tried to transform their business say on average a 4% increase in earnings compared to those who took a more passive approach.

Looking back at recent history – periods of crisis and disruption have offered unique opportunities for companies. What do Disney, Apple, CNN, Patagonia, Uber and Airbnb have in common? They all started out in periods of disruption or recession, tapping into consumer frustrations that existing offerings were not meeting.

Conversely there are plenty of companies that at points in time seemed unassailable that have ceased to exist. They were unable to anticipate or identify the changing wants and needs of their customers or were unable to successfully pivot into meeting their future needs.

So what can we do as business owners to ensure we stay relevant and identify new growth opportunities that the post-pandemic world will provide?

1.    Be on the right side of history. When it’s over customers will reward brands that did the right thing. What happens to brands and businesses after the pandemic will be heavily influenced by what they did during it. It has never been more important to have your company’s purpose defined and understood by your consumers.

2.    Focus on the future. Embrace the changes that are undoubtedly coming and look to the future. Don’t waste energy wishing for a return to the way things used to be. An immediate focus on the here and now should not come at the expense of planning for the future.

3.    Identify shifting needs. Understand shifts in societal behaviour and how these can be linked to business opportunities. It is possible to predict the future by identifying consumer frustrations. Businesses who succeed at this can launch new products and services to meet these demands before others have even identified them as needs. This needs to encompass more than just asking consumers what they want – a problem encapsulated by Henry Ford’s classic quote, “If I would asked people what they wanted they would have said faster horses.” Consumers may not be able to fully articulate their new and emerging frustrations – so businesses need to be able to map them before developing new products and services to alleviate them.

4.    Leverage big data. Use data sources more holistically and combine different kinds of data to create a fuller picture. Now is not the time to guess. Use of statistical or episodical data to identify patterns of change will be difficult. Big, high frequency data is more useful and will often tell you what is happening. If you combine this with small data sources that shed light on the why, it is possible to build robust and compelling insights that reveal emerging trends with a high degree of confidence.

5.    Have a plan to invest in the right innovation. Businesses must remain optimistic and avoid paralysis caused by fear of failure. The pandemic is an unprecedented crisis but it’s not a reason to postpone innovation and investment. In previous periods of crisis, it is often the companies that maintain a focus on the future and innovation that prosper once the crisis has passed. The key challenge is to ensure you have the right data from consumers to confidently identify areas where you can find addressable business opportunities. You may have more than one chance to get it right, but better to get it right first time.

If you are interested in talking through aspects of this article in more detail or would like to discuss the ways to navigate the crisis and prepare your business for future growth, drop me a line directly here on LinkedIn or by emailing me at [email protected]

‍AboutLucien Harrington Business & Brand Strategist | :Business & Brand Strategist | CEO Adviser | Innovation & Growth | Managing Director Asia, Lynxeye Consultants.