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Hey, happy Monday,
Another week of remote working is about to begin. I hope for you, too.
I noticed that two groups formed.
Group A
Those whose week just past was basically one big long call that started on Monday and ended on Friday. They probably abused it. This week they will surely be wiser in dosing their time on video calls.
Group B
Full insulation. A day with one more problem, that of cooking lunch as well. Lots of work but with very few calls. Perhaps because those in Group A were busy with each other.
Which group do you belong to?
Everything will be as good as new
On Saturday and Sunday I did not open the computer except to write these lines. I thoroughly cleaned the house, put in the washing machine practically anything I have worn in the last fortnight, threw away many items I no longer need, and disinfected those I use most. Everything came back as good as new.
As I was doing this, I thought that this is something I need to do in my work as well. And that I can help my clients do the same. And you too if you want to.
Making everything as good as new again. Making your business relevant or at least meaningful again when this is all over. When we could finally get out of the house and explore a new world.
Will you still need the office?
Will the products or services you offer still be useful to your customers?
Do the initiatives you were going to launch still make sense?
Have you finally realized that budgeting between November and December is useless?
A member of STRTGY wrote to me yesterday, “I would like to find a strategy to, I won’t say return to previous levels, but at least survive, it’s really difficult.”
I replied to him to read some thoughts on the concept of “bring-at-home” brand that I discussed in Note N.9 and N.10.
Of those brands these days that manage to improve people’s lives by offering experiences at home that are no longer possible outside…
For example, buying wine is no longer possible by going to wine shops or restaurants. What kind of experience can you bring to your clients’ homes?
Entering the jewelry store-how can you take the jewelry home? Yet people will certainly not stop having birthdays, weddings, getting engaged.
The world does not stand still. It just happens inside the walls of home. Have you seen Nike’s campaign? Check out the homepage of Nike.com.
Brands that manage to establish a relationship during this period will have a huge competitive advantage. You need to be careful, however, to get inside someone’s home you need to give them trust and an unparalleled experience. Then again, would you let anyone into your home?
What is the purpose?
If what you do has been defined as “not strictly necessary” then what is the purpose? What are the consequences from this morning?
Before you start again this week exhausting searches for tools to work remotely, conference, share documents and draw with the mouse all at once on the same whiteboard, I suggest you rethink the purpose of your organization.
Does that business jargon phrase like “we create synergies to maximize stakeholder value” still make sense?
Think back to why it is important for you to remain active and profitable. To why you need to continue to exist for your customers, for your team, for your employees, for the community you serve.
If you work in the wine business, as of today it is not important that you make the best vintage ever but that someone continues to take care of the vineyard.
If you work in consulting, starting today it is not important that no one cancel time & material contracts, but that you help entrepreneurs steer quickly.
If you work in technology, as of today it is not important to adopt cutting-edge-solutions, but that helps keep the infrastructure resilient and protected now that everyone is connecting from the outside.
If you work in design, from now on it is not important to win the award, but for your projects to be implemented quickly to have the impact you need.
I could go on much longer, and if you need help rethinking yours write to me.
A good purpose, one that really works, has a specific quality, that of being like a “fractal” that is, of being consistently well-defined at every zoom level in your organization.
So it is not enough to just write the new purpose and spread it throughout the company, but it is necessary that at every level everyone rethinks their own purpose. What is one’s purpose within this new unpredictable scenario. What is the contribution of one’s own role? Of one’s team?
If, for example, you are head of HR, your goal will no longer be to avoid disrupting your video conference interview schedule, but to reassure colleagues and keep potential new hires warm and motivated even in this situation…
Coffee Break (new event)
If you like we can continue to talk about these topics in front of the coffee machine at STRTGY, every day from tomorrow until Friday, 3/27/3, from 2:00 to 2:30 pm. Right after lunch, before getting back to work. If it works we will decide together how to extend the experiment.
I will provide a Zoom room in which you can come in and meet other community members who would like to take a break at that time. A time to get to know each other better, share experiences and help each other.
If you would like to participate please answer the question so I can send you an email with the link just before our coffee break.
Would you like to participate in the first STRTGY Coffee Breaks?
Sign up, you will receive by email, 30 min beforehand, the link to the room on Zoom.
Hope to see you there.
Good work!
Keep in touch.
