Over the course of 2020 the global health crisis has disrupted almost all areas of life, with the business world being no exception. For companies, the ‘new normal’ is now all about refocusing and adapting to new ways of working. It’s important that we are leveraging the lessons learnt throughout the course of this year and refining the business strategy.

Brands that are making agile business-saving decisions are in a better position to navigate the crisis and come out as winners in the post-Covid19 era. It’s going to be extremely important for your business and its future that your culture becomes adaptable to a new ’normal’, which has already dawned.

There’s no more waiting around to see what things look like once “COVID is over” that ship has long sailed and even when a vaccine becomes available, can we honestly expect things to ever return to the normal we once knew?

Absolutely not.

The world has gone through another major change and there’s no looking back now. But, if you want to succeed it’s important to understand this.

So, what can you do?

Well, just like many other businesses you’re going to need to start looking at some strategies you can adopt to that will allow you make the most of the new ‘normal’, a normal in which we no live and operate.
We’ve put together a few suggestions to give you some food for thought.

4 strategies to adapt to the new normal

Don’t put decisions on hold

Many agile companies have shown the way by going ahead with their plans instead of putting them on hold. For instance, Lindt, the master chocolatier, had plans to launch an e-commerce channel in 2021. However, with the risk of considerable revenue loss as a result of store closures in the first quarter of 2020, Lindt went ahead and launched the online store in just five days. That’s right, they launched an entire E-Commerce platform in 5 days! The response was incredible, customers flooded to the site and it was deemed a massive success.

What plans do you have on hold at present?

Ditch the wait and see approach

Adapting to the new normal will not be as simple as flipping a switch. Instead it will involve a lot of back and forth. However, remaining stagnant and adopting a ‘wait and see approach will not help. When a hydraulics factory was facing closure in January in China, the HR and management teams utilised the time to plan ahead instead of waiting around for the situation to improve. They updated the company’s processes and purchased safety equipment that helped the company get back on track by March. 2 months.

So, now can you see why it’s time to act now?

Make wise decisions

Agility is the key for businesses going forward, whether in terms of refining recruitment strategies, redeploying workers and adapting to evolving government guidelines. Investing in digital technology is a crucial aspect of coping with the ‘new normal’ given the increasing use of technology for remote work, meetings, interviews and education. Your customers are going to be more digitally process driven than ever before, and so are your competitors. You can’t afford to be left behind, so it’s time to consider what you can do to expand your digital footprint. Get seen, be noticed, drive traffic. Do it today!

Boost staff morale

While establishing top notch health and safety protocols is the first step, it is important to also monitor staff morale. Gather the management team and implement strategies to ensure people feel comfortable about returning to work and are motivated to perform. Talk to your team as people, not employees. Right now, they will be feeling all of the pain you are, all of the elation you are and everything in-between. Your team is the most valuable asset you have. You need to look after your team, they are your greatest asset. Be sure that they are committed to this journey with you. They’ll deliver, but only if you treat them well. Now is the time to lead, not rule.

There are other things that you can be doing to, but the main thing you need to focus on right now is that there is never going to be a return to how thigs were, you need to push forward with strategy and purpose. Everyone has had to adapt, it’s not just you. Those that have done it quickly are thriving. If you get this right for your business, you’ll thrive too.

Good luck!

If you’d like to talk to someone about how you can increase your digital footprint, contact us today! To set up a free, no obligation meeting drop us a line right here. We look forward to hearing from you.