The New Normal Is Starting To Take Shape…Are You Ready?By Howard Sherman‚ President‚ Doremus Recently‚ Doremus and the Financial Times collaborated on a survey called Decision Dynamics in which 470 worldwide senior level executives were asked: Which supplier is most likely to get work from you in tough times as compared to prosperous times? Interestingly the top answer was not the cheapest or the supplier with the best/longest relationship‚ or even the one who could prove ROI. The answer was the supplier most proactive in helping you. What this underscores is the new reality: That business has never been more complicated‚ demanding or high stakes. One of the enduring residual impacts of the global economic meltdown is that successfully navigating the new business landscape will require skills and insights in which many senior executives do not feel entirely fluent. Collaborative thinking by smart people is going to be essential to creating short and long term success. Business communications agencies in particular‚ with their day-to-day experience creating solutions to complex business problems‚ are in a unique position to offer that “proactive help” to senior executives. Here are some thoughts on what that type of help may mean: Helping clients accept ambiguity as the new normal. As one professor at a leading business school put it‚ “The ability to manage the unknowable will be core to future leadership.” Adhering to a nimble framework. Companies that can easily change their structure to meet market demands have the advantage over the over-layered. Restoring internal relationships. A vital step for those companies recently downsized and where employees have been multi-tasked‚ or companies that have recently been restructured. A strong and committed internal workforce ensures maximum effectiveness…particularly as new competitors emerge. Rebuilding trust. with external audiences such as investors‚ customers and prospects…constituencies that may feel betrayed or neglected from corporate fallout. Helping to identify priorities and create a strategy to achieve them amidst an environment that is constantly in flux. A seasoned and insightful perspective from a trusted partner helps the forest emerge through the trees. As senior executives navigate the uncharted course ahead‚ communications that interact‚ create a dialog‚ and deliver a satisfying experience for internal and external audiences will go far toward staking a successful claim for clients in the ambiguous new normal. Business communications can clearly play a powerful role now in readying companies to take on new challenges as they prepare now for short and long term financial success. In an uncertain world‚ this is one certainty. |
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