Our New Future

COVID-19 has seen the establishment of crisis management across the majority of industry sectors globally. In Canada, over the last three months, we have moved from survival to resilience and are now in the recovery stage. Companies have had to work faster and smarter to retain their competitive advantage. Many are now planning how they will re-organize, operate, and utilize technology to endure long-term success.

I believe the next six months will be our toughest test as we reimage our business models. The future of work will be more flexible, cross-functional, have dynamic networks, be more agile and digital. From a business consulting perspective, I am working with clients on areas such as strategizing on revenue recovery, pivoting or refocusing of resources, operation rebuilds, acceleration of digitization, and rethinking the future of the operation.

Four critical areas of focus I encourage through business consulting to clients include:

1. Making Decisions Quickly – speed matters in this stage of recovery. Covid-19 has accelerated remote work options, digitization, and advanced analytics to enable faster decisions. Companies need to get ahead of the competition and position themselves for the long term. Positioning will be accomplished through continuous action, the cadence of tasks focused on revenue-generating opportunities, and the agility of human and capital resources.

2. Operation Rebuild – the pandemic has changed service and product demand across industries. Companies adapted quickly; however, operating under new conditions was stressful and has taken a toll on human resources. The sustainment of the same level of performance post-crisis is now the issue. Companies are rebuilding, keeping in mind flexibility options for the safety of their staff and clients, and transparent operations through digitizing services. With the increase in remote workforce, companies will need to increase spending in training, workforce engagement, and support for employees in return to a ‘new’ normal through operation rebuild processes.

3.  Organization Rethink – there are multiple examples of how organizations have had to rethink how they would respond to COVID-19 restrictions and were quick and creative. The new way of operation, quick decision making, clear objectives, and focused teams are here to stay as they are essential in achieving a competitive advantage. Flatter decision making, dynamic, and agile teams enable improved decision making and faster results. Talent acquisition and retention will be critical moving forward to facilitate positive work experiences in this changing world of work.

4. Going Digital – Digital adoption has been accelerated over the last few months and transformed the way we interact with others. The migration of digital technologies expedited remote work digital access and, over the upcoming months, will focus on the e-commerce experience, distribution models, contactless skills, and improved demand forecasting.

Questions for you to Consider:

1. What is not going well in your business?
2. Is this problem the most important that needs solving? What is the real context of the problem?
3. What have you tried previously to solve this problem, and what results did you attain?
4. If you were to resolve these issues, how would you apply the solutions and ensure you would win acceptance by employees?

Business Consulting Can:

• Diagnose a company issue and underlying problem
• Provide solution recommendations and implementation assistance to decrease barriers and lead to improvement
• Build consensus and commitment to the corrective action
• Facilitate new learning, and
• Improve organizational effectiveness.

Contact Information

There is a lot to be done over the next six months, and every business requires a focused strategy to recover. If you need assistance or would like to discuss options for consideration, please reach out me on 604-616-1967, or jenny@jennyreilly.com

Jenny Reilly, CEO

Jenny Reilly Consulting