«We can't wait for it to return to the way it was before!» At a time when we are seeing the second wave of Covid-19 arrive, which doesn't dream of a return to a more peaceful context? A context in which we would no longer hear talk of confinement, incidence rates, or contact cases; a return to a context in which we wouldn't even know the pangolin existed...
While this desire for a return to «normal» is legitimate and desirable, there is nevertheless a certain risk for our businesses to seek at all costs to return to the way things were before. Simply because The environment of our companies will not return to what it was before !
A new framework for companies
1/ The crisis has propelled us into the digital age
The lockdown was a realization, for many small businesses, of the need for digitalization. We are not yet at the mass deployment of artificial intelligence, virtual reality or IoT. This digitalization begins with the need for good connectivity, adequate equipment for teleworking employees, but also new productivity tools, online visibility and an e-commerce offering. Companies that did not lag behind in this area before the lockdown are fortunate; they already had a strong presence.
2/ The crisis has changed the behaviors of consumers and customers
Fed by the need for digital tools during the lockdown, consumer habits have evolved significantly. Upon the end of the crisis, a Study by Kameloon The study showed that 22% of consumers are newly converted to digital for their daily activities (shopping, entertainment, reading the press, telemedicine consultations, etc.). For 60% of them, the digital experience offered during the lockdown will have an impact on their relationship with brands (purchases, stronger engagement, or, conversely, distancing and leaving to compete).
The same goes for BtoB relationships. The customer relationship is now being conducted via video conference. Why want to offer a physical appointment to a customer who doesn’t know whether they will be in the office or at home working from home? The lockdown and the post lockdown have amply proven that the relationship and the business can continue from a distance, Although we agree that this does have some limitations.
3/ The crisis reshuffles the cards of the competitive environment
Apart from certain sectors (transportation, tourism, culture…), it is surprising to see that within the same field of activity, the performance of companies varies greatly. Some companies have found a leverage for exceeding their potential. The winners are, of course, those who demonstrated resilience, agility and speed.. Here again, the digitalization of business model It was a must-see.
Jean Baptiste Gouin, CEO of talenco
If I take the case of talenco, in a somewhat caricatured way, our business model It was 80% to put people in a room for training or facilitation workshops. In a few weeks, we went from one business model 80% remote. Since our fiscal year ended on September 30, 2020, I can announce that our growth this year will be around 20%.
While the period has been challenging for a number of startups, some digital companies have significantly accelerated their development and are beginning to threaten traditional businesses. Lines are moving across all sectors of activity, from collective dining to banking to industry.
4/ The crisis has evolved our environmental and societal aspirations
Of course, the awareness that we are fragile beings living in harmony on a blue planet has been heightened. We will be cycling and aspiring to eat more organic food. Nevertheless, let’s hope that the decline in purchasing power will not put too much strain on these aspirations.
In the professional environment, confined experience has primarily given rise to a desire for a new sense of well-being at work… or rather at home. It will be difficult for everyone to return to the office if they do not find a genuine added value that offsets the time spent commuting, the joys of public transport, or the frustration of traffic jams.
Again, managers are at the forefront of giving meaning, providing a sense of connection, and inspiring desire.
Top management tested in the post-World War II world
So it is not by looking in the old recipes (among other things, management techniques…) that we will find the answer. this new framework of reality And to these new aspirations. Let us not waste time searching for that old world that has become a chimera.
The American sociologist Carol Dweck describes in her book « Mindset: The New Psychology of Success » two types of profiles: the « fix minded » who consider that the evolution of the environment comes into play in what they already know (the degree, experience) and the « Growth-oriented » who believe that they must continuously learn.
In truth, we have entered the digital age and the effects of the world of the past will not have the same impact. In other words, only the « Growth-oriented » will be the leaders of tomorrow.
«The illiterates of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read or write. They will be those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.»
Alvin Toffler, American writer, sociologist and futurologist (« Revolutionary Wealth« , 2006)
The crisis has brought us the opportunity to adapt and therefore to learn in a large number of areas and undoubtedly in ourselves. However, in the context of the current economic uncertainty, we see top management within many companies returning to excessive control systems, where accountability and autonomy had enabled the containment to be overcome.
The old reflexes are still very much alive; this is absolutely not the time to forget what we have just experienced. It is probably also not the time for a rupture between top management and the teams. Yet, this risk has undoubtedly never been so strong!
