This IS Now Normal!

And there is tremendous opportunity within our normal

Over the past two years, every business leader seems to be treading water; dealing with seemingly daily issues of increased employee absenteeism, health and culture decisions on remote versus in-office work policies, higher than historical turnover realities as Covid-19 decision making and changing policy mandates impacts us all. Consumer distancing, online versus in-store strategies, marketing-allocation decision making, and constantly changing federal, state and local decisions of whether I can be fully open or not are impacting organizations across the county and all those suppliers impacted by these decision variables.
 

Surely all this will end soon. “If my department, my organization, can just wait it out, it will be over soon…”

I’m sorry to inform you, this IS now, normal!  It’s time, actually you are late, to move away from a strategic mode of pandemic, emergency-related thinking. What indicators for your business do you have that this environment, the now in all that you are dealing with will change soon? Humbly, with understanding, with the knowledge that there are serious societal safety concerns and change happening, I’m sorry to point you to the understanding you will find at the end of this question; there are no indicators that this is not now normal.

And there is a tremendous opportunity within our Normal!

This is no time for leadership to step off the pedal or lose focus of long-proven success strategies, of aggressive culture development and authentic consumer-focused communications. It is no time to cower in the corner waiting for things to get better, losing touch with employees and consumers alike. Aggressive organizations that redouble their efforts to grow positive corporate-culture realities, whether they are remote or in office, that invest heavily in direct, personal, relational communications that generate repeat consumers, will and are flourishing in this environment.

Covid-19 concerns obviously are real and impacting all. It is a serious reality, generating serious discussion and decision-making within each organization and for each consumer. However, consumers are tired of being cooped up. Human nature wants, in fact, needs, relational moments. Brands that balance those realities can attract exponential consumer and revenue growth now, and make these clients repeatable clients quicker than ever before, as many of your competitors are pushing consumers further away, further behind technology, further from those relational, interactive brand experiences.

And do you want that next top performer? They are stuck in remote realities, without culture-development focus and investment within their current organizations, without the ability to personally shine. Success-minded individuals are moving jobs, geographic location and life realities at higher percentages than ever before.

There are two major areas of focus to take advantage of what most certainly is a challenging time for all.

Your corporate culture ultimately drives your consumer messaging and is more critical than ever in keeping your star performers. You must invest your time and resources in cultural development among your team. People will not be satisfied remotely for too long a period of time. Culture happens through human interactions. Can technology help? Of course, Zoom is better than a phone call, a phone call better than an email and an email generally better than a text. But, how are you making sure all of these necessary ways of interacting are supplemented with true culture-developing moments, meetings, interactions, laughing realities, relational story-telling, high-level interactive problem solving among your team. Your human resource costs are exploding. Yes, inflation is driving your costs higher, but look deeper. Turnover, sickness, absenteeism is at the root of your problem. Invest in the best culture in your business and all of this will move in a better direction and the word will get out. Go get your competitor's biggest star with stories of your cultural investment!

And the consumer. Find them, individually!  Invite them to truly interact, personally. Onsite if at all possible, but personally where you can meet them in a growing electronic universe. They are not a homogenous group that enjoys group communications; lifeless electronic messaging. They want to be communicated with individually. The organization that generates the highest level of personal interaction with each consumer wins, in this now, in this normal.

These two realities cannot and do not happen without investment and real, actual growth within both of these groups. Without a positive, interactive, flourishing culture, the odds of a consumer interacting in any way with a positive brand experience is extraordinarily low. You do have the time organizationally. You do, you must, have and invest the monetary resources, and leadership focus, because if you don’t, your competition will.  Maybe they already are, which is why your financials don’t make for good reading. There are big winners already on this path, already connecting, already adjusting to normal.

And smile. Honestly. No argument, we have all been through a tough reality. And our reality remains tough. But this is normal. Can you find that place organizationally, culturally, consumer relationally where your brand is a place of comfort, a place of safety, a place of honest interaction and communication. If so, your bottom line will grow and smiling will become contagious.

This is now normal. And a tremendous opportunity!

Phil Kelley Jr. is the author of Presence and Profitability: Understanding the Value of Authentic Communications in the Age of Hyper-Connectivity. He also is president and CEO of Salem One, which specializes in direct marketing, packaging, printing and logistics. Kelley has served on the boards of directors of multiple nonprofit and for-profit organizations. He has been an active voice in the print industry, refocusing industry success definitions within the rapidly developing world of corporate communications.  Visit www.philkelleyjr.com  Connect Phil Kelley Jr.