Be proactive, not reactive.

Although not officially recognised, Pivot was the word of 2020. Whilst no one could have predicted Covid19 and the monumental shifts that many businesses had to make, it has acted as an important reminder. To ensure long term success, we need to be proactive, not reactive in thinking about evolution.

Proactivity does not mean trying to reinvent yourself every week, tactically executing ideas hoping that something will stick- this will be a sure-fire way to confuse yourself and your customer. Being proactive means that you are deliberate and choose to evolve before it is forced upon you.

A business needs to have a clear mission, a north star that guides the direction of the business. This should not change. What should change, however, is how you get there. This will be directly related to what is happening environmentally, with your competitors- direct and indirect, and most importantly based on feedback from your customers. You need to ensure that you continue to build your business so that it remains fit for purpose based on what your customer actually wants and needs.

To do this requires a mindset shift more than anything else. You and your teams need to move away from being rigidly fixed to ‘the plan’ to one that affords flexibility and openness to learn and iterate. You need a Growth Mindset.

A fixed mindset promotes linear thinking, the acceptance that things must be done in a certain way, whereas a growth mindset challenges and questions if there is a better way to do something. This could be a question posed within your internal structure (processes, manufacture, sales, distribution) or an external question is there a better way to deliver the value that your customers need- (product offering, messaging)

As a founder and Chief Vision Officer, your job will be to strategically steer the ship to ensure that the ideas and improvements ladder up to your mission and identity.

Operating with a growth mindset ensures that you are never resting on your laurels and evolution is backed into your strategy. It will ensure that you are built to adapt and are actively recognising what is going on around you. As if we know one thing, it is that change is inevitable and those that will survive are the ones that can adapt.

If you need help operating with a growth mindset, get in touch.