Where will your business go in 2017?

This year is not normal. We are coming out of a weird and wild 2016 and tentatively entering 2017. Things have changed. Maybe good, maybe bad…but for sure uncertain.The only thing that we can safely predict is that, if not now, sometime this year your company will be challenged to change. Change tends to appear in one of two ways: the trivial and the traumatic. Minor change or crisis-driven change.We need to be prepared for change. We also need to change the way we change. Organizations need to stop dragging their feet when it comes to change. Yes, turning the boat can be a slow process but we have entered an era where change and adaptability are critical. The goal should be transformation without trauma. In a world of mind-numbing revolution, what matters is not just a company’s current competitive edge, but its long-term evolutionary advantage.Most organizations were not built to be adaptable. They were built to be stable and steadfast. Policies, routines, and programs make a company solid. However, adaptability requires a willingness to occasionally throw routines out the window, adjust your concepts, and even color outside the lines.

Challenging the Status Quo

No matter what you tell a 4-year old, they have the same response – Why? In their little world, they consistently challenge the status quo. Is that what we need to do in our bigger corporate worlds? Simply asking the question “Why?” can lead to new ideas, streamlined processes and new innovations that can take your company to the next level and impact the bottom line.Is it time to create a culture which questions why things are done the way they are and to encourage looking for new ways to improve efficiency, higher levels of quality and a more engaged employee?At a time of unprecedented change, more leadership traits are needed from our workforce. We now have the millennial labor force who have entered the workplace without many of the skills necessary to manage, inspire and lead others. Identifying and enhancing employee engagement, creating open communication in the workforce, bringing up our young, innovative leaders is key to thriving in today’s marketplace.It comes down to develop your people and you change your profitability, you grow your resources and the culture of your business is changed, with buy-in and without drama.