How To Pivot In A Post-Covid19 World

I was talking with a client the other day about whether or not to reschedule an event. This event required sponsorship underwriting and historically attracted hundreds of people. 

Then, Covid-19 hit. Sponsorship dollars are scarce and we doubt people will want to gather in large numbers.

Everything changed. 

Now, we are talking about whether or not to have our traditional event, do it differently, or scrap it altogether. It’s hard to think about doing things different, but as we all know – we’ve been forced to think about EVERYTHING different.

So, how do you pivot from doing things one way to another? There is one key concept I use when I need to look at issues through a fresh lens:

What are the key requirements and expectations in order to be successful?

Let’s break this down a bit.

Key Requirements: The essentials you need in place to accomplish an idea. 

• If you need to hire a new position, what exactly do you need this new person to do? So much time is spent with someone in HR creating a job description, but then the wrong person gets hired. Why? Have you really thought about the skills required for the job? What about the type of person that would be the best fit? Have you consulted with the person who will manage this position…what do they want or require? I can’t even begin to tell you how many organizations I have worked for that when someone leaves their job, the HR person dusts off the old job description and posts it immediately without consulting anyone about any possible changes.

• If you need to revamp a program or event, how much money will be required for the new program to be successful? Do you have the staff in place who can launch it? Do you have a plan to implement the various components needed to make it a great event (i.e., graphics, signage, speaker, volunteers, etc.)?

• If you need to restructure an old system, what does that new system need to look like? Who needs to be involved with that design process? Do you have access to the IT requirements? If the new system is going to require significant capital to develop, do you have the resources to allocate to it?

Expectations: A belief that something should happen or be a certain way.

• Whatever it is you’re looking to do – is everyone on the same page? Have you clearly communicated what you expect needs to happen in order to achieve the goal? Have you solicited feedback from your team regarding these expectations? Sometimes feedback will tell you if everyone is on the same page or not…so, be sure to ask for it.

I know there are challenging times, but taking a few minutes to think through things and avoiding knee-jerk reactions will help you persevere.