New Year, New Business: How will your company adapt?

2020 was a tough year for businesses in the UK, having to adapt to a new way of working, seeing their sector obliterated overnight or streamline their teams. 2021 was perhaps anticipated as the year where things would return to normal but as the government is expected to enforce a new lockdown, it seems that we will be bringing parts of 2020 into the new year. This is a time where businesses will sink or swim, building on what they learnt last year, and making lasting change to their business models. Firms will have to redefine their corporate personality – how will your business adapt this year?

Future Strategy Club advisors Justin Small, Gurtej Sandhu and Gareth Tennant can comment on how businesses can adapt and make permanent change, solidifying their position in the new year.

Justin Small, Founder of Future Strategy Club says:

“Business owners and managers will have faced innumerable challenges over the past year. Business leaders don’t just need advice, but a hands-on approach to see their firm through the second year of the pandemic. An outside consultant can bring a fresh perspective to businesses looking to make a change this year, integrating a new, more flexible ethos to firms who are looking for the best way to accommodate new business models. Consultants talk to other consultants and these peer-to-peer conversations help to share the knowledge of experts who have dealt with previous crises, such as the 2008 crash, that can now be applied to the pandemic. A highly skilled CRO or transformation expert could be the difference between growth and capitulation in 2021, and thanks to Future Strategy Club, you no longer have to pay through the nose to get this help.”

Gurtej Sandhu, former Digital Director at The Times and Future Strategy Club advisor says:

“2020 taught us lessons as we asked the question of what matters for businesses, and this will continue this year. Will they be dependent on an office? Will demands for talent change? Businesses will need to change how they operate and communicate and continue to take advantage of the situation. There may be an opportunity for much needed structural reorganisation – the process of sharing ideas is important and needs to be considered. The culture of companies is also being reviewed, and changes can help to future-proof firms as we move forward. Covid has really made leaders think about productivity and encouraged them to strip back to reveal exactly what matters.”

Gareth Tennant, former Head of Intelligence for the Royal Marines and Future Strategy Club advisor says:

“Covid has brought the importance of planning for disruption and contingency into the spotlight. Leaders need to build resilience in their organisations by having an all-encompassing strategy. It’s cliché, but every crisis is an opportunity. Some firms have found an increased demand for their services. The organisations who were able to adapt are the ones who have thrived in this period. There are two pieces of advice I would give; the first is to consider the future shocks that may occur. Ride the wave of success now, but do not be complacent and think that your firm is now invulnerable to future dynamic shock. Secondly, I would say that firms should be more value driven. A lot of people have suffered during this period and I think we may emerge into a world where our societies are far more driven by social value, rather than just fiscal value. It is important now to be magnanimous with our success and empathetic to others around us.”