With the second decade of the twenty-first century well underway, we now know that the world of business has changed beyond all recognition as we weather the global turbulence induced through corporate and, more often than many of us would care to admit, our own personal greed.
Long gone are the days of job security and the old-fashioned compulsion to stay with one employer, without which ‘loyalty’, the incremental and arduous climb from the shop floor to the boardroom, could seldom be achieved.
Engagement rules have changed as such things as commitment and loyalty to one organisation, one person, one product or one service are rendered obsolete in the search for something more authentic and meaningful in our lives as we embrace a new decade in the twenty first century.
The changes we now encounter are happening with lightning frequency and are discontinuous. Certainty, the illusive illusion we pursue as an intelligent species, continues to find favour as we repeat tried and, at times, somewhat outdated business systems and processes, in the hope of finding the ideal marketing ‘mix’ that will re-lay the financial ‘golden egg’.
As the world around us shifts, some of us are at risk of drifting and floundering amidst the warp speed changes in technology while others are revelling in the delights this advancement brings embracing the freedom and flexibility of new ways of working and places to work from. The lure of the cybernet cafe or being able to deliver client care and value while snuggled under the duvet on a cold winter’s day or while listening to the ocean waves lapping close to the sand grains that trickle through our toes are technological advances welcomed and enjoyed by the many.
As the structure of work changes and significant numbers of people have either jumped off by choice or been pushed off the treadmill of the corporate ‘9 to 5’ through redundancy, new ideas and new businesses are springing forth like shoots of the olive branch. Entrepreneurs and solopreneurs have embraced the freedom from the daily grind and, through their courage and commitment, are regenerating themselves and their businesses to provide value, services and products to clients and prospects around the globe.
Regeneration requires us to be courageous, to recreate, to transform ourselves, to renew our products and our services into something that has new and deeper value. It requires us to go beyond what we already know, to be curious, to consider what is possible even when we don’t know how we can achieve this or exactly when it will happen.
Business regeneration requires exploration of ourselves and our offer from a new perspective, a deeper level of being. It asks us to step outside our comfort zone of familiarity and to align ourselves internally through a process of renewing and reconstituting. From this place of alignment, we can become the best we can be, creating authentically as we redefine our vision, recommit to service, redevelop ourselves and our offer and rejuvenate our value.
When we decide to regenerate our business, we give ourselves permission to pause and reflect, to take stock, dust ourselves down and reform while learning from the past and leave any defects behind. Regeneration enables us to reconfigure existing resources, reawaken dormant ideas, services or products and recycle these into something new, innovative, valuable and exciting. It helps us to rebrand our assets and align their value to meet the changing needs of a rapidly evolving new business order.
Many industries have already led the way in regenerating themselves. A good example is the music industry whereby assets have been rebranded into something new and valuable moving from vinyl to cd, to mp3 and instant internet down load. In other instances, from corporate giants to individuals, each is seeking to regenerate as they consider different ways of doing things and new ways to recreate and move their business to serve more clients while doing less and earning more financially. So a question to ask ourselves as we seek to regenerate our business is – “What is possible for me? What new value can I create if I want to step up and take my business to the next level?”
Whether you are an entrepreneur, solopreneur or a corporate business leader, regenerating your business is a skill to be learnt, an art form to be applied, a creativity to be explored and a reinvention to be deployed. Flexibility and adaptability are keys to success alongside open-mindedness and an ability to be curious and explore possibilities with the precision of a laser beam and the imagination of a toddler play theme.
Business regeneration requires us to stay curious, connect and acknowledge our clients and prospects and to offer them choice and value as we serve from our hearts. The world of the second decade of the twenty-first century needs visionary business leaders whether we work as entrepreneurs, solopreneurs or within the boardroom of a corporate global business. Business regeneration requires action, it needs people who are prepared to step forward with courage and are committed to regenerating themselves from the inside out to add value, share their gifts and talents and make a real difference in this world.