Written by Elyn Buscani, Account Manager
In the business world, “disruptors” are innovators who are applauded for their visionary thinking. In real life, disruption is downright annoying, or even devastating as it has been for our Kentucky neighbors and many other Americans due to recent natural disasters. However, it’s something all business development professionals need to plan for as we’re developing our growth strategies. Whether, it’s an extreme weather event, a two-day outage in your home internet service, or, as we’ve announced, an office move, we all need to have contingency plans in place.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has great tips to make businesses more resilient, and I’ve added a few more ways to prepare for inevitable disruptions.
- Have each other’s backs. At Rasor, there are always at least two people who know the client and project. As a team, we’re proactive about checking in with our coworkers or raising a hand to ask for help when needed.
- Meet deadlines consistently, so that being late is the rare exception. It seems obvious, but habitually meeting deadlines builds trust and shows respect for others. Even the busiest people can’t possibly be in crisis mode all the time. It’s just not cool.
- Communicate with your team regularly. Our team looks at workloads and business forecasts weekly to staff projects appropriately and set reasonable expectations. When we’re at capacity, we are selective about new projects until we can hire more staff, even though it’s unnatural for a salesperson to turn away business.
- Breathe and get a fresh perspective. During my home internet outage, I did a fitness class at the Y and then spent a productive few hours on their Wi-Fi. This past Friday afternoon, I turned on my Outlook autoresponder and took my son to the Zoo.
It would be great to hear how you’re preparing your business for growth and change. And if you need communications support, let us know. We’d love to help.