Your Company is Stale Like Bread

photo by McBeth

Graham Brown of Mobile Youth (who I have grown quite fond of his little Slideshare presentations) pointed out the obvious is a not so obvious way.

• The most powerful man in the world is black.
• The biggest selling hip-hop artist is white.
• The richest golfer is black.
• The president of Iceland is a lesbian.
• The best Olympian likes to hit the bong.

The world is changing. More accepting and more diverse than ever before. More mobile and more connected goes without arguement. So why are you playing by the old rules?
Change is hard.
It is hard to accept and hard to measure. In times of recession and economic shit storming it is easy to look back at worked the last time and continue on the same path. Layoffs, cutting spending and ceasing to innovate + wait and see are the themes of corporate America right now. We are losing jobs at record pace, yet our products are still as good as they were yesterday and rent is the same price (if not higher) as it was last week.

How can innovation lead your organization today, in the midst of this recession to get you out ahead? How can listening to concerns of your employees, being more transparent to them and rewarding them help you thrive today.

5 Ways to Ignite Change in Your Business Today

1. Talk to your employees. They are the ones who are the faces, voices and future of your organization. Being transparent with them will only make them produce with greater results and give them the confidence that they are a part of something great. Besides, don't all employees talk shit about their boss, company, etc. What are yo scared of?
2. Give more than you take. In times like today organizations and businesses that find ways to give, whether it be information, education, products, resources and help their community grow will reap the benefits further than an organization that tries to squeeze every penny and resource out of their community before closing their doors.
3. Crowdsource. Whether it is from the mail clerk, the janitor, the CMO or a first time customer, look at the people that represent your company and see how they can add value to your business. Lego listens to their community and builds ideas and inspiration for fanatics, and then works with parents and gives them safe products for their kids. How can someone you don't know help your business grow?
4. Defy the norm. Like the examples above, dare to stand out. If you can rally troops to believe in your product, you will win, even if you are the orange in an apple game.
5. Go back to the start. I know I said innovate, but sometimes innovation happens when you get back to your core. Why did you create your business or product in the first place? If you run a job board, is your focus to nickel and dime or create relationships between companies and job seekers? If you make soda, your goal should be the smile and satisfaction your consumer has when they take their first sip. Do everything in your power to make that moment happen.

Are you still living in the past? We voted for change but haven't changed ourselves. What will it take to get to that point?

-Greg Rollett