Make COVID the push needed to accept change

GEELONG businesses are now doing things differently, but not all change relates to COVID-19; much of it was already happening.

Just six months ago, the idea of substantial restrictions on the way we went about our lives only existed in Hollywood and never did we anticipate a global reality.

So many businesses have been impacted beyond comprehension and most others are adapting to working from home and navigating the procession of online meetings, events, content, learning and connections.

Throw shopping, homeschooling, auctions and significant family events into the mix and you couldn’t be blamed for thinking the online world has suddenly become the real world.

Maybe that’s true for business.

There will always be a need for face-to-face connections to build trust and rapport, but perhaps we need to accept the majority of the time we can get things done more quickly and effectively online.

If COVID has brought forward the adoption of online business, perhaps it’s better to embrace the change rather than resist evolving our businesses.

In the end, it’s the right play because if it doesn’t work out we can adapt again down the line and wind it back a little.

That’s the ebb and flow of change — does it make sense to suffer significant stress and anxiety because we’re too focused on protecting the past?

Resisting change can be much more stressful than embracing new ideas and changing the way our businesses run.

Engaging our teams and celebrating the thrill of innovation could be the best thing businesses can do. If we implement those ideas and some fail, then we move on quickly and don’t stop learning.

Businesses are in a constant state of change, it’s guaranteed to happen — global pandemic or not.

Chamber members feel Geelong is better placed than Melbourne and the rest of Victoria to emerge from this crisis in a better position to thrive, and I think they’re right.

We have many strategic advantages in our region and it’s our job to adapt to change and build our city into a globally recognised destination.

This disruption is an opportunity to redefine our purpose, develop new ideas and attract new businesses that can help our city grow.

We can only redefine our city if every business chooses to embrace change and tries hard to stay ahead of its curve.

This does not mean we need to change our mission or undermine the values that have driven our success over the years.

These remain more important than ever because our customers are attracted to them.

We need to take our customers on the journey because it’s likely they’ll be the ones calling for change and wanting to be on that journey with us.

Embracing change will improve our businesses and deliver better value to our customers.

This disruption has brought forward change and put the idea of conducting business online into overdrive.

Explore the possibilities and decide whether your businesses can benefit from the shift and, if you need help, reach out — the chamber has access to lots of great people who can assist you to pivot.

Ben Flynn is chief executive of the Geelong Chamber of Commerce.

“RESISTING CHANGE CAN BE MUCH MORE STRESSFUL THAN EMBRACING NEW IDEAS AND CHANGING THE WAY OUR BUSINESSES RUN.”