Firm keen to make good use of a crisis

The chief executive of Scottish personal development group Insights believes a time of uncertainty is a time of opportunity.

Andy Lothian has grown Dundeeheadquartered Insights into a global learning and development organisation with more than 500 staff across six continents.

Insights helps people learn more about themselves and feel more connected to colleagues, by creating personal profiles that help to foster productive and positive working relationships.

More than six million people have used Insights, with customers including Microsoft, the NHS, Nike and Google.

Mr Lothian, who formed Insights with his father Andi in 1993, said business leaders should use this time of disruption to increase innovation.

“My personal belief is that at the moment of adversity is the seed of an opportunity – so you should never let a good crisis go to waste,” he said.

“Create space and examine what the disruption you’re experiencing is teaching you. At the very least it will liberate you.

“It may even help you discover the very innovation that enables your business to become the business of the future – in the here and now. Encourage the disruptors and change agents in your organisation to come forward with their ideas.

“Coronavirus is an opportunity to shake off bureaucracy and red tape; to improve efficiency and speed up innovation.”

Based on the teachings of Carl Jung, Insights’ system classes people’s personalities into four colours – cool blue, fiery red, earth green and sunshine yellow – and their associated strengths and weaknesses.

Mr Lothian said many companies, including Insights, were forced to adopt a digital-first delivery model during the early stages of the global health crisis. As lockdown continued, and remote working became the ‘new normal’, companies refocused on ways of improving people’s health and wellbeing.

He said now companies must refocus again, this time on providing greater customer choice in a digitally connected world.

“It’s certainly been a challenging time,” he said. “Since mid-March, we have delivered a dozen free webinars, more than 20 educational webinars to the global practitioner community, and launched five new virtual products.

“We’ve also developed and launched a new digital-only entry level experience for learners who want to understand more about themselves, adapt and connect and perform better at work.”

Mr Lothian also highlighted the contribution of Insights-owned and Stirling-based digital firm Vidatec in developing new products. The company helped Insights develop and deliver an app for workers to take the first step on the Insights learning journey.

It also launched engage4 – their own employee and wellbeing platform.

“Vidatec has also been working with the University of Stirling to develop an app with informal carers, such as friends and family members, of people with life-limiting conditions,” he said.

Mr Lothian said businesses can’t stand still if they want to survive in such turbulent times.

“That ethos is what has enabled the Insights Group to seek out efficiencies and drive innovation,” he added.

“We’ll continue to do that because even as restrictions are lifted and we transition to the ‘next normal’, we want to give our customers greater choice and ensure they have access to world-leading, intensely human experiences – however they choose to experience them.”