They say change is the only constant.

We agree.

The last few years have shown that the future is never certain.

The best antidote to uncertainty is preparation.

Technology and systems are at the forefront of any discussion about change as it relates to business and culture. The development of new solutions in communication, management software, AI generated images, and other programs has reconfigured the landscape of business forever. These days it can sometimes feel like we’re all running faster just to stay in the same place, and struggling to understand how new innovations fit into our business operations.

This is where preparation becomes vital. Which in turn calls upon leaders to embrace honest curiosity and thoughtful consideration of tools and  ideas that may have once been dismissed as passing fads.

Here at Dogwood, we endeavour to do precisely that. To meet new ideas and new technology with a stance of curiosity. Never with confusion or disdain.

By keeping these three check points in mind you can take a massive leap towards being able to consistently meet the unknown future with full presence and power.

  1. What if: The tendency is the meet new ideas and new ways of being with hesitation or even outright negativity. Most people don’t handle change well, but as a growing organization in this age it is imperative to evolve when necessity dictates. Spend time Instead of defaulting to listing reasons a new idea or technology won’t work ask, “what if..” What if a better dispatch system saved money by eliminating errors? What if a new social channel for marketing generated a boost in revenue? What if adopting communications tools like Loom, Slack or similar technologies changed everything? What if you gave new things a fair shake?

  2. Try it: These days there’s a near limitless number of options when it comes to technology and software. We’ve found that blindly rushing to adopt everything new, simply because it’s new, is as damaging as not changing at all. The best approach is to first ask, “do we really need this?” Sometimes you can be oversold on the promise of a new app or piece of software. It’s pointless to waste 20 hours automating a systems it it only saves one person 2 minutes a month. Our solution? Test first. If at all possible try a test run with new software or technology before fully committing. Thinking of using a new social media platform or marketing channel? Try it for 3 months and see what happens. If trials are not possible then commit to a specific period of time (1 year, etc) and monitor the outcome. If it works, great. If not, drop it.

  3. For humans: It is our belief that technology exists to serve people. When this happens the individual and the team are empowered to perform at their highest level, smoothly and with a minimal of hassle. When this doesn’t happen, systems sour and stagnate into wasteful bureaucracies. The fact is all technology has its limitations. Apps, widgets, SAAS and systems are important but they shouldn’t seek to replace human ingenuity and empathy. If your people are being constrained and held back by the systems they’re supposed to be managing, it may be time to revisit the process.

With a new year under way, how is your team working to make your company future-proof?