To be sustainable, to provide improved returns to justify the support of their shareholders and stakeholders, the challenge for any company is to grow - and grow faster. Faster than their peers, their competitors, the region, the economy. In new economies, new market areas or with brand new products growth is almost inevitable. But where do mature, proven organisations established as key players in their chosen markets, find the accelerator?
A NEW GAME OF CONSEQUENCES
The twentieth century was a time of phenomenal change. And change itself is fuel for growth. It creates opportunities.
The twentieth century was largely about change for ‘self’, about improving the lot of the individual, particularly the Western Individual.
Change in this century will be at least as significant. But it will be totally different. There is still enormous headroom in the improvements for ‘self’. The consumer demand from a mature Asia market is phenomenal. But change will be increasingly driven by consequences. The impact on the environment, the changing balance of economic and political power, the erosion of natural resources and the swollen demand for a Western lifestyle.
Meeting the demands of these changes for commercial organisations is a new challenge and potentially a more complex one. ‘Self’ driven consumerism has an insatiable appetite (providing credit is available); it is about me, it is about now. ‘Other’ concerns, about consequences, are gathering momentum, but they are often at odds with the idea of consumerism. When an emerging economy is growing in this area they are looking for unhindered growth of the type enjoyed by the West in the golden age. Why let consequences to get in the way of a good growth story?
But that was then, this is now. Consequences are real and growth must be encouraged within these new parameters.
WHAT DO ORGANISATIONS NEED TO FOCUS ON?
So perhaps we are at a cross roads, or on a peak looking into different valleys. The landscape is one that combines Consumerism and Consequences. There is massive headroom, to bring the underdeveloped regions up to speed with consumerism. And there are deep implications, if this new equilibrium is not established through a framework of intelligent utilisation of natural resources and fervent protection of the environment.
Grow-faster companies in the twenty-first century will need:
- To maximise intellectual capability
- To harness, share and leverage knowledge
- To manage supply and demand across borders
- To focus on real ambitions and values to define the organisation across the virtual space
- To innovate, to think beyond, to explore as part of the culture, not as a satellite department
- To be joined up
HOW DOES THIS AFFECT THE ROLE OF LIVE EVENTS?
Face to face meetings and live events can play a critical communications role for ambitious companies through their ability to:
- Express the unique culture of a company as the basis for its competitive edge
- Generate and reinforce the emotional ‘glue’ that helps people working in very different roles and parts of the organisation to believe in one branded entity
- Create relationships and networks – especially informal networks that people find the most useful
- Facilitate & speed up knowledge-sharing
- Re-new commitment to common goals
- Enhance reputation, recognition, retention, reflection.