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Recently a new phrase has entered into our lexicon. It is being used by leaders in highest offices in the countries and by Business leaders. It is called, "New normal"! .It is difficult to trace who coined this phrase, though it has been there since around 2009.

We all can sense that we are getting used to & forced to living and running business in a little different way. It is as if, the North Pole is shifted for Businesses, Leaders and Citizens. Most of the Governments and Business Leaders are in uncharted territory, not to speak about common man.

Even before this pandemic, there were changes but the pandemic has accelerated the changes. The pandemic has pushed the envelope a little bit more. We were going towards VUCA world but this pandemic has put us in midst of VUCA world!!

So where and how this " New normal " is touching our lives? Let us look into Business field in this article. And in later articles we shall see how Governments, Consumer / Citizen and Educational institutions can face this "New normal" situation.

The businesses around the world are facing tough existential challenges. The Darwin theory of Survival of fittest (can I take liberty to say smartest?) would come into effect. Any organization, which practiced Lean tools, Strategic business development, Cost reduction measures, and other such best practices, may be in little better condition to face this test. But still there would be some changes in the way how business is run.

1. Sleeping with the enemy : Do consider strongly working together with your competitor in key issues. It may make sense to fight together rather than fight with each other. Some of the biggest success in Business world has come from such collaborations (Remember Apple / Google collaboration on contact tracing technology?)

2. Diversification: Analyse, what other products / service you can offer other than what you are producing now? Can your existing machines and people be put to create something which they have not done till now? A different product range? A new segment? A different software platform suitable to meet VUCA needs? Encourage your teams (especially Marketing team and Top Management) to come out of Cocoon of familiarity and embrace new challenges and opportunities.

3. Working from home : Why we think that only IT industries can seamlessly move to WFH mode ? How about Purchase, Finance, HR, Customer Service, Sales / Marketing functions working from home, most of the days, for even manufacturing organizations ?

Though one need not just do anything out of impulse, it would be very apt to do cost benefit analysis and arrive at conclusion. When the technology is available, why not make use of that? Decide whether you want Presence or Performance from your employees of these functions !

4.Go Digital : If Digital tools are wisely and cleverly deployed, it can give you both tangible and intangible returns. But overdoing it without the need or application for the same can only drain your resources. But if selected intelligently, it can enhance your organization's productivity, efficiency and brand name.

Couple of days back, I attended an Expo organized by a big company in Germany, sitting at my home. I walked through their exhibition stall, picked up brochures, watched video of their product running on a screen in the wall of their stall, interacted with their Marketing team, saw a demonstration of their product - ALL SITTING AT MY HOME!!

5.Multiskilling and up skilling: This is the perfect time to create multiskilled workforce. This would come handy when you want to maintain social norms in your organization, or diversify to new products etc. Up skilling was a generally neglected subject, but now it is not a need but a necessity

6.Use of Robots, AI and AR/VR: This list can be endless. If you were earlier dabbling with the idea of using these technologies, then this is time to deploy it. With migrants going back to respective states & countries, you may have shortage of employees. Do not assume, these are meant for just Big corporates !

When a small hospital can use a Robot in India, to dispense medicines & food, take temperature etc in a quarantine ward, why not industries adopt such "Robots" / "Automation" for a Warehouse / Stores / Office area ? The limit can be only in our minds. Same with AI. Proper deployment and using AI & Analytics can get you new customers or retain customers, reduce dependency on people for repeated tasks.

7. Go Global: This pandemic is reorganizing how global supply chain is functioning. Couple of big countries may be losing business due to various political / ethical / quality reasons. New opportunities are coming up for a few countries, including to India. With the advancement in technology, great leaps of improvement in Logistics & enormous potential, Indian organizations can literally aim to supply to the remotest corners of the globe, if we keep scanning the horizon and pluck the opportunities.

8. Leadership roles: Leadership must leave "today" to their team and look at future. The need of the hour for Leadership role is to be agile, adaptable, humane, tech savvy, network globally and taking decisions on the go. Communicating effectively with remote teams, customers and suppliers would also take centre stage. Time for Leader to wear all six caps of Edward De Bano at a time. There may not be time to change the cap!!

9.Different segments working together: What AI has got to do with Agriculture? Or solar power to Cold storage? Please Google to get details. But it is all happening right here in India. It is time for IT industries, brilliant students, Start ups, MSMEs, and Corporates to join hands to innovatively think how modern technology can be productively and profitably put to use to bring whole society up.

Why create only smart cities? Why not smart villages and smart towns?!! Working in Silos can only make progress & recovery, painful and slow. Time to join hands together.

If you think deeply, this unfortunate suffering due to pandemic is sad but temporary. But world has come out of every major blow, with more growth and more wealth. If some of the above tips are used, it can also lead to big cost reductions to organizations. If organizations spend their energy and effort in right directions, most of the organizations can enter into a new world of possibilities. ALL THE BEST !!!