Looking into companies, which have been good to adapt quickly to change and at the same time, are able to create visible values towards their costumers, and secure that these values are part of their own organization, is the companies that difrentiate between having success or be a failure.
Companies that has adapted to change!
Examples of successful companies adapting to the change process is among others Apple and Harley Davidson. These two companies faced change in their business environment and have adapted to the change by innovating their product portfolio and at the same time creating new value for their costumers.
Apple found that they was not competitive making the computers they did and analysed that they had to direct their product to a specific target group with special needs. Apple started making music easy available on iTunes and creating the concept of Apps. This was making a new concept available for their customers that created the value, to their customers, so they could be more efficient among other things on the social media.
Harley Davidson experienced in the 1980ties that competition from Asia increased with cheaper prices and good technological edge on motorcycles on their +700CC market. To prevent from beeing extinct Harley Davidson took up the challenge. Harley Davidson started to loby the US congress to give home made products an advantage. Second, they started to adapt to the change by useing their brand in the community of bikers to create Harley Davidson clubs. This “invention” of factory established biker clubs, has approximately 500.000 members today. Such a forum gives Harley Davidson an enourmous communication and selling platform of accessories and spareparts to their bikes and towards their target group.
How to adapt to change
Looking at what happened during the financial crisis, companies were not very good to adapt to the changing situation. Companies have had problems in the finacial area but also in their target market place. The ability to adapt to change has been difficult for many companies. To secure surveival as a company and maintaine the lead in the change process, the company basically can operate in three stages:
#1 Preparing for Change
#2 Gaining change skills
#3 Achieving a change
#1 Preparing for Change
To be able to get the competitive advantage adapting to change, the company and the employees must be able to start noticing the small changes early that helps your company and yourself to adapt to the bigger changes that are to come. It is important to be ready for change which means that you should prepare for change. One way you can prepare for change is to analyse the market you are working in looking into what competition are doing and securing that you know where the trendsetter is moving.
#2 Gaining change skills
A good indicator for you to start gaining change skills is if you and your company fells self-satisfied, you and the company have reached what is possible and you are no.1 in your market. It is now it starts to be difficult to be ready for the change that will come sooner or later. One skill to adapt is start listen to the innovative people in your company. The innovative people of your company is the one who sees and find new opportunities in the market and enjoy it, they are the ones who change the course of the company they use their innovative mind-set to use their skills for change.
Old habit’s don´t bring you new opportunities, so if you and your company are quick to let go of the old and properly non profit habits the sooner you will be able to use your workforce to find new and interesting opportunities in your own market or even in new markets.
#3 Achieving change
If you want to achieve a change you must start to enjoy the process of getting to the new opportunity you will eventually achieve the new change situation. We all know for sure that it is a hazel and even frightening to experience that you need to change. To achieve a change you need to be prepare for change.
To be able to adjust your company to new small changes you need to take the temperature of your business so you will be prepared for change. Analyse your market and look for possibilities for moving in a new direction, this help you find new opportunities and make you be prepared for new changes.
Summary
So when you accept that you and your company are working in a changeable environment, you will monitor and analyse the market for change. Eventually the company will be able to adapt to the change quickly and you will be able to move with the change and herby get a competitive advantage.
The overall summary is:
- Change happens – For the company and for you personally, we are living in a dynamic world.
- Anticipate change – Be ready for change nothing will continue to be as it was.
- Monitor change – Be aware of change and analyse and monitor your market and your customers.
- Adapt to change quickly – The quicker you let go of the old habits and concepts the sooner you can enjoy the new opportunities.
- Achieve change – Move with the opportunities – don´t hold on to the old and obsolete ones.
- Be ready to change quickly and enjoy the change process again and again – There will come new opportunities continuously.