Business Management: Relevance - The Key to Avoiding Obsolescence
When it comes to business survival and growth, remaining on top of current trends is essential. In order to appeal to customers and win their business, your products or services need to be seen to be relevant in an ever evolving marketplace. With trends and technology always on the move, staying relevant can be tricky and requires an ongoing process of re-evaluation and repositioning. Businesses that are obsolete often find themselves in trouble very quickly as their once thriving audience moves on to the next popular thing and sales drop.
If you want your business to thrive and continue long into the future, paying attention to keeping and maintaining your relevance should be of prime importance. Acclaimed business speaker and author Michael McQueen recently wrote a book about relevance and how important it is for businesses and organisations to avoid obsolescence.
How do businesses become obsolete?
According to McQueen there are a number of different reasons why businesses can become obsolete. Avoiding these key factors can help your organisation remain relevant. Obsolescence can come from complacency, assuming that if you are successful at any given moment then you will always be successful. It can also come from having people and processes in your organisation that are resistant to change or stifling growth. McQueen counsels businesses to avoid becoming stuck in a rut and to constantly reposition themselves as a way to stay relevant in an ever changing business environment.
How can I help my business stay relevant?
McQueen advises that businesses take a number of different steps to determine whether or not they are relevant and to help prevent themselves becoming obsolete. Continual re-evaluation and €recalibration' are essential to keep an organisation moving forward and prevent it or its products and services from becoming redundant.
McQueen also highlights the importance of staff in the quest for relevance. Staff members who are resistant or obstructive to change and who are reluctant to challenge the status quo or suggest new ideas could be a problem. He suggests creating an organisational culture which rewards innovative thinking and creative ideas rather than one which discourages employees from challenging the systems and attitudes of management.
Although change is important, it is also essential to determine the core values of your organisation and decide what can't be changed. McQueen suggests placing your core philosophies at the centre of your organisation and basing everything around that. Continual revision and refinement of processes as well as creating a workplace which is conducive to attracting the best possible employees are two ways that businesses can increase their chances of staying relevant and prevent becoming obsolete.
If your business has been coasting along for a while it might be well worth taking a look and seeing what you can change. Even if things are going well, the decisions you make now will affect its success in the future. Are you making the best use of technology? Are your systems being updated and refined or are you stuck in a rut? How relevant is your business and how can you protect it from becoming obsolete in the future?
If you want your business to thrive and continue long into the future, paying attention to keeping and maintaining your relevance should be of prime importance. Acclaimed business speaker and author Michael McQueen recently wrote a book about relevance and how important it is for businesses and organisations to avoid obsolescence.
How do businesses become obsolete?
According to McQueen there are a number of different reasons why businesses can become obsolete. Avoiding these key factors can help your organisation remain relevant. Obsolescence can come from complacency, assuming that if you are successful at any given moment then you will always be successful. It can also come from having people and processes in your organisation that are resistant to change or stifling growth. McQueen counsels businesses to avoid becoming stuck in a rut and to constantly reposition themselves as a way to stay relevant in an ever changing business environment.
How can I help my business stay relevant?
McQueen advises that businesses take a number of different steps to determine whether or not they are relevant and to help prevent themselves becoming obsolete. Continual re-evaluation and €recalibration' are essential to keep an organisation moving forward and prevent it or its products and services from becoming redundant.
McQueen also highlights the importance of staff in the quest for relevance. Staff members who are resistant or obstructive to change and who are reluctant to challenge the status quo or suggest new ideas could be a problem. He suggests creating an organisational culture which rewards innovative thinking and creative ideas rather than one which discourages employees from challenging the systems and attitudes of management.
Although change is important, it is also essential to determine the core values of your organisation and decide what can't be changed. McQueen suggests placing your core philosophies at the centre of your organisation and basing everything around that. Continual revision and refinement of processes as well as creating a workplace which is conducive to attracting the best possible employees are two ways that businesses can increase their chances of staying relevant and prevent becoming obsolete.
If your business has been coasting along for a while it might be well worth taking a look and seeing what you can change. Even if things are going well, the decisions you make now will affect its success in the future. Are you making the best use of technology? Are your systems being updated and refined or are you stuck in a rut? How relevant is your business and how can you protect it from becoming obsolete in the future?