Time to Think Differently

"This is the moment for business to think different and think big. The great dying off of quintessential 20th century business presents vast opportunity for entrepreneurs. And so as some of the huge, dominant, old-growth trees of our economic forest fall, the seedlings and saplings - that is, the people burning to produce and sell new kinds of transportation and media in new, economic ways - will have a clearer field in which to grow." Time, April 6th, 2009, Vol 173, No 13, "The End of Excess."

"...management, at its best, is an intelligent response to outside forces, often disruptive ones. Times of severe economic duress, management experts say, can serve to sharply accelerate trends already under way." New York Times, March 20, 2009, "How Crisis Shapes the Corporate Model."

At a time when stories of gloom, failure and despair seem to dominate the landscape, there are an increasing number of voices that see this challenge as a seminal moment in which longstanding and outmoded business models and practices will be either radically reformed or completely replaced. To paraphrase an old adage, nothing focuses an organization more than its possible demise. And in the present environment, there can be little doubt that such an outcome is a real possibility for corporations and organizations across the full spectrum of human endeavor.

Globally, the focus of late has been on cost reduction. No one would discount the idea that cost containment remains a vital component of corporate success. Unfortunately, the drive to reduce cost has all too often also involved the removal of employees with the expertise necessary to sustain a culture of excellence. We have all encountered the customer service representative who is clearly reading from a script, with limited product knowledge and even less authority to deal with difficult situations.

But simple longevity at an organization does not ensure quality. That is supplied by employees who are passionate in their expertise, who bring a level of competence and experience that can be neither scripted or taught. Such persons also supply perspectives that cannot be imparted by recent hires who often have little investment in the corporate ethos.

Given those realities, organizations are increasingly seeking assistance and guidance from external entities. Consultancy has exploded as ever-more tasks are ceded to third parties. However, too often the reality has failed to reflect the promise and both time and money are invested in ways that provide scant return - and very often fail to solve the initial problem. As indicated by the opening quotes, the time for disruptive change is at hand. It is time to find new ways of accessing those pools of expertise in a targeted and cost-effective way.

As with much else in our current environment, the Internet and its extraordinary ability to link the world, will play a vital role. Virtual teams, comprised of members with specific and vital skills can be assembled in a flexible and cost-efficient way that supercedes and improves on the classic consultancies that have fixed locations and employee resources. The billings of virtual teams are devoid of overhead and fixed costs that are inherent in the traditional model and the teams are chosen, not from a limited cadre of employees, but from a broad-based pool of experts that can be specifically configured to meet the needs and challenges of each assignment.

This is an idea whose time has come with the potential to provide targeted, cost-efficient assistance and solutions across a full spectrum of demand.