One of the great things about my job is I get exposure to a lot of different organizations. I thought it could be helpful for you to hear what some different organizations are doing in this time. Organization’s responses have varied greatly – but one thing that I have seen over and over again. This crisis will amplify what you already are. It will amplify weaknesses and it will highlight strengths. Organizations with clear “why’s", clear values and a relentless desire to serve those know what to do in this time. Regardless of what your focus is right now, your team, your clients, your “world” needs you to show up!
Here are a few ways I have seen organizations responding. Some are doing a few of these at the same time.
Pivot!
Many organizations are pivoting their services. They are leaning into their values and changing their what not their why. The why of the organization is driving them to make different decisions. They look for the hurt, the pain, the need and they adapt to relieve that pain. Organizations I work with are now delivering food to hundreds of people a week. They are creating online communities for college students suddenly disconnected from friends and looking for jobs. Clinics are implementing a telehealth system in a week, where it normally takes 6 months to set up. I see several restaurants bringing meals to shelters, meals to nurses, meals to those who need them (all this while they are hurting themselves) These organizations look at the need and say why not us, why not now.
Plan, Process, and Product
I am seeing several organizations use this time to refine their plan, process and product. Some are doing this while they Pivot, while they serve, some are doing this as their primary goal. Each organization has different capacities, different spheres of influences, and different ways to adapt services.
This is a great opportunity to spend some intentional time working on your plan. I suggest developing a 30 day, 60 day, 90 day and 6 month plan. Hold all of them in an open hand and communicate them to your team and ask for their input, grace and flexibility. I would much rather know where my organization is going and have it intentionally change, rather than just moving with no idea on general direction.
Some people are working on their process. There are those internal processes that have hamstrung you in the past. That have slowed you up and prevented you from doing efficient work. I have had a few different organizations reach out to get the information so they can pay me via ACH rather than checks. These orgs are refining their process. Another organization is tackling the huge task of picking and learning a new CRM system. This is great because when we come out of this – they are going to need a good CRM system so they can connect with people who want to make an impact.
Another way I see people using this time is by refining their product. Some organizations are rolling out a product several days, weeks or months early. Berne Brown launched her awesome Podcast early! (she has some very timely messages in her first several episodes). Another organization is using this time to create and refine their online community. It was something they were working towards but are really leaning into now. They are putting out content almost every day for the benefit of those they serve.
Wait
I see some organizations doing this well and others not so much. Some orgs are just waiting. It’s a passive waiting. Head in the sand, hibernating for the next few months. Some people wait like me, some people wait like my wife. If we were going somewhere with some friends (we aren’t now – we are social distancing!) but if we were and they sent us a text saying – be there in 5 minutes. Hannah would clean the bathrooms, organize the back closet, clean up the shoes, make dinner and read the kids a story while she waited. I would scroll Facebook, save a few memes to send later, and probably use the clean bathroom. There are very different ways we can wait!
Some orgs might not have any other choice. You were shut down, you ran out of cash, it is impossible for you to do what you do. For someone in this boat, I am sorry. This is devastating. For everyone else, who is head in the sand by choice. Come on! Get up and lets do something. Tiger King can wait! Your people need you to show up.
Others are waiting with intention. They are busy waiting. They are more of the Hannah style waiting. We need more of Hannah style waiting right now. So, go get busy waiting. Work on your Plan. Work on your Process. Develop or refine your product. And please PIVOT. Your business needs you to Pivot.
What is Jacobson Events up to?
Honestly, we had to make very hard business decisions that affected the lives of people we care about. We lost significant business but we didn’t have time to stick our head in the sand and that is NOT in our DNA. Our Why, our values, our beliefs drove us to make different decisions in the time.
Pivot: We had 5 of our events cancel in two weeks and “helped” cancel a dozen other events for other organizations. We saved our clients and friends over $245,000 in event spend. Helping a family member cancel their wedding SUCKS! This isn’t a service I was excited to offer, but that being said – if you have an event you might need to cancel or are considering a pivot we would love to help.
Another big way that we have pivoted is by launching our 14-Day Event Strategy Quarantine Bootcamp. It is a work at your own pace, virtual Bootcamp for people plan events and want them to be successful.
Plan, Process, Product:
We have been busy refining our plan, process and product as well. We have been working on our business plan and contracting process and have been pouring most of our time into developing a new product. One thing that we have found that we will writing about more later is that so many organizations “What and How” has changed but their who and why has not. The tool that we use, events, has changed drastically but our why and who we serve has not. A lot of our products are just going to need to take different forms.
Wait:
At Jacobson Events we aren’t great at waiting. I prefer hurry up and wait! Or busy waiting! We are looking forward to being together with people again, working side by side to plan and execute great events!