Consciousness has become something of a buzzword in our times, but it’s a broad term, often used loosely. As a result, it can be difficult at times to pin down. In short, consciousness refers to our awareness of ourselves, our awareness of our immediate environment, and our awareness of the larger world. This is again quite broad, but changes made in one place or the other can affect the whole.
This is what has happened with the advent of the Internet and the global pandemic. Technology and natural phenomena have altered something directly affecting our consciousness which has changed our thoughts, ideas, and expectations. It can be viewed in many facets of the world – none more so than in business as people become more conscious of their consumption habits.
Leaderships Methods
Human beings have always needed leaders of one kind or another. Since the industrial revolution, the hierarchical model has been widely considered the best and most successful means of organizing working communities. But in the 21st century, with so many technological advances, expectations have changed, which impacts the business model. People no longer expect to have superiors and managers; instead, there is more parity.
Instead of managers and bosses, we now have coaches and collaborators. Call it semantics, but in truth, it’s much more than that. This alteration in codes and working roles is an indication of the rise in consciousness that’s happening in every corner of the world. The old social structures and hierarchical communities of the past are beginning to dissolve into collaborative processes and more equal power arrangements.
Creating, not Building
In the past businesses were built, now they’re created. You might call it another semantic shift, but the word describes a very different process driven by alternative ideas. In the past a business was built, the foundations being a solid business plan, a premises, and probably a CEO; but creating a business is a far more flexible and collaborative, a process that has passion at its core.
Startups and small businesses have realized that fixed ideas and traditional markets can benefit from a business model that is more flexible and in-tune with technological advances. This has left many traditional brick and mortar companies in the dust. These ones are still committed to their fixed business models, that until now, have worked well – consider your finances at Pigly.Com.
The Business Model
Startups and new small businesses are making a big impression on previously secure market shares. There are many reasons for this, but in relation to the business plan, it seems that a more flexible approach yields better results. A flexible business plan is not only constantly under review; it is ready to respond to shocks and sudden economic change. It can, for instance, quickly shift online at the onset of the pandemic.
Furthermore, the flexible business model continually challenges beliefs and assumptions about how the business operates. Often businesses working under a traditional modal made predictions and forecasts based on previous data. While this may seem sensible, often the assumption driving decision making is flawed and unreliable. Continually challenging these best practices is the most realistic way to grow the business.
Re-vision Your Business
What is at the core of your business? Is it profit, or is it passion? If you were to ask this question a few decades ago, the answer would have been a simple one. Clearly, profit is the core of the business; it’s the reason for any business to exist. But today the answer may be very different. In today’s world, if your business is run without passion at its core, it might just prove unsustainable.
Why is this? For one thing, your business is competing in a passion-driven environment. There will be many startups around you selling the same product or service but with an altogether different energy, one that consumers respond to and one that has the capacity to outlive your profit-driven ideas. That’s not to say you don’t stand a chance; you can always revise your business strategy with passion in mind.
Business is Personal
The Internet has been a revolution in communication, as important as the Gutenberg Printing Press. And it has changed the way businesses interact with their customers, perhaps forevermore. Brands will no longer be faceless corporations who release broad statements from tall office buildings or issue press releases to introduce new products.
All of this is taken care of online through social media channels. Customers of the brands or products are informed of changes through updates and can interact easily with people at the company. This is a significant shift in the way enterprises operate and shows that the Internet, a technology that has grown up around us, is also partly responsible for the evolution of consciousness that is transforming the clockwork of the world.