INNOVATION IS DEAD
“Where is the innovation?” he asked me in an exasperated tone, frustrated that there is no longer a market for face-to-face events. A penny dropped in the empty shell of my head; this sentence really made me think differently in a start. My contact was right.
Yes, laptops were built rapidly, and Citrix licences purchased. Shredders were distributed to homes (by some at least) and now everyone thinks they did a great job as staff amble back into their socially distanced offices. Some firms even think this means they have completed their digital transformation by taking these measures; time to sit back now all that “IT stuff” has been done, right?
RIP Innovation. Covid19 has killed innovation in the sector stone dead. Most major projects have gone on to the back burner and firms are now focussing internally, introspectively protecting the way that they work and service their clients. Few are taking the opportunity to capitalise on their newly dispersed workforces.
How is the workforce going to be managed to ensure it is productive? How can you be sure your employees are happy working at home and have the right set-up to work? What next for the sprawl of video conferencing apps that were implemented across the business? What about the PMS that falls out of support in just over a year’s time? Do I really need digital dictation now it is in Office 365? Why do we have so many disparate apps on our desktops to support? What…why… how… but never when. When is the key to innovation – it is the step towards a commitment to doing something, anything, an acceptance that further change is not just necessary but essential?
Sure, the coronavirus dust is still settling, we still do not have a vaccine and I understand everyone is fearful of a second lockdown. Revenue is down, anywhere between 15 and 40% depending on a law firm’s business profile. If there has ever been a reason to innovate and change the way you work, it’s ALL these factors. They are not barriers to change, they are enablers. Over the next 12-months those firms that accept this will succeed whilst others fall by the wayside.
In summary, do not sit on your hands and “wait and see”. If you need help kickstarting innovation in your firm, get in touch today. We will be delighted to help you take that critical first step down a path on enlightenment.
