Pub. 19 2020-2021 Issue 1

N E W J E R S E Y C O A L I T I O N O F A U T O M O T I V E R E T A I L E R S 21 new jersey auto retailer W W W . N J C A R . O R G As COVID-19 uncertainty spread around the world at an exponential pace, the global community found out that reacting quickly to the societal and economic disruptions that the virus created, no matter how agile a reactor you are, wasn’t good enough. With disruptive changes moving so fast, every- thing seemed to be uncertain, and that uncertain- ty can cause us all to “wait and see,” which is the exact opposite of what we should be doing. The only way individuals, entrepreneurs, business and government leaders can get ahead of the spread of the virus, and get control of its speed and dev- astating impact, is to stop focusing on reacting quickly, or “pivoting,” as some have called it, and start becoming anticipatory by separating the Hard Trends that will happen from the Soft Trends that might happen and can be changed. You cannot change a Hard Trend, but you can see it coming, and by knowing what will happen before it happens, you can create strategies to take advantage of that trend, giving you certainty and the confidence to make bold moves as you move ahead. Another major advantage of Hard Trends is that they allow you to identify the problems that are ahead and solve them before they occur. Pandemic Uncertainty Problem The coronavirus pandemic has leveled the playing field. The exponential uncertainty it brings with it has forced increasing numbers of people to live day-by-day as they try to protect what they have in an effort to combat what might happen as this highly unusual year unfolds. However, it is important to note that the exponen- tial spread of COVID-19, as it was doubling every three days, is a Soft Trend, meaning that the expo- nential spread can be changed! Anticipatory gov- ernment and business leaders saw the predictable exponential spread of the virus and the potential human and economic impact. They realized it was a Soft Trend that could be changed and took action to slow and eventually stop the spread by closing nonessential businesses and implement- ing strong social distancing measures in order to flatten the curve, save countless lives, and save millions, billions, and even trillions of dollars. As we lock down, work remotely and do our best to remain healthy and safe, realize that everyone is hurting, and with that, there are enormous new ways to make a bigger difference as you simulta- neously grow your business. So how do you innovate when everyone’s mindset is to wait out the storm? You Go Opposite; take the road less traveled to take your organization from success to significance and turn this pan- demic disruption into opportunity. Going Opposite I’ve written about this anticipatory principle in the past; I call it the Law of Opposites. By looking for a solution to a problem or a new opportunity in the exact opposite direction from where you are currently looking, you will see amazing solutions and opportunities that were outside of your view. From a strategic standpoint, when everyone goes one way, Anticipatory Leaders often go the other and take the road less traveled. There isn’t a better time to do this! The pandemic and lockdowns already are a road less traveled. In many ways, the world seems to be hitting a pause button as the vast majority goes into a hold posi- tion. By doing so, they will not be ready for the identifiable certainty that the pandemic will end. Many might think that having a wait and see approach is less stressful, but the opposite is true. As you wait, you will see others moving ahead, intuitively knowing that while others are moving ahead, you’re falling behind. The stress of waiting for months will mount, making it harder to start moving again. I’m sure you have heard the old saying: “an object at rest tends to stay at rest, while an object in mo- tion tends to stay in motion.” Admittedly, it’s hard to move forward when you can’t see ahead. That’s why you should start with the opposite; observe what you can see instead of focusing on what you can’t see. Instead of looking at all the things you aren’t certain about, ask yourself: What are you certain about? Instead of looking at all the things you can’t do, ask yourself: What can you do now? Redefine and Reinvent Everything! This is the perfect time to redefine and reinvent what you do and how you do it. Redefining and reinventing are core principles of Anticipatory Leaders, and as we see, current systems, such as how we deliver health care and the global supply chain, buckle under the load. The fault lines in our systems become highly visible and the systems become ripe for reinvention. The fact is that every system is ripe for reinven- tion, and the best time to do it is now. When times are good, transformational change can be put off, but when the world and everyone in it is hurting, people are much more open to new, innovative ideas. It’s time to double down on redefining and reinventing your products, ser- vices and customer experiences before someone else does, and if you do this while helping oth- ers through the crisis, you will find a lot more help along the way! GO OPPOSITE  continued on page 22