It’s All Transition, What Happens Next?

It was a rainy weekend in Atlanta, so while catching up on paperwork and other mundane chores, I was watching “Dead Like Me” via Netflix streaming.  If you aren’t familiar with this comedy show, it’s about a bunch of grim reapers whose job is to remove the soul of a body before its “timely” death.  I say timely, because the reapers are given the name, location and time of death for the individual on a post it note.  That said, this one particular episode had a kid daredevil tempting death by preparing to jump off the top of a parking garage onto two mattresses 50 feet below.  After the expected conclusion, the grim reaper reminds the newly departed soul that he is dead.  The soul’s response, “It’s all transition, what happens next?”

That phrase has been swimming around in my head since.  It’s so true.  It is all transition, so what does happen next?

Here in America, we are in serious transition mode.  We have a relatively new government administration proposing enormous changes to the fabric of business and personal wealth and benefits.  We have a global economic crisis which has impacted employment.  Because of this, the workforce is even more inter-generational mixed than expected.  And those generations like to do things differently.

Social Media is an agent of change in this case.  It’s one that can be applied in many different aspects.  And while it will evolve over time, the principles behind it remain the same.  “Social” business has been around for a long time – it didn’t start with the advent of Facebook or Twitter. The only thing that has changed is the ubiquitousness or cost of entry to applying these business practices on a massive scale.   Let’s think about it for a minute… Twenty years ago, did you research an item before purchase?  Did you ask other people their opinions?  Of course you did.  You may have had to wait for that Consumer Reports article, or may have only had one or two people to ask about it.  Where now because things are so digital, you can find hundred of opinions and rating s on almost every single item for purchase.  When it comes to buying something (especially a service), we would rather work with people we know and trust.  Social media allows us to do that with the power of crowdsourcing.

Business is in transition.  The customer/client/participant is now in the driver’s seat.  The flexible companies/providers will be the ones to thrive in the new era.  All it takes is listening skills and a willingness to trust the customer.  It’s all transition, what happens next is up to them (and you if you listen).