Creating Lasting Solutions After Covid-19

The disruption of the coronavirus pandemic may seem impossible to predict, but companies and business leaders can still find new opportunities to pioneer change in their industries and transform the economic landscape.

As a company or business leader, what job are you trying to help people get done in their lives?

Academic professor and business architect on "disruptive innovation" Clayton Christensen suggests in his "Theory of Jobs to Be Done" that customers don’t merely purchase products or services; they pull these resources into their lives in order to make progress. “When we buy a product, we essentially 'hire' it to help us do a job. If it does the job well, the next time we’re confronted with the same job, we tend to hire that product again. And if it does a crummy job, we 'fire' it and look for an alternative.” 

The progress we make is the job we are trying to get done, and we hire products and services to help us function — not only practically, but also emotionally, socially, etc. 

What changed?

History and research show that large-scale crises and events trigger changes over generations to come. Think heightened airport security after 9/11 or the rise of small, fuel-efficient cars after the oil crisis in the 1970s.

Business leaders now have a chance to drive their industry forward and differentiate themselves from their competitors — but only if they remain agile and keep a steady pulse on what job their customers need to get done. They must reevaluate their offerings to ensure that they are focusing on the ones most likely to persist.

Ask yourself:

1. What external factors affect your customers and the job they need to get done? 

Circumstances impact priorities and wants or needs that customers seek to fulfill, and businesses need to follow suit.

People seeking healthcare are now impacted by the accessibility and risk of scheduling in-person appointments. Telemedicine (previously an overlooked option) has become a standard provision. 

Organizations that involve in-person gatherings (e.g., entertainment venues, theaters, cinemas, restaurants, etc.) are either shut down for the time being or are only allowed to accommodate a significantly smaller number of participants.

If external factors have impacted the job your customers need done, what tools might they now need to be successful? What can you do to help? 

My business, an innovation firm that typically delivers innovation sprints in person, is now faced with the challenge to deliver our work through virtual channels. Because our clients need access to innovation tools now more than ever to survive this crisis, we had to adapt our master classes and innovation sprints to accommodate that.

2. How will you perform a 'quality' job for your customer?

Companies and business leaders need to keep in mind the value of practicality, brand familiarity and overall reputation. Even when money is tight, customers still prioritize their overall purchase experience and look for businesses that have values that align with their own and that go the extra mile to serve their unmet needs.

For example, any service that offers contactless delivery or contactless payment will be considered highly desirable, even after Covid-19, since many will remain wary of contagions.

These challenging times hold companies and business leaders accountable to the work they should have already been doing prior to the pandemic: focusing on their customers’ needs and loyalty, maintaining a lean system based on agility, seeking opportunities for iteration, and elevating their business models based on market changes.

As pandemic protocols are lessened and people ease their way back into everyday life, most customers will seek businesses they trust that minimize risk, maximize connection and deliver on their promises.

This article appeared originally on Forbes.