Lately, people keep talking about the “new normal.” I absolutely, positively disagree with the phrase, “new normal.” I’ve never liked it – even before 2020. Why? Because there really is no such thing as “normal.”

Think back to about two years ago. Think about what your life was like, what your business was like, what your customers were like. I’m pretty certain things were different then than they are today. But look back two years further than that. Now look back even further and further. If we’re being honest, we can all recognize that things were always changing and evolving. And two years from now, we’ll be able to look back and see how things are different then than they are today.

The only thing that is normal is that things always change.

Now that you know that change is the norm, you’ve got to be able to recognize when change is happening and what you can do to get ahead of that change. And the best companies that are able to get ahead of change are the ones who are always innovating.

In order to keep up, you have to constantly innovate to stay ahead.
 

You’ve got to be constantly looking to the future. How are your customers going to change? How are their expectations going to change? How will the world change, and how is that going to affect your customers? Now what plans can you create to get ahead of these effects before they happen so that you can serve your people in the best possible way? How do you need to continuously improve and innovate what you provide so that you can proactively meet those changes before your customers need it?
 

When we think of innovative companies we tend to think of technological innovations: Apple, Google, Tesla, Amazon. But innovation doesn’t have to be technological innovation. It’s simply a new way to change your customer’s experience or a way to meet future customers’ needs. Or it’s simply a way to change to your team’s processes to help them operate more effectively.

Bookoo Bounce in Louisiana is one of many indoor inflatable playgrounds and party places. You know the ones where you can take your toddler kids, and they can jump in a variety of bouncy houses? Except the owner of Bookoo Bounce didn’t think like every other indoor inflatable playground owner. 

I don’t know if you know this, but apparently little kids grow up to be older kids. And as they grow, what they consider to be fun changes too. The owner of Bookoo Bounce realized this. And he realized that if he was going to keep those kids’ loyalty as they grew, he needed to create an experience that would be fun for them. So he added a whole section of arcade games. Now those preteens who are too cool for bouncy houses will still come and play the arcade games. 

That example sounds really simplistic, but IT IS INNOVATIVE. The owner saw what was going to happen to his customers in the future, and he evolved the experience to meet their needs.

Innovation doesn’t HAVE to be complex, and it doesn’t HAVE to be technical.

That means, no matter your business, no matter your resources, no matter your expertise, you can be innovative too.

Here are some questions to help you figure out just how and where you may need to innovate in your business to stay ahead:

• What are some potential challenges or future issues that will cause our customers’ needs to evolve? What can we do to start meeting those needs?

• What are other companies doing to innovate their customer experience? What can we learn from them?

• What manual steps in the customer experience can be automated?

• Are we maintaining and measuring compliance and integrity in our processes to ensure we’re not hit with penalties and fines in the future?

• What’s coming in the near future that could impact our customers’ needs and expectations? How do we plan for that?

Now that you recognize that change is constant, you don’t need to worry about a “new normal.” And you don’t need to worry about needing to react to change so long as you’re able to stay ahead of it. And you need to always innovate to stay ahead.