The Tortoise and the Hare

By Steve Sowerby

It is time to take a leaf out of a famous fairy tale of the tortoise and the hare, realising that speed is not necessarily running fast; it is about running wise. There is proof that the more thinking you do before you act, the faster you will go.

So here are 4 elements to consider when preparing your project and organisation for speed:

Build on a strong Insight

Build your initiative with a foundation of deep and powerful insight on your customer or consumer. Unfortunately, Initiatives that are built on reactions are bound to fail as they do not touch the emotions of the people and the individuals you are trying to connect with. Only when you have a deep understanding of their behaviour, attitudes and values will you be able to construct initiatives that will touch the heart of the consumer and create a reaction that will speed you to a successful conclusion 

Create WIN WIN WIN opportunities 

Design your initiative so that it meets the expectations of the key stakeholders; Typically consider your Brand / Company, your Consumers and your Partners such as retailers, professionals, distributors. It is only when we are able to create initiatives that align with the needs and expectations; known and unknown, of these key stakeholders that we will be able to accelerate them to create speed as we develop the initiative. 

Define Success early

Make sure that you define the expected outcome as much as possible by describing what success looks like e.g. benefits, product and service. This is to make sure that you have a goal in the development of the initiative that will help lead you to overcome any potential barriers or diversions. Many projects fail to achieve speed because the scope changes daily and the teams are distracted by unimportant features that eventually slow down the initiatives. In some cases, this can increase the cost of resources such as time and materials. The definition of success will help you to navigate through these walls by knowing exactly what you want to create and know how to create it. 

Swallow your pride and ask for help

Don’t try to do it all by yourself. This recent crisis has taught us that collaborations are critical elements in creating speed. If you can work with individuals, teams and organisations that have already developed the elements you wish to use in your project or be able to create them by working together with increased expertise, you can create and build your ideas faster and better. 

Experience has shown us that these four points are essential in speeding projects to levels that we didn’t believe possible. So just remember these in your current initiatives and you will develop innovation much faster to build powerful brands. 

Steve Sowerby Founder and CEO of XPotential & Co-Founder of The Consumer Healthcare Training Academy