New Expectations and Opportunities for Business

In 2019, before Covid-19 and life without social distancing , face masks and hand sanitiser,  I engaged with fellow mutual directors at the Customer Owned Banking Association  convention on the topic of the conscious consumer and values based companies. We all agreed that consumers were increasingly valuing companies and leaders who had a strong sense of purpose and created value for the customer. This has been reinforced more strongly in the past year as we navigate through the most significant global health, economic and social change in our lifetime. On the whole leaders adapted and companies worked very quickly to adapt to the new circumstances. What has become most apparent is we need to make sure we have at the front of our mind that employees need values based companies. It is our employees who have had to adjust so significantly to continue to deliver to customers. Many having to work from home, home school their children and deal with the challenges of family and friends geographically distanced in countries or states locked away from visiting or providing or receiving support. It is a time we have come to value how critical social connection is and the role our local community plays for our wellbeing. I hear statements from many about getting back to "business as usual once this is over" . We need to challenge ourselves about this paradigm.  Why do we believe this is first,  possible, and second advantageous! Expectations and capability has changed in a year . We need to recalibrate what do our customers and employees expect of us in a world that has economically, technologically  and socially changed . What have we learned and what are we now capable of?  If we don't do this we will lose the opportunity to stay relevant to our customers and employees and for business stop deliver to society stronger  long term value . To be competitive business needs to  create  value for shareholders and generations to come by  contributing to a healthier planet and  community. This is a time to build trust that business strategy is  driven by purpose.