“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:13
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a major global paradigm shift in the business world.
My series of columns has been based on Peter Drucker’s revolutionary teachings: “Management is doing things right (efficiency); leadership is doing the right things (effectiveness).”
In recent columns we have shared specific solutions designed to reduce the failure rate of startups in the new post-COVID-19 normal.
Here is a random selection of the feedback that has been received since the column’s inception, which reflects its history and evolution.
(1) A champion of business: “Barbados, the Singapore of the Caribbean”, please tell us more.
(2) Caribbean and Diaspora newspapers: Requests to syndicate articles.
(3) Aggressive newspaper exchanges: My views not in sync with others usually ending in an agreement to differ, sometimes not.
(4) Relative: Replace quotes from philosophy and science at the start of each column, with biblical quotes.
(5) Relative: Many of the current strategic visioning business principles you espouse are to be found in the holy book.
(6) Readers: No perceived match between quote and content, resulting in my request to check again.
(7) Relative: Shorten length and add graphic in the interest of good time management.
(8) Regular responder: I much preferred the longer style where you had more space to develop your argument.
(9) International readers: Thanks for continually apprising readers of the business landscape of the Caribbean.
(10) Local readers: Why not document your columns in a book(s)?
(11) Leading diplomat in Barbados: Which ecclesiastical college did you attend?
(12) Newspaper reader stopped me on a walk: You look like the Barbados Advocate columnist who starts your article with a biblical quote? God bless you son.
(13) Reader in response to writings about Indian and American author, Deepak Chopra: “Only Jesus Christ can help you Springer.”
(14) MBA students at the Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business: Your column collection is a very useful source for our assignments.
(15) Marketplace Excellence Corporation (MPE): Invited me to include the column as part of its brand.
(16) Readers: Articles can be repetitive.
(17) Research students: Your collection of 1,400 plus columns is a source of useful business advice.
(18) Readers: Which comes first in conceptualizing a column? The content or the title? Mainly the content.
(19) Regular readers: Varying difficulty in comprehension from one column to another. The columns are now started earlier to avoid writing in a rush.
(20) Relative: Are you an “I” specialist? There is now a greater use of the third person rather than the first person. Thanks to you all.
Last weekend while chatting casually with some of my MPE colleagues, it was suggested that, after decades of the traditional presentation format, the column should now pivot to a new storytelling style which captures interesting events from my many interactions with entrepreneurs.
In researching this storytelling shift, I unearthed several publications one of which was by Pamella Neely entitled “7 Storytelling Techniques and How To Apply Them”.
Several things were revealed: Storytelling is (1) the oldest way to deliver a message; (2) one of the marketing world’s new darlings; and (3) hailed as the single most powerful business skill for the immediate future.
Next week we shall introduce the storytelling mode based on my belief that a new skillset may be developed through Christ who strengthens me.
(Dr. Basil Springer GCM is a Change-Engine Consultant. His email address is basilgf@marketplaceexcellence.com. His columns may be found at www.nothingbeatsbusiness.com.