Adapting to changes, both large and small, will be what separates you from the competitors. This is especially true for today’s current conditions, where everyone is having to adapt quickly to what people are calling “the new normal,” or even the "new abnormal." Thinking fast on your feet now, and in the future, can benefit you greatly, as it did hockey great Wayne Gretzky. Partners In EXCELLENCE’s David Brock looks to Gretzky for influence and discusses how reps can be inspired by him, especially this famous quote:

“I skate to where the puck is going to be…”

It’s this quote that leads Brock’s most recent post in which he discusses the importance of it, especially now in the middle of a pandemic. “It’s interesting to see the various mindsets and approaches around what to do next, where to go, how to recover, how to grow, even how to thrive,” he writes.

Adapting is key to success

Brock explains that too many people are looking to where the puck was rather than where it will be, scrambling and struggling to get things back to how they were. Others, though are taking a moment to contemplate where things are headed and how to adapt. 

“They recognize that what we are going through presents tremendous, though different opportunities for the future,” he explains. “They are rethinking everything, making investments, preparing themselves to address new opportunities with their customers, thinking of how they can create new opportunities with their customers.”

How can you get yourself into this mindset of adapting? Brock suggests asking yourself the following:

• What will our customers face as they recover and grow? How can we help them make sense of this, grow, adapt, and thrive?
• Where are they going and what are they going to be prioritizing?
• What new opportunities should we be looking at and preparing to address?
• What are the things that will be most important to our customers next year, in two years? What do we need to do to help them adapt?
• What opportunities can we create for our customers? What should they be thinking about as they develop their recovery strategies? How do we help teach them these things?
• What new capabilities do we need to develop to support these things? What investments should we be making now to be prepared to support and lead our customers in the coming year?

Adapting is absolutely necessary to being successful, now more than ever. By shifting your mindset, you are setting yourself apart from all of the others who are simply reacting, fighting change and still frantically chasing that puck.