While it’s hard to escape the many Cyber Monday offers that fill you inbox, the day can actually teach you some important lessons about organizational change. Whether you’re a fan of shopping or not, it’s an example of an event that has a specific purpose. People know what the day is about and act on it, whether it’s by shopping more or shunning it entirely.
What if your business created its own Cyber Monday day? This doesn’t have to be a shopping event. In most cases, it’s about making some sort of organizational change. This technique can also boost employee engagement.
You pick a day, preferably one that doesn’t compete with anything of high importance, and focus entirely on one thing. This can be a strength or an area where you want to see some improvement. Some examples include:
- Reconnect with past customers and see if you can better serve their needs and get more business.
- Clean and reorganize the office to improve efficiency.
- Conduct a big picture thinking session to define new products and offerings.
Make Your Event Like Cyber Monday
Have this task performed at the same time every year. You want it to:
- Build tremendous awareness. People, whether inside or outside your organization, know it’s coming.
- Show commitment to the day. For Cyber Monday, retailers understand it’s going to be a busy day with lots of preparation but their success will likely boost the bottom line.
- Create anticipation. People should look forward to solving a problem or addressing a challenge.
It’s important to make sure your day is focused on one issue. It can be an annual project or change every year. But you don’t let the agreed upon focus change or get watered down by other ideas. Also, it needs to be an all hands on deck activity, as much possible.
This may involve closing the office or reducing services. It may be wise to let the outside world know what you’re doing. It can be as simple as saying, “This is the day when we get better for you.”
In some cases leadership may want to pick the focus, while in others, employee may vote on it. It’s designed to be a day when something gets done, with a tangible outcome.
Many organizations have long to-do lists or potential game-changing projects that are collecting dust. Honor these initiatives by giving them a special day of action.
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