Social Business and P&L

A Business Enterprise is always interested in building a healthy P&L. As circumstances change, internally or externally, it looks for new ways to reinvent itself and its offerings.

Social Interventions, or rather, as I like to refer to them, ‘Open/Social/Digital’ interventions can contribute to a much higher sophistication and complexity of designs, both in terms of its value offerings, such as services and the design of its own structure and systems, becoming more agile and responsive in the process.

These interventions therefore are something organizations must look at and examine whether they are applicable to their context, and in particular, whether they can help them with their P&L objectives. I suggest they examine broader models of defining value, but that is another story.

Leading the discussion with a presumed intervention as a solution would be, just as an illustration, similar to asking – “We now have CAT-scan technology – what would it take to get every human to use it”?

If we engage our business leaders in discussions that lead with where it is in their business they have reached an impasse, when they cannot compete effectively, they are losing market share, suffering from a high-turnover, or are not able to attract the appropriate workforce – then it becomes easier to relate that to the P&L, and eventually to how O/S/D could help.

It does not only have to do with critical challenges, the opportunity could also have to do with growth and innovation, which in my opinion is the exciting part of what is happening!

If none of these conditions exist, one will not be able to sell any new paradigm, and perhaps it is not even required.

On the other hand, if you believe that Social Business approaches could help, then I would suggest something in the nature of Education to begin with, if people do not already see the value.