You’re Going to Need a Sharper Knife
Back in March when the world started shutting down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we all talked about how we couldn’t wait for life to get back to “normal.”
Eight months in, I think we all realize that our old “normal” is still a long way off. Truthfully, it’s not coming back. We are now deeply steeped in The Next Normal. How we choose to adapt to it will determine our success.
That’s what I told the 1,900+ customers who tuned into our HxGN LIVE evolve720 fully-digital conference this week. (When a pandemic prevents you from visiting your clients, you adapt!)
I likened industry’s current situation to the long, slow squeeze of an anaconda, with 90% of projects being late and over budget. It’s not because of COVID … it’s because of a refusal to topple the status quo!
So how do you fight back against that anaconda? You get a knife, and you keep it sharp. In our scenario, the knife is data; when that data is optimized and properly utilized, the anaconda doesn’t stand a chance.
But because 90% of all data was created in the last two years, you can’t try to work with all of it. You’ve got to create, capture and employ the sharpest, most valuable data.
My company’s entire current purpose is to help our customers survive this disruption and thrive in The Next Normal. That means investing in:
- Uncertainty (being prepared for any situation)
- Certainty (those things we know are going to happen)
- Sustainability (because we’ve only got one planet)
The revolution that Hexagon is leading seeks to drive down the cost of scalable sustainability by improving performance, growth and production to reverse the trend of gobbling up the resources of not one but two earths.
During our two-day digital conference, I had the chance to talk with some of the brightest minds in our industries. There was Mark Bonchek, who is the founder/Chief Epiphany Officer of Shift Thinking, who talked about creating exponential value through adopting an exponential mindset.
He acknowledges that while an incremental mindset is satisfied with 5% to 10% improvement, the exponential mindset is on the hunt for 10 times that. Inertia and habit are the enemy of the exponential.
I also got to take part in amazing dialogue led by business journalist Geoff Colvin (Fortune magazine) as well as PAS Global founder Eddie Habibi (whose company is being acquired by Hexagon); Dan Eberhart, CEO of Canary; Dr. Andreas Loeschel, chair of microeconomics at the University of Munster (Germany); and David Wilson, Chief Innovation Officer of Bechtel.
Their insight into the global economy and state of industry was illuminating. I’ll be referencing their wisdom as I continue to plan this company’s path.
The common thread was the need to let go of the past and envision a bold future … not one solely based on hope of a better fate but on taking action to create a more autonomous, digitally transformed tomorrow.
And keep your knife very, very sharp.
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If you weren’t tuned in live for evolve720, it’s OK. We have our keynotes, sessions and demos available on demand. Find out more here.