Last Wednesday, we hosted a Virtual Think IT Panel Event on the topic, How to Stay True to Your Mission and Pivot in These Challenging Times. A huge thank you to our panelists, Suzzette Jaskowiak, Divisional Vice President, Pharmacy, Healthcare, Customer Engagement and Store Technology at Walgreens, Tammy Jeffery, Senior Director at Health Care Service Corporation, and Pal Pushpendu, SVP and Technology Leader for sharing how they adapted in these challenging times.
What is the most significant pivot (other than WFH) your organization has done since the pandemic started?
Organizations are ensuring that they are accelerating products and customer satisfaction due to demand. An example one of the panelists shared was that their company is allowing more than just prescriptions to be picked up through the drive-through. People can get other items that they need without having to go into the store. Also, organizations were looking at the environment around COVID and created a task force to help accelerate and communicate even more efficiently. Having the tools and technology to work from home was also something that organizations needed to change.
When did you realize that your “scramble to survive” was actually a pivot you should incorporate into your strategy? What was that conversation like?
The realization that the scramble to survive was actually a pivot is when organizations started making task forces designed for COVID. Everyone had to adapt and learn how to engage with clients in a broader fashion. Also, e-commerce volume shot up, and distribution centers have had to change what products they carry. Organizations also realized that they might have to pivot to more self-service options.
Do you wish you would have done something differently during your organization’s pivot?
During COVID, people who are working from home are tending to work longer days. Organizations are now trying to have people not be working past business hours. Also, organizations wanted to increase their agility and shift more quickly to adapt to these changes. They are realizing now how quickly everyone truly did adapt.
How has all of this affected your talent/recruiting plans? Are you still bringing on new talent (entry-level, experienced) during these times?
Many organizations are still bringing on new talent. It is a bit slower than before, but they are still onboarding talent virtually. Organizations are also taking this time to hire for more critical roles, with those being more necessary during these times. The panelists agreed that hiring might slow for 3-4 years.
What is something in the last six months that you’ve changed your mind on?
- Working from home
- Speed and productivity from home
- How well teams can step up in challenging times
- The power of work and trust that can be built
Businesses are continuing to stay true to their mission and vision even during these challenging times. They are learning to adapt to any new changes that may come. Thank you to everyone who joined us for this session as well!