Dancing alone can be fun.  But in the world of business, it is a recipe for failure.   If you are like most organizations, you have multiple partners navigating the floor at any given time.  As the dance heats up, the beat quickens, or someone decides to change up the song, those in the lead should take the opportunity to revisit just who the heck they are dancing with, and ask some basic questions: 

– Can my partners keep up? 

– Do they know any different dances?  Have any new moves?   

– Who else is on the floor? What are they doing? 

The music doesn’t stop in the American economy.  You have to keep dancing, keep leading the way, and when necessary, find someone who can do the same. The goal is to keep the rhythm, the beat and the footwork in-line with the current ‘play list’. 

In 2020 we are not only dancing to changing tunes, but to a whole new style of music. Many organizations made the transition fairly smoothly.  They were already dancing to something close to what we are hearing now. REMOTE WORKING!  They had already given a warm embrace to flexible tools like Microsoft 365, VOIP and modern cybersecurity.   

Other organizations have found themselves struggling with inadequate technology and IT partners who are not fulfilling their needs. These partners awkwardly move, shake and shimmy in attempts to mask their struggles. Endless nods, winks and shoulder shakes awkwardly fill the dance floor all in the hope it keeps your eyes from straying across the room to find out who other people are dancing with. 

If your organization is currently in one of these clumsy relationships, you know you need to change partners.  Now it is trying to figure out when to change given all the market uncertainty. Consider the following:  

Housing prices are up because supply is limited and demand is high as people revisit their living situations to factor in the new dynamics.  Rental rates are up and being driven by the same factors.  Buyers are struggling to get a bike, new camper or motorcycle for the same reason.  Technology demand is up because people are making changes and embracing it deeper and deeper.  The IT supply has growing hardware and human resource constraints in helping people implement, support and manage technology and change.