INSIGHT Lucy Green
“Now it’s time for leaders to think about the longer-term implications of this crisis”
Lucy Green, CEO of Larato
Four steps to a stronger future
In this article business consultant Lucy Green offers four practical steps, taken from Larato’s Business
Leader’s Crisis Playbook, to guiding your business through the current crisis
Coronavrius has
railroaded businesses
everywhere. Quite
rightly, priorities so
far have been on keeping
colleagues safe and bolstering
protection against cybercrime
as more people work remotely.
Now it’s time for leaders to
think about the longer-term
implications of this crisis.
ese four practical steps use
information you will already
have to:
• Build a data-backed picture
of your organisation’s shortand
medium term prospects.
• Consider the options
available to you and help
you choose the right path
for your future.
• Create a practical action
plan to move forward.
Step 1: Now - Outcomes,
Revenues and Pipeline
Use the diagram to focus on
the most important outcomes
you want for your business.
Although we have made some
suggestions, it is important
to make this as relevant to
your own business as possible.
Prioritise the top two or three
outcomes you need to thrive
or survive.
My customer base: Red:
Amber: Green
Review your customer base
in light of the crisis and
categorise as follows:
• Green: the crisis has a
positive or no impact on the
customer.
• Amber: the crisis impacts
the customer but:
• e customer has adapted
and will continue to buy
from my business.
• e customer will recover in
an acceptable timeframe.
• Red: the customer’s business
is impacted in ways that
present signicant risk to
my business over a longerterm
period.
My revenues and profits:
Red: Amber: Green
Categorise your revenues and
prots:
• Green: revenues/ prots will
be sustained through the
crisis and into the future.
• Amber: revenues/ prots are
impacted but expected to
recover within a timeframe
your business can tolerate.
• Red: revenues/ prots
are impacted beyond a
timeframe your business can
tolerate.
My sales pipeline: Red:
Amber: Green
Categorise your pipeline:
• Green: opportunity
expected to proceed
within a timeframe that is
acceptable to your business’
cash ow.
• Amber: opportunity
expected to be delayed
with negative cash ow
implications.
• Red: opportunity no longer
expected to happen.
Visualisation of your current
status
Plot your data to build a
powerful picture of your
current status. At a glance,
you can see your opportunities
and risk exposure. is
visualisation is great for
discussing options with
colleagues. It helps uncover
opportunity and makes
businesses more resilient to
turbulent economic times.
Step 2: Options (see table)
Your dominant status helps
inform your core approach.
Use this to ask yourself two or
three key questions about your
current position and future.
Step 3: Choice
Bring your priority outcomes
back into your thinking.
Short-list ways of achieving
them in the context of your
Red : Amber : Green status
Now we build a Red: Amber: Green view
of your customers, revenues and pipeline
to help you visualise and quantify your
organisation’s risks and opportunities.
14 | Comms Business Magazine | May 2020 www.commsbusiness.co.uk
/www.commsbusiness.co.uk