The new company’s brand is friendly and dynamic, their brokers edgy and young. They pride themselves on avoiding jargon and complicated technical terms.
Dave’s team members are experienced, focused and reliable. They know their subject inside out but are set in their ways. He’s already lost a few clients to the more energetic and forward-thinking competition.
He needs to keep his point of difference but get better in some of the areas his competitor does well. He looks into how he can steer his business and set new goals.
When one of his team leaves to go overseas, he recruits Jane — a smart and personable 35-year-old whose enthusiasm and good ideas are infectious. He asks Jane to lead workshops on how to put his new business goals into practice.
On Jane’s advice, he agrees to relax the company dress code to smart casual, instead of the dark suits and corporate image they’re used to.
Dave also organises a game of paintball for the team after the next team meeting. Getting out of the office and having a bit of fun together helps everyone loosen up.
Over the next couple of months, employees feel more willing to try new things. They also start putting forward ideas on how to stop the business from losing clients to the competition.