HOW TO STAY RELEVANT con't from FRONT PAGE
for any organization because, without change,
businesses would likely lose their competitive
edge and fail to meet the needs of what most
hope to be a growing base of loyal customers.
Technology: Without change, business
leaders still would be dictating correspondence
to secretaries, editing their words and sending
them back to the drawing board, wasting time
for all involved. Change that results from the
adoption of new technology is common in most
organizations, and while it can be disruptive at
first, ultimately the change tends to increase
productivity and service. Technology also has
affected how we communicate. No longer do
business people dial a rotary phone, get a busy
signal, and try repeatedly and again until they
get through. No longer do business people
laboriously contact people, in person, to find
out about other people who might be useful
resources—they can search for experts online
through search engines as well as through social
media sites. Today’s burgeoning communication
technology represents changes that allow
organizations to learn more, more quickly,
than ever before. It is strongly encouraged for
businesses to research the latest in technology to
ensure their business can continue to compete.
This includes IT equipment, phones, Point of
Sale Systems and much more.
Customer Needs: Customers who were
satisfied with conventional ovens many years
ago are sometimes impatient with the microwave
today. As the world evolves, customer needs
change and grow, creating new demand for new
types of products and services—and opening
new areas of opportunity for companies to meet
those needs. As a business owner, you must find
unique ways to attract and keep your customers.
The attention span of a person is continually
declining, so what is it that your business does
to make that customer feel special and want to
continue to return?
The Economy: The economy can impact
organizations in both positive and negative
ways, and both can be stressful. A strong
economy and increasing demand for products
and services will mean that companies must
consider expansion that might involve the
addition of staff and new facilities. These
changes offer opportunities for staff but also
represent new challenges. A weak economy can
create even more problems as companies find
themselves needing to make difficult decisions
that can impact employees’ salaries and
benefits and even threaten their jobs. The ability
to manage both ends of the spectrum are critical
for organizations that want to maintain a strong
brand and strong relationships with customers
as well as employees. It is imperative to monitor
HOW TO STAY RELEVANT con't. next column
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PINEHURST REALTY GROUP
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www.linhutaff.com
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For all of your real estate needs call Lin Hutaff.
Heart of the Village • 25 Chinquapin Rd, Pinehurst
HOW TO STAY RELEVANT continued
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Seven Lakes
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Village of Pinehurst
All of Moore County
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Southern Pines
910-692-3572
Private Golf Lessons
knollwood-midland.com
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economic trends to ensure that you stay abreast
of any positive or negative changes.
Growth Opportunities: Change is important
in organizations to allow employees to learn
new skills, explore new opportunities and
exercise their creativity in ways that ultimately
benefit the organization through new ideas
and increased commitment. Preparing
employees to deal with these changes involves
an analysis of the tools and training required
to help them learn new skills. Training can be
provided through traditional classroom settings
or, increasingly, through online learning
opportunities. Importantly, organizations
need to do a good job of evaluating employees’
capabilities and then taking steps to fill the gaps
between current skills and the skills required to
respond to growth.
Challenging the Status Quo: Simply asking
the question “Why?” can lead to new ideas and
new innovations that can directly impact the
bottom line. Organizations benefit from change
that results in new ways of looking at customer
needs, new ways of delivering customer
service, new ways of strengthening customer
interactions, and new products that might
attract new markets.
New employees joining an organization
are especially valuable because they can often
point to areas of opportunity for improvement
that those who have been long involved in the
company might have overlooked. But even
existing employees should be encouraged to
question why things are done a certain way and
look for new ways to get work done faster, better
and with higher levels of quality and service.
Reference – www.smallbusiness.chron.com
The Given Outpost & the
Given Memorial Library
& Tufts Archives
Hobbit and Winnie The Pooh!
Saturday, Jan. 6th, 10-noon.Given Memorial
Library • January Author Birthdays, J.R.R. Tolkien
(Hobbit Series) & A.A Milne (Winnie The Pooh).
This event is FREE and open to the public.
The Lure of Pinehurst & Sandhills Hotels & Inns
Thursday, Jan. 11th, 3:30pm. Given Memorial
Library & 7:00pm Given Outpost/Book Shop
Pinehurst’s Given Library and Tufts Archives
Executive Director Audrey Moriarty will revisit a
program on some of the area hotels that existed
in Moore County’s historic past.
This event is FREE and open to the public.
Movie Night : All the President’s Men
Sunday, Jan. 21st, 5-7pm Given Outpost/
Book Shop • “At times it looked like it might cost
them their jobs, their reputations, and maybe
even their lives.” Popcorn and drinks available.
Entry fee is a donation to Given Tufts!
STORY TIME Children’s Program
Thursdays 10:30 am. Given Memorial
Library. Wonderful volunteers share their love
for reading as they read to children, ages 3 - 5,
and everyone makes a craft.
This event is FREE and open to the public.
The Holly and Ivy Dinner Celebrates Mardi Gras
Tuesday Evening, Feb. 13th Holly Inn,
Pinehurst. Save the Date!
January Book Sales at the Given Outpost &
Book Shop. Beat those winter time blues with a
warm book! • Buy One Get One Free! • Monthly
Sale: Cookbooks /Author Sale: Jeffery Deaver &
Dan Brown.
No. 129 The Pinehurst Gazette, Inc. p.5
/www.linhutaff.com
/knollwood-midland.com
/www.moorefloorsnc.com
/www.smallbusiness.chron.com
/www.firsthealthconvenientcare.org