100-day Growth Challenge: Can You Take It?

 

By Andrew Cannon, GRBN

I believe we have a fantastic window of opportunity to grow; as a sector, as companies and as individuals. But to do so, we need to take decisive action.

I would like to challenge you as business leaders and research professionals to make a pledge to do something differently over the next 100 days; to take at least one concrete action to seize this opportunity.

Of all the great opportunities out there in the market place, I have chosen three, which I believe alone offer tremendous opportunities for the research sector to grow:

• Opportunity no. 1: Increasing demand for data and insights

The demand for our core products has never been so high, which plays right into our strengths. But, are we too modest, too polite? Are we letting others “eat our cake”? I believe we need to flex our muscles and start using our elbows a bit more.

• Opportunity no. 2: Increasing speed of change

We understand change. Every day we deliver insights to clients to help them change. But, are we too conservative, too slow, too reluctant, too scared even, to change ourselves? I believe it’s time to further embrace change, not shy away from it.

• Opportunity no.3: Increasing customer-centricity

Technology is driving our industry’s clients to become more customer-centric, more transparent. Who better understands customers than we do? We also have strong ethics, supported with codes and guidelines. But do we treat participants in research well enough, as people, or do we consider them as simply a resource, a data-point? I believe we need to be more participant-centric, as well as client-centric, and to create strong relationships based on trust.

Fantastic opportunities. But we need to seize them and for that we need to take action. By setting a 100-day target, I hope we can focus our collective efforts on making positive change for ourselves and sector. In order to sharpen our focus, I have highlighted 7 potential things to take action on, but if these don’t inspire you, simply make up your own! Visit the special “100-day challenge” webpage to find out more.

Promises and positive pressure

Someone once told me; “nothing is real until you tell someone else about it”, so whilst you are on the “100-day challenge” webpage why not share your pledge with us and we’ll follow-up with everyone after 100 days to find out what we have changed and the impact we are having.

Challenge yourself, challenge someone else

The more people that take decisive action over the next 100 days, the more impact we will have, and I encourage you to pass on this challenge to your colleagues in the industry.

I believe that collectively, and as individuals, we have a lot to gain (or lose if we stick our heads in the sand), so please join us and take the GRBN 100-day challenge at http://grbn.org/grbn-100-day-challenge/