26. How to Innovate during a Pandemic

What would you do if you woke up one morning and your business had to pivot entirely?

As the Customer Experience Officer for Fed Square, this is exactly what Suzana Bishop and her team faced with the onset of the global pandemic.

For Fed Square, COVID-19 caused a mass of event cancellations and an estimated 80% decrease in their website visits. They were forced to close, and rethink their plans for the year.

So, how did Suzana and her company take this unprecedented challenge and turn it into an opportunity for innovation?

They decided to change their strategy, by developing their physical activities into virtual experiences. This not only kept their commitment to their community during challenging times, but also, it was a driving force for Fed Square to evolve sooner than the team had originally planned.

“I always felt that we were going to have an offering online, but we probably rushed to bring that to life because of the need and circumstances…We just wanted to be able to help the ecosystem that Fed Square have remain relevant and alive during that time.”

“It really changed the way we think now about all of our channels.”

Here are Suzana’s tips for leading innovation in a pandemic:

View this challenge as an opportunity instead

Consider how you can make the best out of a bad situation. What possibilities are there for your company to grow during this time? Have a thorough look at what’s not working for your business and brainstorm how you can pivot your offering for the better.

“There’s so much innovation happening right now, and I think if you look at times of difficulties throughout history, they are the times where a lot of innovation has come through and kicked off.”

Don’t be afraid of making mistakes

If you have an idea that you can afford to implement, go for it. You won’t know what will work until you try – and you might be surprised.

“Experimenting with ideas and then quickly moving out of them if they don’t go your way or being prepared to take a hit on something is really healthy for organisations.”

Be proactive and not reactive

Suzana credits this as the best advice she’s been given. Take the initiative to find ways to pivot for the better, instead of letting the current situation keep you down. Even in unprecedented times, there are opportunities to be proactive if you are looking hard enough.

Have a listen to my interview with Suzana, where we spoke about how she has approached her career to grow it into what it is today, her experience moving to Melbourne as a Brazilian native, and how she manages motherhood and her career.

You can find this podcast episode here.

For more episodes of the Lady Leadership podcast, click here.