This statement is controversial. While many business leaders see a new normal emerging where we will never go back to the way things were, others simply see us weathering an economic crisis that, in time, will come to an end and things will return to normal.
Things have changed. Whether you call today’s business environment the “new normal,” the “not normal,” or just plain unsettling, you know the old ways aren’t working. People are skeptical, to say the least, about their relationships with business. People, whether they are customers, partners, or employees, are looking for relationships with organizations they can trust …. and organization that cares … an organization that aligns with their values. Yet, the search is arduous and difficult. Too often, the real story is that businesses view people as a means to their profit end rather than a stakeholder in creating shared value.