Open For Business
Signs of life are popping up everywhere you look, and while the challenges are far from over, we are seeing humanity emerge with a desire to connect. The question that arises is, do we emerge the same or do we learn from the last 3 months and benefit in the weeks ahead? Or simply put, did we create new dreams, or did we simply hunker down and wait it out?
Did you know that some of the greatest innovations, products, and services we use today were born out of the aftermath of some of the largest crises of the 21st century? 9/11 and the 2008 Housing Crisis, for example, served as historical markers that each produced a slightly revised “normal” and, in the aftermath of these crises, only 14% of businesses made the decision to reinvest and reimage.
When we eventually look back on this chaotic chapter of our lives, how will you choose to define this moment for your business? We’d like to take a moment and share with you our story.
Streamline Labs
If you’ve worked with us before, you know the following to be true: we have an out-of-the-box, forward-thinking, and young creative team that isn’t afraid to try new things. What’s new to Streamline is that we’ve been using our quarantine to gain space, perspective, and renewal – and we’ve been creating like never before.
While our industry sustained significant economic damage, we never put up a “closed” sign. We saw this time as an opportunity to work in an entirely new way, and now, we’re ready to launch new product offerings that were dreamt up, built, and refined during our quarantine. We know these won’t be perfect, because in times of crises, speed trumps perfection. However, we believe with great risk comes great opportunity, and we wanted to be a part of that famous reinventive 14%.
When we asked our team to take big risks early on, we grounded ourselves in these truths, and today, we share them with you:
Good Decisions vs Perfect Decisions
A recent article on perfectionism in leadership reminded us of an interview question that all Streamline employees are asked before getting hired: How do you know good decisions from perfect decisions? And better yet, what kind of situations call for which?
Perfectionism can be a liability in a crisis, since the speed at which we complete a task is often prioritized over finding that perfect solution. But sometimes we have to make good decisions that can be adjusted rather than wait for that pristinely flawless solution to arise. Adapting to a new reality in the event industry is a perfect example of this truth. With speed comes new ideas and optimism, and with trusted partnerships and time comes refinement. Keep moving forward and remember that we are never finished.
Distraction vs Agility
Take the time to identify the difference between distraction and agility. Distraction is when our minds are constantly jumping from one idea to the next, but agility is a practice that allows us to shift our focus to an awareness. We remove the ego from decision making so that the focus on being successful, or thinking, “this is how it has to be done,” is replaced with, “this is how it needs to be done now.”
Speed vs Perfection
There is a time for perfect decisions, and there is a time for good decisions. Now is the time for good decisions. As you lead, realize that you are not alone. We moved quickly with sound guidance and kept in mind that our instincts were often more spot-on than we thought – they just may require some tweaking along the way.
Streamline has a remarkable team, and our ability to create in this new normal is something we are immensely proud of. We know the solutions we create don’t have to be perfect. There will be a time for that. But for now, we work to make sure our team is agile in our thinking and our approach. We’re proud to have a team that has adapted to this crisis and will adapt every day we continue to serve our clients and industry.
What’s New?
Over the next three weeks, we will proudly unveil to you the substantial changes we have made in our #StreamlineLabs, starting with The Streamline Creative Studio, then onto an entirely new digital gathering platform, and finally, the secret artist- and charity-focused event!
But for now, we welcome your comments on these thoughts. We’re working to build community and dialogue with our industry friends and be ‘helpers’ in times of need. Your input and feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Stay safe, stay healthy, and we look forward to showing you what’s next from StreamLine Labs!
