The New How

Today we launch the New How from Shoosmiths, our long-term strategic project, to help you and your business work smarter, faster and better.

‘There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen’. This apt quote, usually attributed to Lenin, sums up the current challenges.

Although it is uncertain whether the revolutionary leader actually said these words, they are no less powerful for that.

Change is happening. Now. And at a speed, and to an extent, which has taken us all by surprise.

The current ‘decades-in-weeks’ timeline of events has been deeply unsettling, for people and businesses alike.

Typically these changes only happen after major conflict. In the past, the cauldron of war and its aftermath jumpstarted many seismic changes in our society. In 1918, women over 30 got the vote for the first time. Three years after the end of the Second World War, the NHS was set up and is still with us today, two full decades into the 21st century.

Today, a virus has upended all our lives and seen businesses, large and small, adapt in ways they never would have imagined even a few months ago. The jolt of upheaval from this pandemic will likely take generations to play out.

On a broader level, while the basics of much of what we do may not change significantly, how we do it will.

This has already been happening.

In recent weeks technology has helped us adapt how we keep in contact with friends and loved ones. Had this pandemic happened a generation or two ago, the only tool available would have been the landline. Nowadays, with the likes of Zoom and Skype, grandparents can see their grandkids, teachers can see their students, and friends can have virtual catchups over a beer or glass or two of wine. For those in a household of many, it has allowed them to escape virtually for a short while. For those who live alone, it has been a lifeline.

For business, these tools have been equally transformative as many move to things like remote-working, in whole or in part. With smarter workwear consigned to wardrobes and home offices on show—warts and all—we’ve seen the more human side of our colleagues. We’ve even seen the odd child or pet. We have adapted to the ‘new normal’.

Of course, businesses need to continue adapting, as we have been doing in our daily lives. This isn’t a one-off change. There is much more change to come.

Every business we speak to wants to emerge from this crisis better than before. Most major businesses are already devoting a lot of management time to ensure that the future looks better than the past. There’s a lot to be done.

What businesses offer to their customers may not fundamentally change. But it is abundantly clear that how it is done will. How is up for grabs.

The New How is how your business could—and should—be doing things now.

Over the past few years we have been working hard developing innovative products, processes and working practices at Shoosmiths like matters+, Live Working and now Cia (our new AI contract review platform), to name a few.

These exciting products don’t change what is done, but they radically change how it is done so that it is delivered smarter, faster and better.

Do watch the video below and use the ‘Get in touch’ link to let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you and discuss the opportunities for you and your business.

Above all, stay safe and healthy.