Are you curious about how to pivot and when? Furthermore, what does it mean to pivot, and how can it help you succeed? These tips for success may help
How to Pivot and When: Powerful, Compelling Tips for Success
Before diving into how to pivot and when let’s begin with a definition of pivoting. Briefly, pivoting involves fundamentally changing direction, goals, branding, building a new business or products, and even when to exit.
Pivoting usually refers to business, although individuals use pivoting to their success as well.
How to Pivot and When: Knowing the Value of a Well-Timed Pivot
How do you determine its value if you know how to pivot and when it is on your radar? There are some universal truths about success. One of the most essential is learning to pivot.
“Sometimes knowing when something is not working and pivoting to something new leads to our greatest opportunities and successes.” – Kristina Saffran
Pivot When Something Stops Working
You instinctively know when something isn’t right, when it stops working or fails to work at all. The natural tendency is to give it more time, allow it to evolve, smooth it out, or some such euphemism.
- However, when you know something isn’t working, it’s the best time to change course.
Pivoting in Politics
This is known as a pivot in politics, and we’re hearing quite a bit about it these days. The specifics around the pivot aren’t as important as the underlying concept: A pivot, when well-timed, can make all the difference in the world.
- When done right, a pivot can lead to success.
- Besides, pivoting can clarify a policy, marketing campaign, or target audience.
- It can eliminate confusion.
- Furthermore, a well-planned pivot can solidify support.
- Also, a pivot can attract new customers, users, and advocates.
Pivoting in Business
Knowing that you’ve reached a point where something isn’t working is a seminal moment in business, personal relationships, and everyday interactions. You’re at the stage where you can’t go on doing what you’ve been doing, yet you are rightfully a little worried about making a change.
- Change isn’t easy. Rarely does change come without some angst, doubt, and hesitation.
- However, nothing good ever came from just waiting around, existing in the status quo, fearing change, and refusing to do something different, something new.
That’s precisely what the pivot does for you – when you do it at the right time. Powerful leaders know this, and it’s a crucial part of their success.
How and When to Pivot: When Is the Right Time?
The wrong time is to change your mind, backtrack on your promises, mouth statements you don’t believe in quixotically, at random, without careful thought.
A well-timed pivot considers the knowledge of what didn’t work, recognizes the opportunity to take a different course of action, and is committed to seeing the change through.
- In other words, don’t be weak or indecisive when pivoting. Avoid engaging in self-doubt.
- Analyze the situation, weigh the proposed action’s pros and cons, marshal your talking points to reinforce your position, and go for it.
How to Pivot: Startup Software Company Marketing Manager
Here’s an example of a well-timed pivot in business.
The Setup: Dismal Sales Results
Andy B., the marketing manager at a startup software company, gets dismal sales results following the latest online campaign he initiated. Stunned, he immediately feels threatened and wants to justify his time and resources on the failed campaign. He knows his boss won’t be pleased. Andy was hired for his expertise, and this is no indication of his strengths.
Andy’s Strategy to Pivot
Instead of stubbornly insisting on the rightness of his strategy, Andy dives deep into the specifics of what went wrong. He informs his boss that he’ll have a new plan in three days and lives up to that commitment.
- Based on his analysis, Andy determines that the last campaign lost critical messages to the company’s intended audience.
- However, he goes back to why the software is superior to the competition, why consumers should care, and what it does to make their lives easier, more secure, and more reliable.
- Then, he sketches out the new campaign, enlists his team to fine-tune some points, work out the execution, and presents the idea to the boss.
Will this pivot work? Does the boss see the benefit of trying something new? While it will take some time to see the results, the renewed enthusiasm and solid support from the boss and Andy’s team show great promise.
This is what’s good about how and when to pivot. It isn’t for the timid, but it is effective. How much do you want to succeed?
