If the past few years are any indicator, government contractors should be experts in adapting to change. The pandemic hit the contracting world with significant changes– government shutdowns and supply chain disruption. Shortages in people. Stay-at-home orders and then back-to-office preparations.

There are still some companies that are stuck in a loop, reacting rather than being ready for the changes ahead.

Common Errors when Change Comes

1) The move: Wait, then react. Some companies see what others would do on an issue rather than making the first move. This causes delays.

The solution: Take the time to learn about the change. Find similar training, create a small program to carry out the training, a pilot program. This will ensure that while you are handling some delays, the pilot program is looking for a solution.

2) Do nothing until under duress. These organizations will not make a move until the change has shown they are hurt when they lose a contract or have issues with their budget. 

The solution: The world is not stagnant, and improvements happen everywhere. Don’t be stuck on your product or project. Make improvements, no matter how small. This keeps you and your services on top and running with the best of them.

3) Individuals who fear change. There will always be employees who fear change. Your John Henrys, they will seek to derail you with their attitude. With the recent changes in the working environment and technology due to the pandemic, you should have identified who can and cannot work with change.

The solution: You can still help your John Henry through training and coaching. Try and make everyone aligned with your goals.

Make the change work for you. Find Your Priorities.

What are your company goals and targets? Are you aiming to be a market leader or at least top 10? Are you looking for a higher revenue or more government contracts? The best way to use change here is to study your competition. See how they react to change. Find out what fits your company and what it can do to manage change. Look for innovations, talk to business colleagues, and find growth within the change.

Once you have mastered the changes externally, plan how your company can make this change work for you. Do you need more training? Do you need to upgrade? Once done, implement your solution and follow up on the results if they are feasible and profitable.

Be ready. Be proactive.

You know that change is constant. Simply waiting for it to come and then reacting wastes time and effort. Ready your team for changes ahead. Look to the future.

Use your statistics to predict changes and trends. Strengthen your employees by getting them ready as well. If you have extra resources, keep them ready for the next contract. Study any new changes to regulations and plan accordingly. 

When you ready your resources, staff, and yourself for the changes, you become more agile and flexible for the issues ahead.

Conclusion

The pandemic forced tech changes for you and your staff. Five years ago, you’d never even heard of virtual meetings or meeting deadlines with a skeleton crew. Master how to prepare for change through research and knowledge. Plan your tech needs and resources, and make your people more resilient to change.

Delegating allows you to concentrate on changes and services rather than the busy work of government contracting. One of the most time-consuming and demanding parts of federal contracting is the accounting part. We at Peter Witts want to take this burden off your backs and help you focus on what you need to deliver. Don’t worry. Our 20-plus years of government contract accounting, combined with our DCAA insider knowledge, is more than enough to handle all your government contracting needs.