From Troop Goals to Business Strategy: The Power of the Pivot

What I appreciate about scouting is the confidence you gain through building your skills. I have been a troop helper for a while, and every year we sell cookies to support our troop and service projects in our community.

Like many businesses, our scouts have had to navigate some hard pivots. A new bakery, new cookies, cookies going away, and economic uncertainty have required new strategies to be successful.

My daughter and I sat down and worked through the issues, just like I do with my team or my clients when I was working in an agency. Businesses are handling an unprecedented amount of uncertainty and chaos. Here’s how we handled it in scouts:

New bakery
Problem – Not being able to provide the cookies we all know and love
Pivot – Educate customers that while the names may be new, it’s the same recipes they’ve enjoyed for years.

New cookies
Problem – Customers unfamiliar with the new cookies
Pivot – Walk through the new flavors and what they pair well with.

Price increase
Problem – The price increased for the second year in a row
Pivot – Listen and acknowledge their disappointment, then explain the amazing scouts and exceptional programs they are supporting.

Perception
Problem – “Aren’t you too old to be selling Girl Scout cookies?”
Pivot – Explain that scouts can stay in Girl Scouts through 12th grade, building leadership skills and friendships along the way.

Our troop has mastered the pivot, the weather, and stayed committed to their goals. And as we all face upcoming challenges, may we take the pivot head-on.