The document discusses strategies for companies to shift from a defensive to offensive posture during the COVID-19 pandemic. It outlines that initially companies focused on mitigating risks, ensuring liquidity and stabilizing operations. However, it is now time to prepare for growth by developing new products/services, pivoting business models and investing in new technologies. Offensive companies focus on potential opportunities rather than risks alone and allocate significant budgets to technology investments. The document provides steps for companies to assess impacts, develop new strategies to beat competitors, strengthen teams and implement new value propositions to drive growth.

1. From defensive to offensive growth during the
pandemic generated by COVID-19

2. 1. Defensive
• Mitigating the highest risks is crucial from an operational point of view as well as from a cash flow point of
view. This is a continuous effort. Short-term liquidity and solvency actions are essential.
• There is a need for a strong unifying vision, a robust governance and corporate culture, which guarantees
that resource management is well carried out.
• Skepticism about the value of new digital trends and overly cautious concern about spending leads to lost
opportunities to the advantage of competition.

3. • But it is time to prepare for the next phase.
Industries that have been in the status quo for a
decade are now wide open to transformation.
Companies that move quickly and decisively will
win.
• Profitability for digital conservative companies is
only 9% compared to 26% for digital
transformation-focused management companies.
• Offensive company leaders focus not on risk but
on potential, have advanced knowledge of new
technologies, are open and allocate significant
budgets for technology investments.
2. Offensive

4. 3. The difference between defensive and offensive
Defensive
Now:
1. Income protection
2. Defining re-budgeting and implementing cash
protection measures
3. Stabilization of operations (distribution chain,
manufacturing)
In one month time:
1. Reality monitoring vs. scenarios and adjustment
accordingly
2. Ongoing re-budgeting and divestments
3. Bringing operations back to normal for the next 18
months
Ofensive
Now:
1. Develop a strategy on how to beat your
competitors
2. Planning to pivot or develop new products /
services, markets or business models
In one month time:
1. Making a business pivot plan
2. Establishing investments in growth areas
3. Development of new products / services, markets
or business models

5. 4. Defensive leadership
• Defensive attitude weakens learning agility and
affects the mentality of personal and professional
development. Agility in learning includes
practices such as improvement efforts,
questioning the normal way of doing things and
evaluating everyone's experiences.
• Defensive leaders are deficient in
communication, adaptability, ability to achieve
business goals and self-awareness.
• Defensive attitude often hides the reality of what
you do, making both your goals and
transparency within your team opaque.

6. 5. Offensive leadership
• Leaders of this kind know their colleagues, know their customers, learn and update continuously, cultivate
cooperation, are creative, make clear decisions and invest in team development and training.
• Research indicates that leaders who learn and act in an agile manner are more successful, both in
contributing to the company's revenue and in the overall performance of employees and managers.

7. 6. Investments in innovation and research
• The world's 100 most innovative companies spend even more on research and development during a
recession, while many other companies stop. In the long run, these investments give profitability and
growth.
• Studies by Gartner or Bain & Company show that those companies that made such investments during the
2008 crisis had winning strategies over those that cut costs.

8. How will my consumers, the
market, the categories of
products / services be
impacted in the medium
and long term?
7. Steps for a growth approach
How can I beat my
competitors in the new
reality? How do I reallocate
my investments to growth
initiatives?
Impact assessment
In the short term, finding new
business opportunities,
generated by new customer
behaviors. Look for explosive
growth opportunities.
Projects measured weekly.
Design, development and
launch of a new value
proposition in the market.
Strengthen the team.
1.
Strategy
2.
Offensive
3.
Implementation
4.

9. ABOUT US
Valoria Business Solutions is a
consulting, training, and coaching
company. The mission of the company is
to transform the potential of teams and
organizations into value. Competence,
trust, innovation and passion are the
values we uphold through everything we
do. We believe in people and their
aspiration for personal and professional
fulfillment and their desire to accelerate
their potential. Valoria team members
are involved in mentoring, business
coaching and education support projects
in Romania. Find out more about us at:
www.valoria.ro.
Contact:
Constantin Măgdălina, Emerging Trends
and Technologies Expert
constantin.magdalina@valoria.ro