BUS602: Marketing Management

You need to scan on a regular basis, for a set period of time. Start with 30 minutes every couple of days, and then adjust your time allocation as you get more comfortable with the process or specific projects that call for scanning. Eventually, you will be scanning all the time, whether you know it or not, so make sure you have a way of easily recording any hits you find for further exploration. The key is to set a schedule for scanning and not change it. 

If you work in a front-line position where you see clients, time for scanning will always be at risk. Usually however, you will be scanning for a specific purpose that is time limited. Work with your manager and colleagues to ensure you are able to move out of the front-line for dedicated scanning time. If you are managing a scanning process, commit to making the time available for your staff to do their scanning. Ensure they know that scanning is work too, and that you support them spending time on this strategic activity. Encourage them to allocate set times for scanning, and to not be distracted by the urgent work that is sitting on their desk. Allow them to work at home or in the local café if that is possible (i.e., out of the office), so that they can focus very clearly on scanning. 

This is about balancing a strategic activity with your operational imperatives. Most of us spend most of our time in the operational arena, and feel guilty when we move out of that space to focus on other things. Not keeping up with the volume of work and making ourselves busier than we already are is often a great fear. Setting time aside for scanning isn't easy to do in today's work environment, but if you want a stronger and more robust strategy, then scanning must be a priority in your work schedule. 

No doubt the Banks now wish they had taken the time to scan more widely in the first decade of the new Millennium. They would have seen the crisis coming and had time to avoid the losses and huge reputation loss they incurred by not being future focused.