5 questions with Tom Morrison

Tom Morrison

During Tom Morrison’s 20-plus years as a trade association executive, he has been a student of marketplace disruption and personal development.

Because he also is a life coach, Morrison’s presentation will motivate and inspire you to make positive changes to achieve the best life possible. His book, How to Get People to Scream Your Name and Beg for More, helps readers achieve the quality of life they desire.

We asked Morrison, who will present “When Uberization Collides with Your Industry” at at the NPMA Technology Summit’s opening general session, the following five questions.

1. What is the uberization economy?

The uberization economy is one driven by extreme disruption. Extreme disruption is when a driving force of change enters your market out of nowhere, causing the value your business model brings to the customer to diminish by providing it in a cheaper, faster, better and more customer-friendly way. There are three dynamic forces that I will unpack during my presentation that are working together to drive all the market disruption happening in today’s economy. Disruption is happening at hyperspeed, and will only get faster over time due to technology shifts.

2. What do the owners of pest control businesses need to learn about extreme disruption?

Forbes released a study that predicts 40 percent of all Fortune 500 companies here today will not exist in 2030 due to consolidation, bankruptcy and going out of business caused by marketplace disruption. That may seem hard to believe, but facts show 52 percent of the Fortune 500 companies in 2000 do not exist today due to market disruption and being slow to change with market forces.

The biggest lesson to learn from extreme disruption is to lead it through effective and constant change. The only companies that are negatively affected by disruption are those who refuse, or are slow, to change. During my presentation, I will share why disruption happens, where it happens in your business, and the steps businesses need to take advantage of disruptive forces.

3. How can change be beneficial to a business?

In an uberized economy, companies cannot stay the same. Change is good, and must be constant. There needs to be an urgency of change among company employees because time is no longer a luxury. Disruptive forces are shaking up business models within as little as one year, so being slow to change can quickly change the value of your services and customer demand. In short, you don’t have a choice on change. Key elements like customer experience, connectivity and workplace culture are all changing in constant motion, causing companies to be very agile in their business models.

4. How does striving for personal development affect a person’s work situation?

A person’s personal development, as well as fulfillment, drives his or her professional performance. It is proven that when employees are personally happier, productive and have purpose in what they are doing for a living, they are much more productive as workers and managers. The younger generation wants to learn, advance and accomplish through personal and professional development. If the pest management industry wants to attract them, it’s important you provide a path for them to develop both personally and professionally.

5. What are business owners who are not tech-savvy missing out on?

Business owners who are not tech-savvy will basically find it hard to compete in the next decade. Technology brings efficiencies, lower costs and better customer experience. If you ignore technology shifts, and refuse to change to meet the customer experience demands and the eight-year labor shortage challenge in America, you risk your business not being able to compete in the next decade.