5 Ways to Become a Disrupter Today

This blog is the second in the series, Fighting Fraud Requires Anticipatory Skills.

Disrupters are changing our world. Those who are threatened by the disrupters are the disrupted. The government even plays a role in this process of change and is sometimes forced to respond. In some cases, people see the government’s role as putting up road blocks to slow the disruption. 

Uber is the first company that comes to mind as an example of a disrupter. Uber changed the face of transportation within urban communities. The Uber concept wasn’t invented by a cab driver or a transportation company. It is focused on the software that makes it easy for riders and drivers to connect. This disrupter has pushed local governments to change regulations and laws. It is amazing how fast a software company disrupted the taxi companies’ business environment.

Another disrupter is Airbnb, a company that connects people with properties for rent. It is reshaping the travel industry, but the company is fighting numerous battles with governmental entities that are trying to regulate users. Hotel businesses did not develop this concept, and they are being disrupted.

The disrupter versus the disrupted isn’t a new concept. It is merely new terms to describe what happens when something new replaces something that has been around for years. Older examples that come to mind are the car versus the horse buggy, the light bulb versus the candle, Google versus the encyclopedia, and the mobile phone versus the pay phone.

Below are five ways to become the disrupter and not the disrupted:

1. Learn from the past – Numerous investigators have paved the way for us. Most of them are baby boomers who are on the verge of retiring, which will leave a potential gap. These seasoned professionals have developed special skills over many years and countless investigations. Some of these skills cannot be automated by a computer. This is extremely important and will be addressed in the fourth post of the series.
2. Become a change ambassador – Change is all around us, it comes from all directions, and it is happening faster than ever before. We must embrace and love change to become a disrupter. A change ambassador is leading change and not allowing change to lead them.
3. Schedule time to think about the future – Time is a precious commodity, and we have more things thrown at us every day. We are busy, but if we want to be disrupters, we must spend time thinking about the future. We will address some of these things in next week’s post.
4. Embrace new technology – Technology is our most important tool. Over the next few years, there will be new hardware and software developments that will allow us to do things we could not have imagined before. These developments will come at us faster and faster. We must educate ourselves and embrace these new technologies. In some cases, we will need to take risks, and we have to become fearless about failing to become disrupters.
5. Network with other professionals – Our relationships with other professionals are an important component to enhancing our anticipatory skills. These people can provide new perspectives and ideas that help us think differently. Our network should consist of a diverse group of people with varying personalities, lifestyles, positions, and professions. The ACFE Global Fraud Conference is a great place to meet and network.

We have a choice either to become a disrupter or to get disrupted. Over the next few weeks, I will write about anticipating changes in fraud fighting which can help you change your business environment. Will you become the abandoned pay phone left for dead on the side of the road?

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