In business and life, I’ve found that if you don’t adapt quickly to changes, you will be frustrated and end up lagging behind. Eventually, you will stop learning and become stuck. People often remind me that difference is the only constant. It is something you can count upon, and you usually have no control over when it happens. Instead of feeling like you are a victim to change, let us become masters of it.
The Potential for Change – Are you watching?
Things rarely change overnight. The change will usually begin slowly and gain momentum until it becomes a new constant. This is evident in fashion, music, business, and food. Many people hate change. If you ask them why they don’t know, there are very few concrete reasons. Many will say that the world changed overnight. If we are truthful with ourselves, it was something we knew about, but we chose to ignore it in the hope that it would not happen. What is the surprise? The change came, but it was not too late!
Let’s do it again. Let’s be more attentive and watch for changes. It doesn’t matter if it’s in your department, your leadership, your business model, or your staff. We must not be caught off guard. Let’s get ahead of the curve. It isn’t always a bad thing. Change is just that. Instead of fighting it, look for it, embrace and accept it. You can make a difference between being a leader in your industry or just a “Johnny come recently” by being aware of any changes in your niche or vertical. If you have the proper perspective, change can work in your favor. Change is possible if you change your perspective.
The Potential for Change – How you See Things
“What if it is a bad thing, Dave?” We don’t want to accept bad things, Dave! You are correct. Let’s not forget about the changes that affect our businesses and how we can alter our perceptions of them. Many times I believed that changes in marketing were impossible. Inbound market, for example, was like making root beer-flavored potato chips. I doubt that this will work long. Inbound marketing is the best way to market if your goal is to grow your business and retain loyal customers.
There are many business owners who try every marketing tactic and get very little return on investment. You’ll be able to stop marketing if you read my old article “You Can’t Stop Marketing.” The world has changed, and business owners need to be able to adapt. Many small business owners resist change and wonder why they are still in control of their jobs (they work 12 hours per day but make little progress).
Few business owners are successful enough to invest in their own success. A small business owner will rarely attend a workshop, spend 30 to 45 minutes on a webinar, or get involved in the local Chamber of Commerce. These are just a few of the things we can do to make a difference in our businesses. However, these actions will require us to change. Many small business owners think that changing is a sign of being wrong. Wow! There is so much pressure and pride involved. There are no perfect people on this planet! We learn from our mistakes and, hopefully, make the necessary adjustments. Failure shouldn’t be the end. It should not cause you to give up. You can learn from your mistakes and make the adjustments required to achieve success.
The Potential for Change – What Can You Do to Change?
Listen, ladies and gentlemen, resistance, adaptation, overcoming, taking advantage, and looking for opportunities to make the most of change are all part of how we see it.
You can be the best businessman you can be. To do this, you will need to learn how to make changes work for you. All of you must be as creative as possible. Innovation is key! From rooms with just one computer to computers on desktops and laptops, we have moved to a world of tablets, desktops, and laptops. We have moved from using telegraphs to call the telephone operator directly to dialing cordless to pagers to huge mobile phones that can fit into your pocket or purse.
The business sector uses the term innovation to replace change. Innovation is also known by the terms revolution, modernization, improvement, advancement, and advance. Each word contains elements of change. We must not be afraid of change but instead, embrace it and become the innovators that propel things forward. Let’s not be scared to change, and let us all work together to make it happen. It is essential to realize that competition doesn’t necessarily mean an enemy. We have so much to offer and can benefit from legal (strategic) collaboration. (This is a topic for another article). Can you really change? Are you ready to embrace change and be the master of it all? Are you the innovator I know you can become? Can you change?
