Changes...

Change occurs all the time, usually in subtle ways but occasionally in a manner that feels like a ton of bricks were dropped on your head. This then leads to a lot of questions and sometimes a little hesitation as a new direction is chosen and the path is mapped out. Unsure of the destination you head out (knowing that the journey is half as much fun as reaching the destination.)

This is usually the point where you start to ask questions, verify the new goals and set up the strategy to get there. The way to arrive on schedule is in the planning; as well as in your verification/questioning process. Nothing hurts worse than a false start and the inevitable do over. If you have an excellent team surrounding you, making these changes will be relatively painless as everyone contributes on the end result.

Expect somewhere along the line that you may run into an issue or two with the team, or with a client who isn’t privy to the big picture; or feels that a change at this time may not be as welcome as you perceive. This is where you explain again the reasoning, reassure all those who are sceptical and resume the journey.

You must progress on the agreed path without any hesitation you may have felt in the background and remember the purpose of the change was to become more efficient in your offerings. Standing by the status-quo will only get you so far; but you really do need to be one step ahead of your peers and two steps ahead of the competition. Those people are watching you, making notes on what you are doing great, as well as documenting and displaying what you are doing wrong (just to keep you humble).

Be assured that the blocks you build on today should and hopefully will be the foundation where the future business lay, as it is inevitable that to stand still will cause you to become stagnant and be passed over, by those who saw the bigger picture you were painting, but added their own twist to the mix, allowing them to adjust for the changes in the marketplace that you overlooked.

Be careful as well that you don’t become so rigid in reaching the goal that you miss out on all the stuff going on beside you, waiting for you to capitalize on as well. Fringe benefits are great, especially when they are an unexpected treat.

Watch all directions around yourself, pay attention to the small details, the same way which you monitor the large ones, and gain pleasure from knowing that when you reach the end of this journey, you can say you have no regrets.

….Something to Think About