The reason that’s so potentially damaging is that the world of business, including technology, marketing, buying trends, and customer expectations, are constantly changing. And unless we’re ready and willing to adapt and change when it makes sense to do so – as soon as it makes sense to do so – we risk losing in a big way. How many businesses that went under during the economic downturn could have made it through if they had been more nimble and willing to adapt on the fly? We may never know, but it’s a good bet that some of those companies that didn’t make it were so entrenched in the way they had always done things that they weren’t able to make the necessary adjustments to meet the challenges they didn’t see coming.
So how do you change this attitude if it’s part of your business? The first step is to get rid of the belief that change is a bad thing. While change can be inconvenient and often comes with certain challenges, even what seems like a negative shift can often end up being a very positive thing. More importantly, change is inevitable, so being resistant to it is futile. Better to anticipate and adapt as necessary, accepting reality and making the most of it. Three great ways to do this are:
1. Avoid isolation. Make sure you’re getting out among colleagues, customers, industry leaders and others who can clue you in on what’s going on in your industry and in business in general. Your goal should be to have your finger on the pulse of your industry at all times. Be the one who sees trends and changes coming from a mile away. “Getting out there,” of course means online as much as getting out in the community.
2. Develop an atmosphere of ingenuity. Get people thinking about how to do things better, and you’ll be surprised at what people will come up with. So many times, employees, partners and contractors have great ideas that just haven’t been voiced because they were never asked. Let people know that you will listen to suggestions and ideas, and you’ll get valuable feedback that can make a huge difference in your business.
3. Form a mastermind group within your company. Entire books have been written on masterminding, but for our purposes here, it’s enough to specify that this is a group of people within your company that meets on a regular basis to brainstorm. While this supports your atmosphere of ingenuity, it takes it one step further. More than just being open to change and ideas, the mastermind group you’ll form will proactively think of ways to improve existing processes and policies. This group should be made up of a wide range of positions with your organization, from management to entry level, and must include people who interact with your customers on a regular basis.
If you’re a solopreneur, you might be thinking these steps don’t apply to you, but the overall objective is the same. Get feedback from people on a regular basis, from within and outside your company, be open to change and new ideas, and regularly review how you do things and look for new and better ways. In the end, you’ll change, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” to, “If it ain’t broke, let’s break it, see what makes it tick, try to put it back together even better, and apply its best parts to other stuff!” Ok, kind of a long catch phrase, but you get the point.