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Well the title
is a bit misleading, none of us can really completely
manage or control change - but all of us can manage
our attitude about change. As we get older we can tend
to become set in not only our ways of doing things,
but in our ways of thinking and experiencing the world.
It helps to make a conscious decision to embrace change
- to become a little less rigid and little more flexible
in our approach to work and play.
DECIDE WHAT
NEEDS TO BE CHANGED - No business or businessperson can afford to become
stagnant. New ideas for building your customer base,
trimming your operating costs, offering new services,
showing appreciation to employees, or establishing procedures
are some requirements for ongoing success. It can be
a challenge just to maintain the status quo. But maintenance
is not growth.
Decide what you
would like to change and determine to embark on a course
that will allow you to direct those changes. If you
feel stuck, try this.
Set a timer or cell phone
alarm for 30 minutes. Conduct a no-ideas-banned brainstorm
session to see how many new strategies you can list for each
one of your goals. Then select one or two ideas and implement
them. Most of us feel more comfortable with change - if we
have a hand in initiating the change.
START SMALL; FINISH
BIG - If changes come in small doses it is easier to adapt
to them. Try to view these changes as part of a process to
help us reach our goals, and they may not seem so threatening.
Consider that habits are formed one small decision at a time.
Mastering change works the same way. Identify an area that
needs improvement. Decide one thing you can do to improve.
For example - if you want new clients. Decide to hand out
one business card per day; or ask each current customer to
give you one name of a potential referral; or commit to schedule
one new business meeting per week. Start small. Handing out
one business card per work day/50 weeks per year equals 250
cards given out. A yield of just 10% would equal 25 new contacts/jobs
per year. This small change could have a big impact on your
business.
FIND THE BENEFIT
- Some changes are abrupt - a partner decides to relocate,
a major client leaves; a key supplier goes out of business.
None of those situations may seem very positive. However,
with the right attitude - you can find the good in all things.
You may decide to find a different partner with a new skill
set, a new circle of contacts, a talent for handling the things
you hate to tackle. You may find that you have grown enough
to manage your business solo - and decide an additional employee
- not a new partner is a better solution. The loss of a major
client may force you to get aggressive about seeking new business;
may cause you to cut waste in your budget; may uncover a weakness
in service that you can correct leading you to become an even
stronger company. Sometimes change does not feel good - just
like a dental exam. But like that exam, it can be an opportunity
to gain important information about your business that helps
you make better choices.
CHANGE FOR YOUR OWN
GOOD - Changing the route you choose to go to work, playing
a different computer game; reading a book from a genre you
generally don't like; calling on the account you don't think
you can win can be good for you. These activities move us
out of our comfort zone and that can be a good thing. A side
benefit of doing something "new" to us, according
to some recent studies, is that changing our routine helps
our brain create new connections that promote a stronger memory
and problem solving skills. So, remember a little change can
do you good.
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