Agent of Change
As we welcome a new year, we once again become saturated in the element of “new”; new year’s resolutions, “new year, new you”, new material possessions, new fiscal year, and so on. Everywhere you turn, there’s someone else talking about how else we can grow, evolve, challenge ourselves…how we can change. This time of year simply places a magnifying glass on a constant truth: The only consistency in change, is change itself. Meaning, we should always expect change to happen. From there, it is your choice how you adapt and evolve. You can choose to ignore the change around you. However, just because you don't adapt and evolve, doesn't mean the world around won't continue to change without you.
Be an agent of change, not a victim of it.
By expecting change to happen, you empower yourself to take a proactive outlook and approach. Of course, there will be changes that few could foresee, but that doesn't have to be your definitive experience. The more you pay attention, the more patterns and trends you will recognize in your life and the world around you. Additionally, the more data you collect, the more prepared you will become to pivot at a moment's notice in the face of change.
Learning to expect change to happen is an ongoing practice; one that requires discipline, attention to detail, and above all else, an open mind. From the most common day to day tasks such as client interactions, to the most complex core business issues, change is inevitable. While it is more challenging to foresee the exact details of impending changes, there are certain global truths that can be applied to allow the expectation of change to become more first nature. For instance, in any scenario that involves one or more humans, we can expect change in the sense that…well, life happens. Employees call out, clients cancel meetings, workers make mistakes, etc. We are a flawed species, which is what makes us great. It is in the face of these adversities that spark the catalyst of change.
Another wonderful thing about humans is our desire to question; to understand, to learn, to advance, to improve. We have an insatiable desire to leave the world a better place than we found it; a core drive to perpetuate our species. The curiosity of humans drives the advancements of our societies. Whether we simply ask, “Why?”, or even better, “Why not ‘X’?”, the question of one person illuminates the imagination of others. The greatest minds of our time - inventors, scientists, analysts - all challenged the status quo by questioning it. Perhaps one of the most efficient ways to predict change is to cause it, and the best way to cause change is to question the current reality.
By implementing these global truths, and driving change by questioning often, you will begin to notice more and more trends and patterns of varying levels of change. The more aware you become of the changes around you, the more aware you become of change itself. Eventually, you will start to identify your own set of global truths and recurring change patterns. Over longer periods of time, you will begin to identify more long term change patterns. As with any type of data, the bigger the sample, the more comprehensive results. To illustrate this from a business perspective, if you were to analyze your consumer buying habits, the results you receive over a 3 month period versus the results you receive over a 3 year period will look like two entirely different entities. Continuous change management throughout the sample period breaks the scope of the time range wide open, allowing you to apply your change data globally; past, present, and future.
With each new change expectation you are able to identify, comes an opportunity for proactivity. When you accept the expectation of change, you can better set yourself and your business up for success. By expecting employees to call out, you can proactively implement a cross-training program, to ensure the continuous flow of business through role coverage. By expecting clients to cancel meetings, you can plan accordingly by maintaining a cancellation list to fill the time with revenue generating activities, or an active set of alternate tasks/projects to work on in the event of a scheduling change. By expecting people to make mistakes, you can take proactive steps to combat a portion of them through a more comprehensive training program and supporting job aids, and to implement a series of strategic workflows to capture and grow from the rest. Some say, “You’re only as good as your last success”. We say:
You’re only as good as your last mistake.
Remember, the only consistency in change, is change itself. The more you pay attention, the more patterns and trends you will recognize in your life and the world around you. With time and practice, your organic growth will meet or beat the expected changes at their origin, thereby dramatically reducing their negative ripple effect. Agent or victim; the choice is yours.
When you’re ready to take the next step, we’re here for you.
