Change

December 06, 2019

Change sucks! We get it. We’ve all been there. You find yourself in a position where your business is running along fairly well but you know you know you need to do something to get it to the next level. Maybe that’s hiring a key new employee like a Salesperson or an Operations Manager. Maybe it is selling a new product that requires training and on-boarding. For many companies, the change that is holding them back from getting to the next level is implementing a new process or new piece of software. This type of change is usually the most difficult to tackle but can result in the biggest benefit to an organization.

I recently visited Cuba for a saltwater fly-fishing trip and got to see firsthand what happens to a country that doesn’t “change” in about 60 years. It was SHOCKING to me to see a country that is virtually unchanged from 60 years ago. Things are old and broken down. While the people in Cuba are happy (and the fishing is amazing), the lack of change is stunning to someone who lives with change on a constant basis. Here are a few pictures to show what a lack of change looks like:

One of my favorite quotations is “The most dangerous way to do something is the way you’ve always done it.” It’s very easy for business owners to get stuck in this rut. You get used to something working one way and you don’t want to change. Why? Because change is hard!!!

Why Change?

Change is the only constant in life. If you are not growing and changing, you are dying. I don’t mean for that to sound morbid but it is true. Everyone wants to feel growth in their personal and professional lives. Growth and change are synonymous with one another. Very rarely does change end up being for the worse when looked at in the rear-view mirror.

Change is for the better. You usually have to take one step back to take two steps forward. Very rarely do you find change that is easy to implement and valuable at the same time. You can find software that is easy to implement but your business reaps very little benefit from it. You can also find software that results in a tremendous amount of benefit but is difficult to implement. In the end, if you want to make a material impact to your business, you need to invest in the change.

How Do I Change?

The first step to change is to recognize the need for change. For most businesses, this is the key piece that is missing. It is easy to make excuses and say “this isn’t that important” or “we can find a work-around” to this. Doing this and having that type of mindset will hold your business back. It will frustrate your employees and cause them to seek employment elsewhere. It will also become obvious to your customers that you are behind the times, as well.

The first step to change is to recognize the need for change. For most businesses, this is the key piece that is missing. It is easy to make excuses and say “this isn’t that important” or “we can find a work-around” to this. Doing this and having that type of mindset will hold your business back. It will frustrate your employees and cause them to seek employment elsewhere. It will also become obvious to your customers that you are behind the times, as well.

Once you recognize the need for change, commit to it. Get the buy-in from your staff. Sell your idea and be a champion. Don’t take the easy way out. I’ve done that before and while the temporary relief feels good, it is inevitable that there will come a point in time where I say “If we had just finished implementing that new piece of software, we wouldn’t be having these issues.” Don’t take the easy way out. Commit to the change as if the success of your business depends on it!

Once the change is implemented, talk about the results and show off how the change has impacted your business. Get your staff excited about it. Make it fun and exciting and don’t be afraid to be proud of what you have accomplished. Give out a prize for the first person who embraces the change. Make a public example out of that person as a sign to other employees that you value this type of behavior. Once your staff sees that you are serious about this, they will come on board.

Summary

Change is hard. We get it. We’ve all been there and we’re all humans. It’s always easy to take the easy way out but in the end, that easy way out is never very rewarding.

At Tracknicity, we’re here to help you Champion Change! If there is anything we can do to help, please let us know. We’ve seen the impact that Tracknicity can have on businesses like yours and we know how to help you implement it while minimizing the disruption to day-to-day operations.