Many years ago Heraclitus wrote ‘There is nothing permanent except change.’
Nothing much has changed.
So when my friend and respected mentor, Peter Irvine, who is the Co-Founder of Gloria Jean’s Coffees, author of “Win In Business”, business consultant and speaker wrote the following article, I couldn’t wait to share it with you. Peter explains in five easy steps how we in business need to ‘Stop And Change When Necessary’.
Enjoy!
One of my favourite sayings is: “If the horse is dead, dismount”
There are people in business and life everywhere who find it hard to recognize when the horse is dead!
The current economic market either stalls companies or they make changes. This is a great time to market differently or stand out in a different way.
I have experienced many difficult times but have seen the businesses that make changes succeed, then grow and accelerate in the good times that follow.
People have asked ‘How do I know whether to persist or stop and change?’
1. Go back to the original vision and purpose
If your original vision is the right one, don’t throw it out – look at what you are actually doing to fulfil that vision. The purpose does not change, however the methods we use do. In advertising when a retail promotion for McDonald’s did not work we did not persevere we made changes and moved on, the character of McDonald’s family restaurants did not change, just the one promotion.
2. Change is inevitable – so GET USED TO IT!
If you want to build anything to last – a business, a strong family, a company department, a powerful life-testimony – it will need room to grow, to change and evolve in the process. If you don’t change your work practices as you grow –e.g. if you keep the same products and packaging, the same programs or services without variation, stifle people in their jobs by not allowing them to grow and develop, then things will either stagnate and die, you will lose customers, or you will lose your most promising staff to other businesses where they can grow.
If you want a bigger business, you will need to look at constant ways to change and improve, nothing stays the same forever.
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