Oblivion without change

I recently came across an article in Forbes magazine that put this topic into clear and unambiguous  perspective (I will attach a link to the full article at the bottom of the blog post – it is a must read).  Following on from my blog post in February: The leading face of change, this article provides some context on the reasons why change not only needs to be embraced, but actively led:

“If you’re not willing to embrace change you’re not ready to lead. Put simply, leadership is not a static endeavor. In fact, leadership demands fluidity, which requires the willingness to recognize the need for change, and finally, the ability to lead change”.

The article adds: “While there is little debate that the successful implementation of change can create an extreme competitive advantage, it is not well understood that the lack of doing so can send a company (or an individual’s career) into a death spiral. Companies that pursue and embrace change are healthy, growing, and dynamic organizations, while companies that fear change are stagnant entities on their way to a slow and painful death”.

In my role as a change agent by helping companies that are dissatisfied with their marketing and sales efforts to embrace a more organized and definitive approach to marketing strategy, planning and implementation, I am often faced with clients that find change hard to accept, embrace and implement.  I fully understand their perspective and I work extremely hard to facilitate a process of change that, at first blush, appears daunting, but faced with the alternative that the writer of the Forbes article has clearly identified: “companies that fear change are stagnant entities on their way to a slow and painful death”, most leadership teams buy in, slowly at first, and then with greater commitment as the process proves to be less painful than originally contemplated, and then starts showing success through results.

However, the hardest point in the process is taking that first true step, not a false start, but a true step to making change.  The leadership team must realize that if they continue to do things as they have done in the past, they just cannot expect a different outcome.  If they are indeed unhappy with their current efforts and outcomes, then change becomes the only way to survive.  Therefore they need to buy into the process of change – whether they like it or not.

So, read the full article (thanks to Forbes Magazine and the author Mike Myatt) and buy into the fact that change is a necessary evil in a changing environment.  It may provide you with a starter kit of getting a change mentality built in your organization.

Comments, suggestions or thoughts – please follow me on Twitter: @smaaketer

Neville Pokroy from the marketing company Mastermind Solutions consults in the areas of strategic marketing planning, as well as in the development and execution of marketing strategies and plans. He assists companies who require marketing expertise to plan and fully execute marketing programs.   He helps them make good choices, particularly with regard to the emerging technologies.  If you want to have more choice in marketing your business, set yourself apart, and increase the odds of generating additional revenue for your business, visit our website or call (905)886-2235.