Change, Does It Always Make Sense?

Many insist that change is critical, urgent, and the recipe for success. Does change always make sense? Is now the time for a change?

When I go to my favorite restaurant I order the same thing, almost every time. In my local town I go to the same gas station, time after time. How do I like my coffee? I like it black, no cream, no sugar, every time.

I haven’t worn a white or light colored business suit since the 1980’s (thank you Don Johnson and Miami Vice), and I have at least twenty white dress shirts but only three or four of different colors.

I may not be the same as everyone else, and that doesn’t mean that any of us should change, but it also probably doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t.

When does change or doing something different really make sense?

Despite my rhetoric about how much I like what I like and I stick to it, I’m a big proponent of change. Change might not always be the answer though, likely more often than people realize it is more about persistence, tenacity, and keeping our sleeves rolled up while appropriately staying the course.

People and organizations can get stuck, but being stuck doesn’t mean that the goal should change. Perhaps it is more about a pivot to a better path.

Technology, it’s changing the world around us and we’ll need to adapt or get left behind. Marketing and advertising, they are affected by technology and we’ll need to adjust to maximize our opportunities. How we communicate, that’s changing too, all of this while arguments continue on the best methods or paths.

Perhaps none of that means that the plan should be destroyed, the culture turned inside out, or the mission statement revised. It might sometimes, but not always. Just because change feels trendy doesn’t mean it is a good idea.

Change makes the most sense when we know what really matters, what draws us closer to the goal, and what prevents us from being stuck, stalled, or starving for more opportunities.

Most businesses and people aren’t overnight success stories. They often appear to be because we’ve noticed them on the move, in the climb, or nearing one of their many peaks.

Even by today’s standards and the speed of technology there are very few overnight success stories.

Sure a video will go viral, a tweet might start trending, and a song might hit the top ten. All of which happens very fast, but the people and the culture of the pursuit have likely been around for years.

Even Johnny Cash had to persist in his attempts, although at the time he was likely recognized as an overnight sensation.

When it comes to your personal or professional goals, building a brand, or discovering what’s most important about your culture, it all takes time.

Change makes sense when all other avenues have been exhausted, when it is stimulating or exciting but keeps things on track, or when technological advances will shorten or enhance the journey.

Everything else might be just a distraction, a way to discover our original path was still the best one of all, and to remind us that persistence and tenacity have little or nothing to do with ease, but everything to do with doing what really matters.

When you are doing what really matters, you might not have to change a thing.

Today I’ll wear a dark colored suit with a white shirt, I’ll eat several meals of my favorite foods, drink my coffee black, and fill up my car at the local gas station.

Changing any of that, or none of it, doesn’t change what matters.

Sometimes we just need to stay the course.

It might make the most sense, at least for now.

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and corporate trainer that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is a four-time author and some of his work includes, Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce and Pivot and Accelerate, The Next Move Is Yours! Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

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