ARE YOU AN OSTRICH OR AN EAGLE?

How to Manage Your Business through Change

When change happens how do you react? For those of us in businesses, or thinking about starting a business, change is something we need to learn to love and manage effectively. Why do I say this? Because in business nothing ever stays the same, markets change, fashions change, the economy changes, customer’s needs and wants change. So we must learn to live with, love and adapt to change.

Lessons in Change

I remember years ago when the market for my hand made designer appliqued knitwear (my first business) changed. I had been so busy producing and selling that I was oblivious to the fact that the market was being swamped by cheap appliqued knitwear from the Far East! That was a huge lesson for me – always to keep my eye on the market, watching for and anticipating change.

THE CHANGE PROCESS

The first thing to realise is that change is a process that we have to move through. How quickly and effectively we move through it is the key to success in business……

Immobilisation

Some people are so immobilised by change that they refuse to see it or even talk about it. This is a very dangerous place to be if you are in business because if you are not seeing it you have no opportunity to do anything about it.  These people are the ostriches who bury their head in the sand and then when they finally come up for air and see the reality it is often too late to change.

Keep your head out of the sand and watch on a daily basis for any changes on the horizon.

Denial

In this stage of change the person has identified that things are changing and is telling themselves and others that it will never work. They can give you all the reasons under the sun why the change is no good. Whilst they are doing this they are missing the fact that it is actually working and they are getting left behind. This was highlighted recently in the TV series about Swansea Market. A couple who sold wedding accessories in the indoor market were so busy finding fault in the vast amount of their goods that were sold cheaper online that they missed the opportunity to develop their own internet business.

Listen to yourself and watch for what you are denying will ever work. Then decide what you need to do to get onboard the change.

 

Frustration

It is fear of the unknown, fear of mastering new skills and anger at the change itself that holds us back. By the time we hit ‘Frustration’ we are entrenched in negativity about the change. This is where many people get stuck and it does two things in business. Firstly is puts customers off because all the person does is moan, complain, blame others and put down their competitors. Secondly, it saps all your energy and attention to the point where you miss opportunities and your business suffers.

Watch your own level of negativity and look for the positives.

Acceptance

Now you are on the right path to making change work for you and your business. At this stage of change you are looking for the opportunities it creates for you. Now you have become an Eagle. You are souring upwards, looking forward, watching for opportunities and seeing the changes as opportunities for success.

Feel the fear and do it anyway!  Look for opportunities, assess the risk factors and decide on what changes are right for you.

Identity

Once you have assessed the changes thoroughly you can then begin to form a new identity for yourself. A couple of years ago at the age of 60yrs I was thrown into change when I realised the market for bespoke wedding jewellery (a new business I was developing)  was moving more and more online. The young people were using social media and not email as a means of communication. Being somewhat of a technophobe my fear levels were rising as I realised my new identity needed to be in social media!

Decide what your new identity needs to be to move you into the new field of change.

Skills

Now you have a clear picture of your new identity there may be new skills you need to learn. This was certainly the case for me with regard to social media. I had a Facebook page and was not even using that properly! So I enrolled on what I thought was an 8 week course only to find on the first evening that I had signed up for a 2 year Foundation Degree in Social Media! I’m into my second year now and loving it.

Identify any learning needs you have and find ways of filling them with courses, reading and YouTube tutorials; whatever it takes.

Ongoing Change

Change is never ending, especially in this fast-moving digital age. So the deal here is to be ever vigilant for the next changes. Lean to love it, find the fun in moving through it and grow your business because of it.

 

So are you an Ostrich or an Eagle?