In my last article I was expostulating about making change happen for yourself which then got me thinking and observing things around me and my world.
Are you ready for the winds of change?
Everyone seems to be acknowledging that major, disruptive change is happening, and the results are beginning to reveal themselves, but they seem to be singularly unprepared for how to deal with it. Some are even sticking their heads in the sand with the idea that ‘it won’t happen in our industry’. Wrong! The winds of change are not selective; they affect all areas of life and business.
Let me assure you that every single industry, job, way of working and success attainment is going to be affected by the change upheaval that is coming our way. It will reach office, manual, research, people facing businesses, politics, every type of business you can think of and may even affect complete ideologies. It will be as big, hard and as fast as a Tsunami. Everything you may hold as belief in your career path and marketplace is going to be disrupted and it is not going to take long. I believe that within the next 5-10 years the workplace landscape will look very different and the future even more uncertain.
For me this is nothing new. My world was changed and disrupted almost 20 years ago, and it taught me valuable lessons. I now count these lessons as blessings as I seem to be ahead of the game and on a beneficial trajectory. By adopting and using my Big Shiny Goal methodology I am very clear about where I personally am headed and how I am going to get there and my approach has the flexibility to adapt at any given time. I am determined that the winds of change will not blow me off course.
The winds of change are causing shivers across industry
This past month has been a busy month. I have been running around speaking at various companies and events and I have noticed there is a general feeling of, what I am going to call, the ‘tremble effect’. They know something is coming, they are not sure what it is (they may even want it to go away which it is not) and they are not sure what to do for the best.
The answer is to get prepared.
Ostrich thinking will leave you at the mercy of these winds of change. When the hurricane hits, don’t break, bend. As I have said before, change is not something to be feared, but this level of rapid change is perhaps fearsome. If you are an industry leader it is your responsibility to help your industry to adapt, especially in the light of overseas competition. If you are an employee then prepare yourself, expand your skillset, stay alert.
You are going to have to learn how to be flexible and adaptable. Learn how to give up on hard predictable outcomes, they will become a thing of the past. Learn how to change yourself so you are ready to meet anything that comes your way with the minimum amount of fuss and stress.
Above all else remember my oft repeated adage: In every challenge there is always opportunity, you just need to be fluid enough to spot it & grab it.