Our challenges bring signs for a change...

Over the last few months an unprecedented event has challenged every single business and likewise every sole not just locally but globally. The Covid-19 pandemic will be the net cause of many positive disruptions to industry and it will be how we react and bring these changes individually to our lives that will reflect on if we are here to compete, improve and succeed or just to be thrown away like a consumed PPE.

We have all seen the disrupters, the innovators that the old guard said will never work especially in the sales industry. For example look at Carvana. If someone came to me five years ago and said I would have an opportunity to go to a multi-level vending machine and get my next vehicle I would have said they were insane yet today its inplace and potentially a game changer with what is happening. The change isn't on the horizon it's here.

I'd like to discuss how we look at change personally. One of my mentors shared a quote with me "Accept it; if you cannot accept it, Change it; if you cannot change it; Move on.". No truer words were ever spoken to me and this is one of the mantras that I have lived by since hearing it. If we analyse the statement and it may shed some light. We all accept a position for many different reasons, a dream job, a dream company, a positional move or even a temporary financial requirement. So regardless we accept the position to start. As we progress within the opportunity we will recognize one of two things, status quo is acceptable or there is a need for change. Now, understanding change is not just making a change by employment, it could be contribution to a team effort developing a culture, influencing ideas, creation of new processes or standards, it could even be a personal effort. If you stay in the status quo you will remain stagnant. For some this is also acceptable however complacency may build comfort and stability it rarely builds growth in comparison to those that invoke change.

Looking for change within the organization can be taken two ways, either positive or negative and BOTH are both beneficial and detrimental to the individual looking for change. The positive is that looking for change is always a growth cycle. Change brings life to something that is no longer working. It could be a process, it could the culture or even at last resort employment. Regardless, if change is needed, it needs to be enacted upon and should be implemented immediately. Allowing change fosters leadership development, this is where the negatives reveal themselves. A weak leadership will see this a threat where as a strong leader will revel in it. When a threat is raised, the natural reaction is to protect and remove the potential danger, this can come from points ranging from disproving the change or even as far as eliminating the instigator. It is here where most would say the reaction is totally negative, I personally say this is unbelievably positive. It's a true win win. If the changes are enacted its a win, if the changes are not then it's also a win as it reveals the position of the employee/employer relationship. Growth happens both ways, internally or at worst case externally through a new opportunity.

This is where moving on comes into play. We all must move forward. Look at our bodies and how they are designed. Are eyes are place in front, our feet facing forward, as this is the predominant direction we are to travel. Our ears at the sides, so we hear everything from the future and the past. Allowing for us to make a conscious decisions to maximize our potentials from our history while looking into the future. In doing so we quickly analyze "Accept it, Change it, Move on". We can relate this to nearly everything we encounter from the simplest forms, emotions, relationships, health to harder in employment, finances and geographics. Think of the last negotiation you had, did you accept it, change it, or move on? How about the meal at that new restaurant or the hotel room you booked? Everything falls into a category to which we can enact these words.

Today, Covid-19 is changing every industry, everything we knew from the past might as well been thrown out the window. E-commerce is going to climb at an unprecedented rate, government regulations are going to change with it. Digital is going to lead bricks and mortar. Sure storefronts will have to remain but they will consolidate and territories will grow, it happened in the 2008 Crash and the economy hit its highest levels before the Covid. We need to pivot, develop, lead and change in doing so we will get there. Look to the forward and into the future for all forms of disruptors as they will lead you to the next level.

Making a mistake with a change shouldn't lead anyone to fear trying. Athletes and world leaders praise the effects of failures as they bring on change. Einstein said it best when describing insanity as the act of repeatedly doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same result, well change changes that and today we are entering what is potentially the greatest game changer ever. I wish all of you the best success in change during this unknown climate we are about to enter.

Peter Smith is a Sales Leader and Educator successfully leading teams in widespread variety of industries from Service, Retail, Industrial, Medical and Hospitality. Please do not hesitate to contact should you have any questions. Thank you.