A positive START.

Happy New Year. Or is it?

I don’t know about you, but most people I talk to are a little nervous about 2025. There are a lot of issues in the world right now – political turmoil, regional wars, natural disasters, economic uncertainty. None of these were on my Christmas wish list.

I saw a news report the other night that suggested less people are making new year’s resolutions and setting annual goals as they switch to “survival mode.” Or, more accurately, people are not making the same kinds of resolutions and goals as in the past.

The current trend is to make small, positive changes that incrementally improve your life. Instead of dieting to lose 15 pounds, just make sure you get enough veggies and water every day. Instead of joining a gym, take a walk with a friend twice a week. Instead of pushing for the next promotion or raise, find a hobby or activity to balance your life.

Small changes can make a big difference. They get better results and make us feel more in control.

The same is true in business. Organizations don’t always have to take on huge, transformational initiatives. The success rate is not high – and the costs in terms of resources and employee burn-out are rarely justified.

Remember that innovation and change run on a spectrum from evolutionary (incremental improvement) all the way to revolutionary (new business models). The vast majority of successful initiatives are on the first half of that spectrum.

In the customer experience (CX) world, the best place to start is identifying and eliminating a “point of pain” for your customers. Just make their experience with you a little bit faster, easier, better, or cheaper. It’s not rocket science.*

In an increasingly nutty world, maybe our best option is to focus on small, positive changes. That feels like something that we can control.

That sounds like a positive start.

Thanks. - Paul

*Note: Or brain surgery. Or my personal favourite: rocket surgery.

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S.T.A.R.T. stands for Strategic, Tactical And Random Thoughts. And you can find it Here.

? 2025 Paul Mlodzik Consulting Inc.