Why Is It So Difficult to Change a Business?

Is this you and your business?

You are successful because you are serious, motivated, and you do the things most people don’t. You put in the required time and perseverance. Yet, you are in a business that has to change because of the current state of the world. Things are tough, and you must continually innovate. You are trying to fight back by turning over rocks to find new customers, but your group isn’t used to this kind of selling.

All these things force your business into some kind of transition, but you are having a tough time accomplishing the changes necessary. Maybe you need to transform digitally, upskill or restructure your organization. You receive all kinds of information on what to do, but most times you can’t get past the conversation stage. You must enforce the required change but it seems just too difficult to get everyone off their duff to make the tough decisions and execute the plans. Change is a necessary response because things aren’t the same, and you may drown just treading water.

Creative innovation needs to take place. Every business is different, but most businesses need to make sure their offering matches up with the clients’ changing buying motives, and the story needs to be refreshed and sent out through multiple, modern channels. We seem to be hardwired to react to the present. We are still hunters and gatherers (though today what we hunt and gather is information) after all these years of civilization. However, this means that we don’t do well with the future and its consequences. Management is not always competent at making the changes necessary – especially through others. It is not natural to be thinking of others – staff and customers, since we are in a constant state of Darwinian survival-of-the-fittest imperative.

This takes disciplined leadership. Leaders have to put teams together. They coach and train everyone to make sure the individuals in the team are aligned and have the necessary skills and attitudes to make the transition happen. Change and transitions can occur successfully. The leadership you need is within reach. It all depends on you.

I don’t know how this scenario looks to you. What are some other reasons that change and creating better or innovative methods are so difficult? First, let’s look at change.

1) As managers, we’re constantly trying to solve operations and other day-to-day problems using our “today” wiring, instead of taking the time to design the business correctly in the first place, based on what the business needs and what the customers want. Authentic objective thinking is the beginning of designing the business properly. A new vision and goals around what you want won’t cut it. You need to include in your plan how to change your customers’ lives.

2) Determine how to structure the business with systems and policies that truly reflect your vision and implement modifications. For example, just saying you care about customers, without putting in place systems that prove it, won’t change things much. The systems you apply will constantly pull you toward your vision.

3) People don’t believe you can fight city hall, and the fear of reprisal and looking bad is a serious deterrent. Politics, bureaucracy, and internal fighting over money and resources, as well as other internal battles prevent companies from changing and moving forward. What is the dominating mental model that holds you back at your place?

4) Not aligning around a common commitment is a large problem. Not everyone has to design the business, but everyone has to be aligned. Stephen Spielberg has a vision of his movie in his head. Then he finds the talent who can also share that vision and do their part in pulling it off. The director’s role is to seek alignment, then direct and coach. He can’t design around employees needs only, just as a leader of any business can’t do that either. It’s all about the vision and what the business requires. Nothing else.

5) The problem is that the vision isn’t about predicting the future, but about imagining the future. Who’s in charge of imagination? When is it ever allowed? Equally important, who has the stomach for reality in relation to the vision? Trying to implement a vision without basing it in reality is just being flakey. Working with reality – without having a vision – is just being negative – and short-sighted. The leader’s job is to keep the desired state or vision of the business clear and in the forefront, visible to everyone at the same time. Without this kind of leadership, no changes or transition plans work. When your people can easily see the contrast between the desired state and actual state, the necessary actions are readily understood, and acted upon quickly and reasonably.

6) Not having the leadership competency to make the change, and being unable to enrol others to join you in the fight, is a hindrance. Leaders can improve and become disciplined transition managers.

7) Not building your present and future leaders is a mistake. Why businesspeople don’t make this their number one priority doesn’t make sense. I guess it’s the “hardwiring for today” perspective in operation. Forging strong leaders could be your most important and best investment. Get your leaders together. Start building them.

Questions to answer:

• What is your desired state? What is your actual state in relation to the desired?

• Which of the barriers we discussed are in the way of change?

• What is your required action?

You’ll be surprised what simple clarity can do for your momentum.