Will You Succeed? It All Comes Down to How You React to This

Professor Long’s 26 Rules of the Business Road – Rule #12

If there’s anything that’s constant (besides E=mc2 & the laws of physics), it would be this axiom given to me by a former co-worker, Bob Cooper (which I adopted as Rule #12):

“Change is good – embrace change!”

Well, I can tell you this is a tough one – because not all change is good, that’s for sure. Let’s get the bigger picture of what this rule is trying to tell us.

Why rule #12

Change is inevitable and constant. The rule of thumb for weather in most places (certainly in the Midwest) is “wait a while, it will change.” Or perhaps your grandmother told you, “This, too, shall pass”? There are a lot of “old sayings” (and some new ones) about change; regardless, they all point in the same direction – change is going to happen, like it or not. What’s that you say? The more things change, the more they stay the same? Au contraire, mon frere’.

Our bodies change – our careers change – our roles change – and so on. We experience constant change during our lifespan. People enter our lives and leave our lives. We make money, we spend money; we buy things, we throw things away. We start a new job with the anticipation of it being the perfect spot for us; we leave that same job to pursue something new, hopefully, better. We may find partners, we may raise children, we may move to new locations. The constant here is change, and we experience changes daily, even moment to moment.

The heart of the matter is how we ADAPT to change. It’s not enough to just accept that changes occur. We may already look back on changes that have defined our lives and see some changes we’d rather not think about – changes that were beyond our control (many are) and changes that we didn’t care for much. There are lots of changes that appear negative – the loss of a beloved pet, an unexpected expense, or even the failure of a business. However, how we react to these changes often determines the positive changes that can occur in the future.

How to respond to change

When confronted with changes, we can slip into the Kubler-Ross Grief Cycle (you know it – shock, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, testing, and acceptance) or we can step into the Positive Change Cycle. 

Think about being confronted with a new job opportunity. The first stage is uninformed optimism – you are excited and intrigued by the change, you are probably over-optimistic, and when you start the job you have that “honeymoon period” where everything is wonderful. 

After that phase, you enter the “informed pessimism” stage, in which it becomes obvious things aren’t quite what you built them up to be, and you become more cynical. The next stage is informed optimism where you accept reality, things aren’t that bad, and you feel the potential for yourself.  

You make realistic plans to move optimistically forward. Then comes “completion,” where things reach a steady state of realism and opportunity, as you explore more of your potential in the new position.

How you react – and adapt – is up to you. Yes, of course, many changes are horrible and tragic and life-shattering. But, again, your reaction is mostly up to you – what will you do with these changes?

A case in point

I recall the death of our beloved dog many years ago. It was the first pet we jointly had together and she was an amazing animal. I remember saying, “I don’t want to go through this again. I’m never getting another pet. I can’t take the pain of loss.” 

But since that time, we’ve had many fantastic dogs (we’re dog people, sorry, no cats) – each one with its own individual personalities, strengths, and character. I loved them all and mourned the loss of each one, but I was determined to continue to press ahead and make the best out of these life changes. The attitude of coping with loss and moving forward had amazing results!

But what about business?

Many entrepreneurs over the years have come to me to ask the questions, “How do I know when to quit?  How will I know when to fold the business and admit it didn’t work?” I must admit, I felt their motivation for making these types of inquiries was this: they already knew the business had failed.

However, in the spirit of being helpful, I typically answered like this: First, set “trigger events/dates” for changes to occur. If they’re positive changes (increases in sales/profits, more customer inquiries, picking up new vendors, etc.), then set new goals and new dates for more growth.

(This is, of course, assuming you want to grow the business. Some don’t, and that’s fine, but you still have to earn a living in a lifestyle business!)

If the changes are negative (loss of customers, lack of sales, inability to break even, etc.), it’s time to seek additional counsel and think about your options for the future – including shutting the business down and moving on.

When it becomes obvious it’s time to shut things down, many founders withdraw into themselves and don’t want to discuss it. However, the overly successful CEOs learn from their failure. (I’ve even seen the same business re-launched several times and finally succeed.) They approach the change with that “uninformed optimism,” ready to start their next venture. Their “attitude of embracing the change” in direction helps them succeed in the future.

The takeaway

I feel Bob Cooper was trying to tell me those two things: One, change will occur whether we want it to or not. Two, our approach to (or embracing of) those changes will determine our future. Our reactions can sink us into despair or our embracement (I had to use that word, it’s a great word for this) of changes will propel us forward into a positive future.

So embrace that change – and make it a change for the better!