Improvement and Innovations Restricted Here

Policies & Procedures are created to enhance and improve operations and business function integrity. The question to be raised is: what happens when the policies & procedures in regards to change prohibit our ability to be innovative, adapt, and change to the ever changing market environment? Does a company suddenly loose competitive advantage, efficiencies and effectiveness when their change management process is too restricted or slow?

Change scares people. It’s not the change, but the inability of people to manage their emotions caused by the uncertainty of change that is the problem. The world is constantly evolving and changing. Avoiding change is counterproductive and prohibits success. Failure to evolve and change makes it more difficult to remain competitive and survive.

When it comes to Business, the expression “Keeping Up with the Jones” holds true in many cases. Supply and Demand do exist in terms of employees. When the demand for employees is greater than the supply there are two options –exit the market (business) or compete. However, the demand and supply is not necessarily equal for all types of employees in a market at the same time, ie) administrative, technical, professional, occupational.

Leaders do right things, Managers do things right.

I took a managerial skill development course. The professor stressed the importance of SMART goals and objectives. He also pointed out the need to stop having meetings about what to do and to make decisions and act.

“You can calculate the influence of the wind on shooting an arrow, but the wind gusts; the wind changes, you will forever be calculating and never shooting. You need to shoot, evaluate, shoot again until you hit the target dead on.” The same holds true in business. Companies never survive on doing research alone; something has to be done with the research. Google and Apple didn’t research forever what customers wanted. They created, and introduced their products to the market got market feedback and introduced upgrades and the next generation of products. Constantly changing, adapting, upgrading, and improving.

If a company has a process or policy that slows down the change and adaptation process, the ability to be competitive slows down if not diminishes completely.

My point, have a goal, vision, make a plan, shoot, review, adjust, shoot and repeat until you hit your target, standing around forever discussing what should be done, doesn’t do anything. Situations, circumstances and target are constantly evolving and changing, so should your strategy and actions.