Whatever your situation right now – in life, career or business – you probably want change of some kind. Whether it’s about a personal milestone you want to reach, a financial target you want to hit or even another place you’d physically rather be, there is probably a voice within you that calls for a shift from the present situation. For the most ambitious people, this desired change will be so big it amounts to a revolution of sorts.
Whatever your situation right now – in life, career or business – you probably want change of some kind. Whether it’s about a personal milestone you want to reach, a financial target you want to hit or even another place you’d physically rather be, there is probably a voice within you that calls for a shift from the present situation. For the most ambitious people, this desired change will be so big it amounts to a revolution of sorts.
When I think about revolution in the context of business, I think about massive, forced change for the better. I’m talking about conscious changes that dramatically improve the way things are done, the way customers respond to our products or services, the way people relate to our brand, or the way we think about our own business. Revolution, in general, is appealing. After all, who doesn’t want to supercharge performance, radically improve a process or identify fresh thinking to deal with a recurring problem?
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, revolution is “a dramatic and wide-reaching change in conditions, attitudes, or operation.” So, what can you do to drive forward a fundamental shift in your current situation?
Conditions
We’re all “contained” to some extent by our present situation. These containers might be might be financial limitations, knowledge/expertise gaps, confidence issues or perhaps conservative leadership of the organisation – whatever the specific factors, these are the conditions that are helping to keep you in your current situation. It’s only when you have a good understanding of these conditions that you can think about the steps needed to change (or work around) them. You’ll find it difficult to drive forward any kind of meaningful change while you’re working within these containers.
Attitudes
Sir Winston Churchill famously said “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” How are you and the people around you thinking about problems and opportunities (if they aren’t the same thing)? The attitude you adopt in any given situation is a choice – you also have more power to control the attitudes of the people around you than you think. Positivity, creativity and enthusiasm are contagious – maybe it’s your job to spread the bug. Can your team get to where you want to be with their current attitude? If not, work on changing it.
Operation
Sometimes it feels like the safest way to do things is the way they have always been done, but you can’t then expect the results to be any better. If you’re looking to make a big change in performance, you have to make a big change in what you’re doing or the way you’re doing it. Remember what Einstein said: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” What action do you need to take to drive that change?
If you’re looking to radically improve any aspect of your current situation, remember that just one shift in gear in the right area is one step towards the outcome you want. So, what will be your first move?
by Dane Brookes
Author of Content Marketing Revolution and Director at Group Dane.
Group Dane 