Stuck in a rut

Lately we've all watched the economy grind to a slow and deliberate halt. We've seen institutions and companies decline at a pace never before seen. Companies like GM, Chrysler, and numerous financial institutions falling by the wayside, or relying (far too heavily in my opinion) on government money to get them out of trouble. Where did the days go when the businesses were self sufficient and wanted nothing more than the government to stay out of their way?

Most business, like the economy, are stuck in a rut. In most cases, we're not talking about little mountain bike tire grooves on a wooded pathway, we're talking covered wagon, groups of settlers heading west after a rain storm ruts. Too many businesses and industries today are operating the same way they have for the last twenty years or longer. While I wholeheartedly agree with maintaining a degree of integrity and dedication to a company's founding principles, continuing to run a business like you have for the last two decades doesn't always work. Life changes, people change, technology changes and thus, business should change relative to the rest of the world. What these ruts have caused is a reliance on an ineffective workforce in a stagnant environment. The ruts have gotten so deep, it's near impossible to get the wheels out without damaging the vehicle or veering off the road entirely. The unfortunate consequence of this nearsightedness is the perceived necessity to hold back the reins and wait patiently for the road to clear.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

One of the underlying difficulties a company will face when trying to steer clear of the ruts in the road lies in the inability to get beyond the translation factor. Every business I have worked with or for has had some sort of major growth initiative designed to get the proverbial "ball" rolling, or to get out of their own rut. Where each one, in their own varying degree, failed was their inability to properly translate their old system into their new one. They weren't able to effectively or efficiently continue their old practices with the new initiative: as hard as they tried, and as much money as they spent, they just couldn't fit the old processes into the new mold. Where did they go wrong? Not everything translates, and trying to translate often times defeats the purpose of trying to change in the first place. If a change is on the horizon (as it should be on everyone's horizon), looking at what you are trying to change and more importantly why you are trying to change it becomes the underlying reason for that change.

Not all change is necessarily thought up, some just happens and some comes through a long stretch of inculcation. The important changes, the ones people get all fired up about and know are going to make a difference, are those that stem from a desire to increase the efficiency and flow of the business. In those cases, when you have decided to make a change, no matter what, commit: commit to making the change, commit to your reason for making the change, commit to a goal and commit to having the change be an improvement. When you are ready to make these commitments, then you are ready to make the change. When you are deciding on the course of the change, make the decision having your goal in mind and working towards your current system. In other words, pick up your wagon and put it down on a new road that isn't so worn instead of just putting nicer wheels on and at least making the rutted road you're currently travelling on a little less bumpy. If you're going to spend the money on new wheels, wouldn't it make more sense to have the ability to try them out on the whole road instead of the same old path you and everyone else has been travelling on.