THE BACK STORY Henry was wondering why his business was shrinking. His employees had become increasingly frustrated whenever they gave suggestions for him to get in tune with the times. But he kept insisting that his pride and joy was the fact that his company had been in existence for over four decades.
Inherited from his parents, the company style had become as stale as month-old bread. Henry didn’t see the need to change. He believed that the company name said it all.
TOP THREE ROADBLOCKS
Red flags. These were the top three roadblocks to change in Henry’s business.
- Arrogance
- Unwillingness
- Sense of superiority
Just because he had a diploma from a top university abroad, he felt superior to locally educated business people. He was an expert at ignoring valuable insights and contributions of others. His mindset turned everyone off in the workplace. It was also stopping progress from happening. Imagine the boss saying: “Who’s AI? What’s Artificial Intelligence?”
THE WAKE UP CALL
One day, Henry was jolted to reality. In November 2022, ChatGPT app was launched, and it was all over the news.Less than a week later, it had over one million users. He finally admitted that he had been wrong, and that he had to welcome change. Humbly and courageously, He called for a meeting and announced that he was open to making change happen.
He learned to upgrade his communication and leadership style. Coffee talks and brainstorming sessions were held regularly. He is now heard saying: “Thank you for your feedback… I like your ideas… Let’s talk about it.”
Sometimes, people need a shock to wake up.
TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
Well and good, but it’s not enough to say that you want change. Here are three ingredients to make it happen.
- Humility. Be open to new ideas.
- Open-mindedness. Listen to different perspectives.
- Intelligence. Research on the latest trends.
Remember: Align your intentions with your actions. Why? If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting. Make change happen!
vivienshowandtell@gmail.com