Loving The Status Quo

On Friday I argued that incumbents need to work twice as hard to keep an account, because of how much we all hate to lose something.
But what about the people who think that the incumbent never stands a chance?
Try looking at it this way…
We are all pattern-forming beings.
We like routine, pattern, convention.
We sit in the same seat.
We park in the same space.
We order the same things from the menu.
Because change takes effort.
Evolution hurts.
That’s why we stick with the same bank even though they annoy us.
Why we stay with the same insurer even when the premiums go up.
Why we never cancel those subscriptions, even though there’s a pile of unopened magazines on the coffee table.
Clients are no different – think of how much effort it will take to onboard a new agency, get to know the new contacts, and bring everyone up to speed.
Now, you’ll have to excuse me, I’ve got 48 copies of National Geographic to get through.

Change Is The Only Constant

The world is constantly changing.
And in these technologically-enhanced times, it's changing faster than ever.
Sometimes, we have to run just to catch up.
So I find it weird that so many people remain resistant to progress.
They actively shun evolution, dig in their heels and steadfastly refuse to move on.
Some of them even go so far as to take pride in the 'Luddite' approach, arguing that when the world shifts back, they'll be in exactly the right place.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
And the more ridiculous they look.
I always think of Trigger, the po-faced buffoon in long-running sitcom 'Only Fools and Horses'.
He once proudly announced:
"I've had the same broom for 20 years."
"It's had 17 new heads ...........................and 14 new handles."
You can keep telling yourself that nothing's changed.
But in actual fact, everything has.

Keep Doing The Same Thing

I’ve talked before about the need to change.
But there are those who believe that if they remain steadfast and resolute, the world will bend around them.
Especially in our agency world, you get into a long term relationship with a client company, you see the world changing around you, but you think that willpower and determination is enough to weather the storm.
Unfortunately, you’re wrong.
The world simply evolves without you and then the client chooses another course.
In the end, you get left behind.
So ask yourself, do you really want to end up as the business world’s equivalent of the oxbow lake?

I knew that geography lesson would come in handy

Be Prepared

Baden- Powell had a point but he don’t go far enough
Be prepared.......to change.
If you don’t like change, you’re in the wrong industry.
Whatever industry you’re in.
Change is the one constant in everyday corporate life.
Make it your friend.
Don’t fear it – make it welcome. It’s fine to have an overall plan, but make sure that you’re ready to change if necessary.
Because change will happen, for better or worse.
My old friend Michael Miley of G2 said “It’s not how you fall, its how you get up.”
And “how you get up” will usually be determined by how willing you are to embrace the change and make it work for you.
Be prepared to revise your plans monthly, weekly, maybe even daily
As Meg Whitman said before she left eBay “strategy meeting held once or twice a year to strategy meeting several times a week.”
When it comes to change, have your plans but be flexible.
In the 1980s I remember being part of a team that was presented with a 99 year business plan.
How flexible do you think that was?
The principle may be sound, but it’s the variables that make or break a strategy.
Tom Peters asked “What makes God laugh?”
“People making plans”
So get ready
Dob, dob, dob.

Take A Chill Pill

How much is too much?
What’s your saturation point?
In this 24-7/365 world, where the Blackberry means you’re always in touch, there comes a point where you just need to get away.
And I don’t mean two weeks in the south of France, although that’d be nice if anyone’s offering.
It’s really about doing something different.
Get up and wander around.
Talk to someone new.
Or take a different route home for a change.
Sometimes, all it takes is a small shift or a break from the norm to recharge the batteries.
And it’s a hell of a lot cheaper than two weeks in Cannes.