Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Face The Facts. Change

Jim Collins brought out a book many years ago that has almost become a classic. It's called 'Good To Great." In that book, he has an interesting title for a chapter – 'Confronting The Brutal Facts'. That title has always intrigued me. Basically, he is saying is that sometimes there are facts that just sit up and beg to be looked at and analyzed so that decisions may be made. Yet, they're ignored, and instead of understanding the times and seizing the opportunity, a chance goes a begging to the detriment of a company or an individual.

He then goes on to give an example of two companies who responded to facts differently. The first was a company known as The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, better known as A&P that was doing exceptionally well at that time. It served America through the war, and in the 1950s and 60s, it was the #1 store in the US. It was the largest organization, second only to General Motors in terms of annual sales. But, soon after the war, things started to change in America.  Re-building was going on, businesses were doing well and money was beginning to flow. At that time Kroger was another company in the picture—small, and nowhere near A&P in terms of turnover.  However, Kroger realized that times were changing, and if they needed to survive or forge ahead, they needed to act differently. And they did. They began to try new innovative ideas that catered to the changing landscape of American retail stores, and by the 70s, they had forged ahead of A&P. In fact, by the year 2000, they were the #1 retail store in the US.

What happened? A&P had the market and Kroger didn't. But Kroger read the situation right. Americans, during the war, were being frugal and prudent about their spending.  Frugality was an asset and a value. But post-war, they had more money, they wanted to spend it, and instead of being frugal, they wanted to be lavish. Kroger read that sign right and immediately began to change the way they did business. They started giving four and five choices for every single product, right from cereals to soaps and toothpastes—everything you could think about. They stacked their shelves, had huge parking lots and made shopping a visual delight of the senses.  A&P, on the other hand, didn't do that. They just continued to do what they had always done, and while Kroger began to have huge retailing outlets all over the country with ATMs inside for easy withdrawals, A&P on the other hand, faded away and became a very far second. They had a great history, but history doesn't really matter when times are changing. They failed to confront the brutal facts that were right in front of their eyes. Kroger did, and surged ahead. And the rest, as they say, is history.

The same things can sometimes happen in our own lives. We get so used to doing things in a particular way because they worked for us in situations past, that we don't realize that the situations have changed, and that change calls for newer ways of dealing with those situations. I think the seven last words of many institutions have been: "We've always done it like that before." Think about it though—it could be a wakeup call for us as well. "I've always done it like that before!" Is our head in the sand? Are we hoping that the way we've always operated will carry us through these days as well?   Harold Wilson once said, "He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery." How true! One the other hand, as somebody else said, "Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity – not a threat."

This made me think of us in our day-to-day work; in the way we handle our situations. Are we confronting the brutal facts? Are there facts in front of us that are begging to be looked at, but we continue to handle things in the same traditional way that we have always handled them? Are we holding on to an old value system? Is there a management principle that has served for around 20-25 years but which is possibly redundant now? Do you have a pet theory about relationships that have worked before but isn't working now? Or is it a belief system? What is it that is preventing you from inheriting everything that you ought to be inheriting? Are you stuck in a rut and refusing to look at change?

Change can sometimes be intimidating. Yet, we always need to see it as an opportunity and not as a threat. The moment we look at it as a threat, it will immobilize us and prevent us from really seizing the initiative and surging forward.

I have a story, that I believe,  will bring this point out very clearly. It's about a man who got married, and watching his wife cook, realized that she used everything in very small portions. She would cut up things in little portions and then cook. He asked her why she did that. She replied that her mum always did it like that. The guy was curious and the next time he met his mother-in-law, he asked her why she always put everything in small portions. She too replied that she didn't know but had always watched her mum do it that way. One day, he had the opportunity to meet the grandmother and he popped the question: "Why did you do it like this?" She smiled and said, "In those days, we had very small pans so we had to cut everything up very small." Imagine that!  What was used then, was still being used now because nobody had given thought to why a particular process was followed, and that those processes were completely redundant with newer, bigger pans being available. Caught in a rut!  Head in the sand! "We've always done it like that before!"

So where are you today, in your own lives, in your places of work? Are you still doing the things that you used to do many years ago, refusing to see the facts that are begging to be looked at and to introduce change? Maybe you need to be innovative today; maybe it's time to say, "I need to make a change." And make it. It can be intimidating, but the fact is, that if you don't do what is required, it may leave you redundant.

I always take great assurance from verses in our Scriptures, and the one that I want to share with you says, "I am the Lord, Your God, who teaches you what is best for you; who directs you in the way that you should go." How beautiful! God says, "I am God and I will teach you what is best. I will direct you in the way you should go."

And another encouraging one says, "And at your back, when you're turning to your right hand or your left hand, a voice will be sounding in your ears saying – This is the way in which you are to go."

My prayer is that as you look at changing times around you, and recognize that change is necessary, yet intimidating, that you will lean on this Godly wisdom. God is more than willing to bat on your behalf and to show you what needs to be done. I hope that you will listen.

May I offer this prayer on our behalf?

Almighty God, in the changing scenarios of our lives, we sometimes get into a rut and do things just by rote. Yet Lord, maybe today is the day we need to change things in our own lives, in the way we do things in our places of work. Give us the courage to take stands, to be able to bring change. Give us the wisdom to be innovative and creative. Help us to listen to Your voice reminding us which way to turn, to the left or to the right, and to recognize that You will direct our paths. I pray this as a blessing on each one who reads this post. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

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