Embracing change

May 4, 2010

I just finished watching Nightly News with Brian Williams, and like every other American, my heart is breaking for the people in Louisiana, who’s lives and livelihoods are at risk because of the oil spill. I can’t even think about the impact to the wildlife. But the thought that kept occurring to me while listening to the news was: would this oil spill have happened if – as a country – we had embraced alternative energy, say 20 or 30 years ago?

I don’t really know the answer to this hypothetical question, but I have found the tedious and ponderously slow acceptance of, and investment in, energy alternatives to be a symptom of a sentiment that can be seen on both small and large scales: resistance to change and fear of the unknown.

Change is hard. Thinking outside of the box is hard. Stepping out of a comfort zone is hard. Thirty years ago it would have taken great visionaries with immense political power to convince industry, and Americans in general, that someday very soon, we’d be safer and more secure if we developed cleaner and safer sources of energy. Finally we are moving in the right direction. Hopefully it is not too late.

What does this all have to do with marketing? In our world – perhaps a microcosm of the world at large – change is critical to survival. Embracing change, investing in change and harnessing change. In this decade, change is one of the things we count on most.

As a small business owner, it’s my job – in addition to being chief cook and bottle washer – to also wear the “visionary” hat. Daily I have to think outside the box and move out of my comfort zone, because if I don’t, I am completely convinced that my business would be at risk. I accept and seek out change because I know it’s what will keep us viable long into the future.

They say that small business powers this country. I believe it. And I’m inspired by some of our own clients who, in their own ways, bring vision and fresh thinking to their work, and a willingness to embrace new ideas.