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Change. Feels Chancy Sometimes.

Libby McCready • Jun 28, 2021

The real risk could be in the familiar.

Transformational change. I’ve worked on a lot of business transformations in my career both as a business coach and executive. I love those projects – the business strategies, complexities, nuances of getting change right. Organizations understand the need for change. At least the successful organizations do. No change might mean displacement or worse extinction – before Corona was a beer or a virus, it was a typewriter (yes, some of you have stopped here for a quick fact check). 


I call myself a change agent – not just as a moniker for a type of work I do but in life. I seek change. What’s that old adage, “a change is as good as a rest?” It’s something my mother used to say a lot.


Change has been an integral part of my life. As a family, we moved 7 times including half-way through my kindergarten, 3rd, 6th and 12th grades! I’ve had 3 careers (so far!), lost 4 jobs, and started 5 businesses. I’ve also owned 10 sofas in the past 14 years, but I’m not sure that’s relevant…


Change can feel chancy, even scary, especially when we aren’t seeking it or expecting it. But even when we are ready for change, it’s easier to push it out, put it off, wait for the circumstances to be right. Change carries risk. Too many ifs and unknowns. Untested, it could lead to failure.   


Price Pritchett’s advice is to recognize “…you can never escape risk. It’s not something you can decide to live with or without. Something is always at stake. You can only decide which risks to take.” He warns us of status quo, security and comfort as not being as secure or comforting as we like to think.


Here’s the thing. Change creates growth. It’s the reason organizations do it. As humans we are wired for growth and therefore wired for change. Growth and change is disruptive. Disruptive to our thinking. Disruptive to our doing. Disruptive to our being. Yes, it means giving up the familiar and the known but think of it this way; when a baby learns to walk, they are giving up the familiar and the safety of crawling. Notice the baby doesn’t wait for the circumstances to be just right. They risk, they fall, they do it again and once walking is mastered, it’s on to the next opportunity for change.


Change. Growth. It’s here to stay…


I’m 62. Here I am in a new venture and still learning. Sometimes thinking to myself, why! The answer is growth. Feels like it was just yesterday I was learning to walk...


Your business, your career, your life – it’s waiting for you to grab hold for another thrilling and transformational ride!

 

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