Is Change an Evolution or a Revolution?

You know I write on change a lot here. I mean the name of the blog has the word change in it, and just because I write about and embrace change doesn’t even mean I’m an early adopter. I’m slightly dyslexic, have a short attention span at times, and can be OCD others. So change is not something that I take lightly – and I struggle to remain focused on what’s important and not be led down some rabbit trail.

Sure, I’m in “TECH”, whatever that means these days. I have a knack for picking things up fairly quickly. But I work around a bunch of people that are smart in one way or another, and let me tell you – they can get things faster than I do.

Some people like to bust my chops because I’m not on the bleeding edge of technology, don’t have 15 servers running upstairs, dual boot to Ubuntu, or hack my mobile phone with the latest and greatest software.

I seek change when change is necessary. Take adding video to this blog, for instance. Max has been busting my chops since we met many moons ago, but I resisted. There was some internal debate regarding wanting to put out quality as opposed to just jumping in feet first. Some might call it apprehension, but I like to think of it in terms of timing.

The Business of Change

I have been working in technology related fields for well over a decade now, and many of the IT folks I run across love to play with the latest gadgets or techno-fad. But many of those same gadget guys hold down day jobs where they think they solely get paid to ensure stability on their network rather than  ensure alignment of technology and business initiatives; some like to build little castles of their infrastructure, and defend those walls at all costs.

I’m not a gadget guy (even though I just about cried when my wife bought me the 32 GB Touch for my birthday).  I don’t seek change for change’s sake or to have the latest and greatest whiz-bang. But I understand managing change is key to survival.

Working in a sales-focused company gives you a new perspective on life. You see with new eyes that many of the walls you used to defend were obstacles others were having to overcome – disabling the business and not necessarily enabling the company to complete its mission.

My take away from all this is that change is necessary and should be embraced. While I do not subscribe to the bleeding edge mentality of the early adopters, I do see reason behind consistently driving towards necessary evolution. In so doing, you can best position your company, and yourself, against stagnation while ensuring sustainable and measurable growth is an achievable reality.

Image courtesy of: Hulagway

Ken Stewart’s blog, ChangeForge.com, focuses on the collision between the constantly changing worlds of business and technology. To connect with Ken, you may visit him at DandyID.