Are You Ready for Some Positive Change?

Do you ever feel like your operation needs some fresh thinking? I do. That’s precisely why I read so many different books and publications…to get great new ideas. It helps to build exciting new challenges into our daily activities. Maybe it’s time to change our thinking in the Dairy Industry, too!! Author Seth Godin, in his book The Big Moo, explained his thoughts on organizations. This can include your business, your bank, your vendors, and even your milk cooperative. He states: “There are two kinds of organizations. One kind likes to be on the cutting edge, to do what hasn’t been done before, to embrace the new. The other kind fears that, and holds back to allow someone else to go first. The United Way was facing tough times because they were afraid to change. The Saddleback Church in California was doing wonderfully (10,000 percent growth over several years) because they love to change. Companies that are good at being edgy will always find a way to thrive. The sure way to fail, it seems, is to attempt to compromise that affinity for edginess for the mass market. It’s harder than it looks. But what if your organization embraces its stuckness? What’s it going to take for you to start changing? What do you do when the market is moving away from you, not toward you? It seems to me that if you wait too long, it’ll be too late to do much of anything at all. Instead, recognize that change is coming, that the reality you operate in is dying out, and start practicing how to do the next big thing. Betting on change is always the safest bet available.” The lesson here is quite clear. We all need to be open to change. The outcome for businesses that refuse to change is equally obvious: They’re going to get crushed! I’d like to conclude with one of my favorite quotes from the Successories Corporation in Chicago, Illinois: “Our destiny is shaped by our thoughts and our actions. We cannot direct the wind but we can adjust the sails.” So, always be open to change and new ways to operate! Also, be sure to watch for my upcoming program in early 2017 entitled Six Hours to Your Best Year Ever!