By Swatil Binte Mahmud, Blogger, Lava Protocols
Change is inevitable, but transformation is by conscious choice,
– Heather Ash Amara.
The irony of life is that change is constant. Did you ever imagine our lives were going to shift and change overnight because of the pandemic? No, we did not and neither did companies and businesses. But did we not survive and thrive? Regardless of how big and small businesses were, we made it work. Yes, it did take us some time and effort to get used to everything but what kept us going was our inner strength and resilience. We cannot control who and what will affect our businesses tomorrow, but we can control how we react to it.
How we manage change is the essence of our existence and the key to success and happiness, particularly in these current times of uncertainty.
Change in Stoicism
In Stoicism, a school of Hellenistic philosophy, change is a favorite subject. Some may believe that to be ‘stoical’ in the popular imagination is to endure suffering without complaint. However, the philosophy is more nuanced than that. It is not about fighting change, it is about accepting change and planning, and living a life according to the changes. Did you know Stoics today still recommend keeping of a journal or diary? They believe, in order to be prepared in life and for what life might throw at them, they like to sit down and review their actions to learn and grow as individuals every day. The simple idea is to train yourself to be as prepared as possible, given the changeability of life.
Transformation is a Philosophy
The pandemic affected businesses in many ways. For some, adjusting to the changes required a complete pivot, while others had to accelerate existing roadmaps. There was no way that we could tell or be prepared for the whole world turning upside down for a moment. Therefore, we need to learn to treat transformation as a philosophy versus a project as these uncertain times are not limited and are extremely volatile. The sensible way forward for businesses, big or small, is to instill in their cores that change will happen and we will transform.
Technology Changes
Let’s discuss some of the more obvious changes going around us. I remember when we first bought our flat screen television in the early 2000s, my grandfather who was used to seeing big black televisions from the ’90s, asked us whether we left the rest of the TV at the store! So, technology is relentless and dynamic and it will always invent and reinvent itself. It is 2021, and businesses cannot hope to exist and make a profit in a world by ignoring the opportunities that evolving technology represents.
Yes, it will take a lot of research and effort on your part to figure out how and why your business will need the supporting technology, but once all your missing pieces will come together, it will be you benefitting from it.
YOU will change too!
Do you remember not too long ago, we once used to live in a time where we would physically go to watch movies? I remember waiting impatiently for my local movie theatres to bring the movies that I wanted to watch. I even used to save up for caramel popcorn and the expensive not-so-comfortable seats! Bless Netflix for bringing movies to our screens at home. Now we have thousands of options to choose from, in many languages, with subtitles, and impeccable picture quality in our little phones.
“Seed to tree, tree to forest; Rain to river, river to sea; Grubs to bees, bees to swarm. From one, many; from many, one; Forever uniting, growing, dissolving— forever Changing”, Octavia E Butler. I love this quote because it is not just about trees and bees changing, we change too, we grow and evolve, and transform.
However, are you still worried about weathering change when it happens? Don’t be. Any change can be a blessing in disguise if you are prepared with the right mindset. Also, changes for businesses can be a blessing too, with the right mindset, plan, and employees. Your business will change, the economy will fall and rise, customers will come and go, and you will learn and grow!
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