Ready, Set, Change

517 followers

Updated 10 years ago

Wait...hold on...not so fast! It's true that you'll want to be open to change always but if you're just starting out at WA, you might be feeling like you want to change everything today that you just did yesterday. Don't worry, it's just because you're in a learning phase. That is, after all, one of the main benefits of WA...you don't have to know what you're doing to get started. Remember, you're in the start-up stage of building your business. So what do you want to spend most of your precious time doing?

I thought I would share a handful of effective change management tips that I've learned from my long (and probably boring) career in corporate and retail management. I understand that when you hear the words "change management", you likely think of big business processes. However, the basic principles for dealing with change can very easily be utilized for your website or even in your personal life. So much so, that I hope these tips will be helpful to those of you just getting started and to those of you who have been at this for a while.

Change Management Tips

Correction is reactive while change is proactive. So don't confuse fixing something with changing something. Say, for instance, you're building a home and have just laid the foundation. You return to inspect the work after the concrete has dried to find sinking corners and multiple cracks. You will need to stop building and correct the foundation but you would not need to change the architectural blueprints.
Since change deals with further development or future desired results, there has to be an established process, thought, behavior or tangible product already in place long enough to determine if a change is likely to be an improvement. I would be hard-pressed to improve my house cleaning time if I never (I wish) had to clean before in my life.
The result(s) of a change is unpredictable. Therefore, change requires faith, self-encouragement, buy-in (from yourself and anyone else who might be involved) and often times, extreme determination. There's just no other way to evaluate the results unless you see it through. While I won't know whether or not I'm making the "right decision", if every time I search for a new car I give up after five hours, I'll be driving my hunker-junker forever.
The official change process model involves envisioning (what and why), planning (which, how and when), implementing (doing it) and monitoring (did it work?). A WA example: I would like to open a website featuring sensitive skin products to help those afflicted. I'll join WA to learn how to create and monetize the site. The implementation (building of the site) will occur during my Online Entrepreneur Training. I will use Google Analytics and actual sales tracking to monitor results. I'll evaluate successfulness and achievements after 6 months.
And most importantly...are you ready for it? The impetus of change is all about the why. It is the MOTIVATION, it is the WILLPOWER and it is the DESIRE to succeed. Even if you have everything else down pat, you will fall flat on your face without it. Consider these two very simple statements: I heard on the radio that people should exercise at least 3-4 times per week versus I really want to lose 20 pounds so I can zip up my jeans without using a hanger. Now tell me, which one of these gets you to the gym?

To sum up my advice, don't get in your own way. Yes, incorporate what you're learning each and every day going forward but don't waste a lot of time correcting previous pages and posts (unless it's absolutely necessary like the cracking foundation). Keep a list of what you would have done differently had you known and use that when it is really time to make a change!