One of the hallmarks of all successful people and businesses, is their ability to adapt, when new information comes along. Rather than continue with the ‘same old same old,’ they adjust their strategies and approaches whenever required.
Compare this to their less successful counterparts and you see a very different picture. You will see people and businesses that do what they are comfortable with, regardless of what’s happening around them. This inflexible thinking seems to impact everything they do.
For example, I saw a car crash today that could easily have been avoided; had the driver adapted his driving to match the severe winter conditions we are experiencing here.
Heavy snow and constant sub-zero temperatures have turned our roads into something close to ice rinks! Even so, I saw a car speeding into a corner close to where I live, and then spin off into a ditch. Thankfully, the driver was OK. He told me he lost control when he hit the breaks and that he was “probably driving too fast.”
In business, when people are too rigid or inflexible in their thinking, they too run the risk of going dangerously off track.
This is why it’s so important to listen, I mean REALLY listen, to the marketplace and our clients. Keep your thinking flexible and look for opportunities to adapt and grow.
What do you think?
This presumes one knows how to listen. This is not something I’m good at.
However, I’m using this little phrase to help me pay more attention this year: “Deliver delight.”
I’m practicing listening in 2010… to family, clients, friends, mentors, coaches, and even myself. Listening to when I hit the wall and stop being effective as much as slowing down to listen to good advice or even just someone who needs to share.
Listening more is probably something we could ALL do more of, Julie. Thanks for the feedback.
It is not only important to “listen” but to watch what your clients do. Watch market behavior, listen to customers, adapt your system to make a win-win.
Hello Marshall. Thanks for the comment. The term ‘listen’ when applied to listening to the marketplace typically means (ironically) observe, via all your senses.
Funny how it’s all about listening, right? It’s not about talking until somebody believes you or until your tongue falls off. I learned from a young age that “good players play well, great players adapt well.”
With so much feedback available and so many great ideas floating around in the open, there’s no excuse not to adapt and succeed.
Thanks for the post, Jim.
You’re welcome Scott.
The comment about car driving styles made me smile. We have family in Norway who are tickled pink that we go to pieces when the unusual, but not unpredictable, happens. I think there’s a definite parallel there with business!
People often confuse hearing with listening. Hearing is a physical activity. LISTENING is a mental activity. It takes practise!
Regards Jim, great post as ever.
Jane
Thanks for the clarification regarding Listening and hearing. An excellent point!
Thanks for the comment Jane.
Hi Jim – Happy New Year to you and yours sir
Change is not easy. Learning new things takes tremendous effort. Embracing new technology applications for business is not impossible, but will not an option for many. These changes are going to be a stumbling block for those who can’t adapt and open tremendous opportunity for the internet savvy generation and those willing to learn.
Listening is not the predominate skill of most. It can be learned, but that skill/change takes a lot effort too.
In the end, you must adapt or die – old ways are coming to an end and being replaced by the new.
As someone once said to me Mark; “If you think change is hard, wait til you see how hard things get when you refuse to change.”
Thanks fort the feedback sir.
Yeah, I know I started this in the right path…
You are remarkable… You take words outta my mouth!
Your articles make so much sense.. I have been actually eading every single email for he past “what” 2 months..
I must add that I have getting your rss feed for over 4 years now too.
But I have been reading & following you this year and YOU are so damn right.. You knowledge is brilliant not to say UP to date with Marketing!
IF ONLY THEY SLOW DOWN JUST A BIT & READ
Heck I have slowed down & must say that the year 2010 WILL be better, for Me anyways.
And I thank YOU Mr. J. Connolly
If You ever need consultation with your website source codes, I might can explain a source and /or simple fix.
Thank You
Norman Flecha
STRAIGHTALK
Thanks for supporting the blog Norman. I will do my best to keep it interesting for you sir!
Great article and you have a good set of followers as well with good inputs. I must say, I listen a lot to what’s new, but I don’t always adapt, what could work on others might not work for me…so I only chew what I think applies. Like the current trend now, everyone is using Facebook and Twitter, I use those but on a personal level only…
Thanks for sharing. I really should be reading some of your blog.