Can You Spare Some Change?
T4D subscriber Marcel whose company is in process of being acquired by a larger company is hearing from his peers that the potential changes likely to come from the change can only be negative. So he asked me in an e-mail for a favorite quote I might have that illustrates how change can also often be a positive and necessary thing for long term success.Â
Below is my quote for Marcel - if you have one to share with him - I invite you to go to the blog posting of today’s T4D www.kirkweisler.com/t4d and post your quote in the comment box. Â Thank you
Peter F. Drucker: Society, community, family are all conserving institutions. They try to maintain stability, and to prevent, or at least to slow down, change. But the organization of the post-capitalist society of organizations is a destabilizer. Because its function is to put knowledge to work — on tools, processes, and products; on work; on knowledge itself — it must be organized for constant change.
I have been in Charlotte NC for a couple of days attending a conference - each day I walk by several professional - or at least very practiced street beggars who ask me if I can “Spare some change”.  The thought I had about this a while back was - “People that don’t learn to do well with change in their lives, will most likely find themselves needing the change of others.” ~ Kirk Weisler (Yeah, I said that  : )
Last night on a walk back to the hotel - I was asked by 3 such people for either >”50cents” or “spare change” - I didn’t have anything less than a $20 so I politely told each one no. The last person I passed actually asked me for twenty dollars! After looking closely to make sure he wasn’t holding a gun, I told him no as well. Twenty Bucks? Sheeesh!
September 19th, 2007 at 12:03 am
If you don’t like change, you’re going to like irrelevance even less.
[Chief of Staff, U. S. Army]
September 19th, 2007 at 7:39 am
If you don’t like something change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. ~Mary Engelbreit
John F. Kennedy:
Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.
September 19th, 2007 at 8:58 am
I found within a fortune cookie years ago, a thought that I have adopted and taken to heart, and one which my teams have learned to quote often when presented with challenges that stem from our every changing environment.
Author Unknown:
Without change, there can be no progress. Without progress, there can be no future.
How true is this..?
September 19th, 2007 at 10:07 am
Here’s one of my favorites about change….
If everyone really resisted change, we would all be riding horses instead of driving cars. Progress is evolution meeting need.
Not sure of the source, but I embrace the concept.
September 19th, 2007 at 10:58 am
My favorite lesson on change comes from one of my favorite books (recommended by Kirk) - QBQ! The Question Behind the Question by John G. Miller.
Go to the chapter titled “Why Do We Have To Go Through All This Change” (page 28). The story is about a father and daughter flying in a small plane, and how thinking and acting differently (instead of reacting hysterically) can lead you successfully through challenging times.
September 20th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
I’d like to share a quick story with you on how I mastered CHANGE.
I mother did her best to raise five kids by herself and in doing so, taught me (unbeknownst to me at the time) one of life’s biggest lessons: CHANGE. We moved a lot, from house to house throughout different neighborhoods and sometimes to different states. She moved us around so much, as she latter explained, to find affordable housing. Me and my siblings really disliked moving so much, mostly because of having to switch schools, leaving our friends behind, making new friends, ETC. We soon got used to it and actually anticipated our “next move†with eagerness. We become change managers without even knowing it.
Fast forward to the present. How was I going to create a change environment for my own children without moving us around like my mother did? I see so many adults who have such a difficult time with change; I was determined to pass along my lessons to my kids. Here’s how I did it: I started by having my kids switch bedrooms, move down/across the hallway. My wife and kids thought I had gone mad. I continued to have them switch bedrooms every three months or so and soon they were doing it on their own. I did explain the importance of experiencing and accepting change. All is good. So good in fact, my 13 year old daughter is now a CHANGE EXPERT. She rearranges her bedroom furniture on her own and has really embraced change. She’ll do well in the “working worldâ€.