If innovators were philosophers, they might postulate, “I change, therefore, I am.” To the innovator, change is normal and good. It is the vehicle of opportunity. Innovators seek it. Indeed, they lead it.
“The Great One”, Wayne Gretsky, once said, “A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.”
Therefore, when faced with recent tectonic shifts in various industries, innovators would smile in anxious anticipation, certain of the multiplied opportunities that change inevitably brings.
Ouch
Back home in our usual universe, change may not be so welcome. Change can be upsetting, even painful. David Rock, author of "Your Brain at Work,” cites medical evidence showing that negative emotions actually heighten the pain response in the brain. Negative emotions, like fear and dread, subconsciously heighten our resistance to change, as if to avoid an electrical shock.
Many industries have been jolted repeatedly, rendering them increasingly cautious of ever touching the light switch again.
Opportunities for Custom Solutions
Some recent shifts, in a way, mirror the steel industry. Steel manufacturing was an expensive and complex process that relied on economies of scale to offset the high cost of production. Then, the mini-mill was introduced. Steel became profitable again, as smaller, more agile foundries produced custom products in lesser quantities, with much higher efficiency, and lower overhead. Mini-mills were resisted at first. Now they are the norm.
It’s been said that it’s OK to fall in love with what you do, but not with how you do it.
It’s been said that it’s OK to fall in love with what you do, but not how you do it. Change can be scary, but denial is even scarier.
The Takeaway
Don’t look backward on the “good old days”. Embrace the “good old days” yet to come.
