There is always something to worry about. As a child, you are worried about winning the flash card game, getting your homework done, your school marks. Most importantly, getting up everyday and reaching school on time to avoid any punishment.
For an Indian teenage, these worries are replaced by worries of what ‘stream’ we should take – Science for a career in Engineering or Medicine, Commerce for a career as an Accountant etc. How you look in front of your first crush? What movies you are going to miss due to examinations? Will India win against Pakistan in the next cricket match?
For an Indian Youth, the worries compound more. What job would she get after college? Who will take care of her education loan? What will be the next big thing in fashion that she needs to follow? Would Kapil Sharma and Sunil GroverKapil Sharma and Sunil Grover ever get together again? Would India win the Cricket World Cup in 2019?
For an Indian Middle Aged, the worries switch to something else. Whether she would get that promotion she has been eyeing? Whether her husband is cheating on her? Will I stay in my job to pay my bills? Whether her car is good to take her to Leh, alone? Whether Flipkart and Snapdeal merge – would she still get the same online deals for her favorite fashion does? Whether Sensex will rise today? Whether Yogi Adityanath impose prohibition in Uttar Pradesh?
For an Indian elder, the worries change further. Whether it is going to be sunny today or is it going to rain? Whether the prices of onions are going to hit the roof again? Whether Narendra Modi will win 2019 general elections or not? Whether Mukesh Ambani’s Jio will comeback with the free offer? Whether the upcoming sale would have the best deal or should one wait? What should be prepared in lunch today?
How long is she going to live?
Businesses go through a similar life cycle of worry.
When young the business is worried about getting the right employees, getting first paying customers, getting the right industry fitment. Whether someone big and loaded will disrupt the industry?
When its in teen years, the worries change to managing capital, talent, customers, business environment and competition effectively.
When it is middle aged, the worries change to How to stay competitive? How to retain the best employees? How to retrench the scum? Whether there is somebody disrupting the industry that the business operates in?
When it is old, the worries change to how to continue to survive and not get disrupted by a new wave of technology? Other things are largely taken care of. Day to day mundane is self-adjusting.
In both the cases, the worries shift to a different set and magnitude if worry is swapped with change. Worry suffocates the appetite to taking risks.
Businesses and individuals that continuously evolve and embrace change do not worry but swap it for change. For individuals, it is adopting new skills with changing market conditions or perhaps adopting a side ageless career that does not go through the mundane 20 something to 50 something cycle of hiring and retiring, if not firing in between somewhere.
For Businesses, the continuous worry is to keep competition in abeyance and stay afloat. It is this worry that sows the seeds of innovation and risk taking. A culture of innovation would push the teams and departments to continuously evolve and continuously embrace change to stay relevant in the market place. So many businesses fail to build this culture and ultimately die their own death.
Whether businesses or individuals, one should ask these questions –
- Whats the worry for?
- What is causing it?
- How can this worry be swapped for change?
- What can one do to make this change successful?
- How do I measure the progress of this change and ultimately success?
Grow daily by swapping that worry with change.
Grow Daily 