According to Darwin's theory of evolution, all organisms must change to suit their environment during evolution, and only the strongest species that adapt in time survive and develop to the present day.
The Wayne Rooney Story
At the end of the previous season, despite striker Wayne Rooney scoring 27 goals, Manchester United (MU) finished only second in the Premier League. Starting the new season aiming to regain the title, MU made numerous personnel changes, notably signing top scorer Van Persie. Few could have imagined that within months Rooney would go from indispensable attacker to facing the prospect of becoming a substitute. Knowing his favored player would struggle to compete with Van Persie as striker, coach Ferguson gave Rooney a new opportunity as playmaker. Rooney rewarded his coach's trust, happily taking on the new task and enjoying success as a midfielder supplying passes for Van Persie to score. Anyone who has played football understands how frustrating it can be to go from receiving passes and scoring to dropping back and passing for someone else to score. He not only overcame this psychological challenge but also showed, match after match, that he could perform well as a midfielder. It is too early to say whether he will be as successful in midfield as he was as a striker, but one thing is certain: Rooney has undergone a major transformation in both mindset and footballing skills.
The story of Apple and the iPhone.
Today, almost everyone recognizes and feels the changes happening around us, particularly in business. More than five years ago, when Apple launched the iPhone, many mobile-phone giants scoffed at what they called a ‘hodgepodge phone,’ because it combined so many features—an electronic organizer, smartphone, music player, video games, web browser and camera—in a single phone. Everyone knows what actually happened: the iPhone revolutionized the mobile-phone market. Today, every premium mobile-phone manufacturer follows the path the iPhone pioneered. Apple made a revolutionary transition from a company specializing solely in graphics computers to an entertainment-electronics company offering fashionable computers, music players, mobile phones and tablets. In August 2012, Apple surpassed Microsoft to become the US company with the highest market value in history.
I want to change while I am successful!
The secrets of businesses that change successfully are:
Guiding Emotions
During change, people's psychology passes through stages: first surprise, “shock,” denial, and angry emotional reactions, when almost no reasoning gets through. Then comes discouragement: not wanting to come to work or see the boss, with resignation as its extreme. Next is negotiation, trying out the change and making an effort to earn a living. At this stage, many respond with a “go-slow,” coming to the company but merely going through the motions. This is where Vietnamese people's reactions differ from those of foreigners. Finally, they accept the change, and some return to commitment and balance.
In this cycle, two streams arise: emotion and reason. Most employees respond emotionally, while leaders are rational and imposing. Owners and leaders need to understand that they should not impose through reason, because when emotions run high, the “animal side” within each person rises strongly and may “bite” the owner. Only emotion can soothe emotion. Crucially, owners must not waver when employees are wavering, because that would immediately ruin things.
Business transformation must follow the established vision, but it must be conveyed in everyday language and communicated to build agreement.
Internal communication about change is a process, not a single event: a tireless series of events through three main stages, pre-message, message, and post-message. Consistency and communication frequency also matter to prevent the company from being divided by rumors. Above all, communication must be ethical.
Change while you are still in good “shape”:
High organizational trust, abundant financial resources, a strong brand, and market support… If a company waits until it is exhausted before considering reform, then, as a rule, morale will be very low and the likelihood of success will be minimal.
The Leader’s Role:
The captain must prepare and persuade these ‘veterans’ to support the transformation, even anticipating worst-case scenarios. Business moves like a spiral: stopping or moving at yesterday’s pace means others will overtake and eliminate you. The most important thing in this race is to avoid being forced out of the game. As long as you remain in it, you can succeed again when the right moment arrives and you seize the opportunity.
As a business grows, reaching a new level requires more than small incremental improvements. Moving to a higher level demands revolutions and profound changes in everything, from direction and vision to organizational structure, equipment solutions and technology… Transformation is neither simple nor easy, but it is the only path to success at a new level. Let us begin the journey of transformation within our own thinking.
Begin the journey of transforming your thinking today!
Source: Excerpt from an Article by Nguyễn Tân Kỷ – Thời báo Kinh Tế Sài Gòn
