A Change in Direction?

It was just the mid of the third day of the new year when I overheard a statement of a man who sat at the table next to where I sat during lunch time today. He told his three colleagues there, that due to circumstances - it seems the direction, goals and plans that they have just set a few weeks ago will need to be totally changed! He added that they really and urgently need to consider the change required to their direction. They then had lot of what-ifs arguments, debates and deliberations. I do not know what they eventually decided because first of all, that I was only by chance overheard  the conversation 0 :-) and secondly I had to leave for another commitment to be fulfilled :-).

Quite often something unexpected and beyond our control may occur. It could force us to alter a bit the nature of what we're doing. But some other time, even worst because it might leaves us no other option but to instigate a change in direction. What should we do?

Various competencies and skills are indeed necessary for a successful implementation or execution of the plan of actions we set to achieve our goals. However, it depends also on many external factors that can get in the way between us and our goals, making the execution far from a smooth one. It is very important to remain flexible when we face roadblocks or even when we may have had to change our direction. When the business climate is volatile and changes happen in the market, it's crucial for organizations to remain agile enough to adjust what they are doing to accommodate the changes.

Changes in direction when circumstances change doesn’t mean neither that we have not been considerate enough in the planning process nor a complete failure. Even many big companies experienced setbacks. A couple of years ago, the mini thumb sized hard-disk-drive developed by one of the big names in the electronic industry was forced to history only just months after its introduction to the market because of the new more convenient flash drives were invented.

Be flexible and adaptive to adjust our direction when we are facing circumstances that really make obsolete what we have been carefully planned.  A decision in making strategic changes and/or adjustments that change the direction of our organizations could lead to a more successful new beginning and opportunities, if we have dogged determination and focus in what we and our team are doing.