Making general statements, like tremendous change being eminent, is easy. Everyone would agree that change is moving at an accelerating pace. Unfortunately, how these changes will affect us is rather illusive and knowing how to respond to these changes is difficult because so many factors influence the process.

People who make forecasts should be viewed with some skepticism. There are two challenges with forecasting: the speed of change and the number of variables involved. The last few years provide numerous examples of these two points. Who could have forecast the events of the last two years? Additionally, those who could have influenced the events were clearly not in control of what was happening.

These challenges are applicable to all areas of life, including business. I deal with business people who are struggling to adjust to their changing environment. Many find it is increasingly difficult to keep up with the number of changes and the speed at which it is occurring.

It’s not just a matter of being positive that will bring success. I have seen positive people go down the tube because they never dealt with the underlying issues. Good decisions can be made during these times but certain attitudes must change if one is to be successful.

I believe in a two-step approach to meeting the changing world around us. The first is to gather information on what is going on. This is the analysis phase. Let’s use the printing industry as an example. The industry has been in turmoil for a number of years and many print shops are barely surviving. More and more businesses are able to do their printing in-house using desktop publishing tools. Short-run colour copies can now be done cheaply in-house. Internet communications allow companies to produce newsletters, bulletins, scheduling, etc., all on-line! These are a few examples of how technology is affecting the printing business.

While it should be obvious that analyzing information is the first step, people rarely do this step. Not only do they not have the time, most people do not know how to interpret the information gathered.

The second step is the action phase. This includes choosing the strategy based on the analysis, choosing options, developing a plan and evaluating its merits. Again, as much sense as this makes, few people know how to do it correctly or know how to proceed once it is decided.

The analysis phase gathers the information, and if done correctly, will indicate which direction one should take. There are two reasons why business people resist change. First, they are adverse to change. It is as simple as that. I understand this part of human nature, unfortunately it often results is business failure.

The second reason is that people may not like the options. I believe that success in business will require constant change! The options for change are as varied as there are businesses. What the options are depends on many variables such as the type of printing operation, strengths and weaknesses, location, and so on.

We really have two options. We can see change as a headache that we have no control over or, we can see change as an opportunity. If you can change and take advantage of the opportunities now offered, you will likely succeed!