Grow or Wither and Die: It’s a Choice

Dr. David Rafeedie

This past August, we had a lot of sweltering days in a row in southern Arizona. There was no rain in conjunction with the heat, which traditionally arrives at this time of year. This is monsoon season. But without rain, it is called a dry monsoon—a creative name for monsoon season with no rain. But with extreme heat and no rain, some of our plants and trees began to suffer. Even some of our cacti began to wither and lean. They were still alive, but they were not keeping up with the healthy plants and trees. The healthy plants could adjust, and the others needed extra watering to keep them alive and thriving. Without intentional extra watering, they would not have survived.

That is a good picture of what can happen to organizations that do not make intentional moves to keep up with the quickly changing environment that exists today. The world is moving so fast, society and culture changing so quickly, and the work environment is shifting so rapidly that you are effectively shrinking if you are not intentionally growing and innovating.

The status quo has an expiration date attached. It may not seem like it as your organization or business goes on as usual, but you are getting closer to your expiration date every day. In today’s environment, the status quo is not sustainable for long term viability. Of course, this is a general truism. There are exceptions, but for most organizations, this is operational truth.

An unfortunate example of this operational truth is Blockbuster Video. At one point, they had over 9,000 stores and employed over 84,000 people. Their brand was famous, and its stores popular. Today there is only one store left in Bend, Oregon. That store has instituted COVID adjustments to stay open. Blockbuster was founded in 1985 and filed for bankruptcy in 2010. They failed to change with the times and the new digital age. In 2000 Blockbuster was approached by Netflix and asked if they wanted to buy the company for $50 million. The CEO said no thanks, and the rest is history. Netflix is enormous, with over $8 billion in revenue. Blockbuster is just one example of many.

Here is the good news. The plants will come back with the extra help of water, and you and your business and organization can grow with the right intentional help even during these challenging times. It is not easy to think outside of the successful box one has created. It is not easy to innovate amid the busyness of business and life. Here are a couple of good steps to take to keep moving forward.

1. Make time to reflect

If you want to have time to think, you must make the time. You must take it because it will not happen if you are not intentional. Get your go-to person to hold the fort while you go away for a while to think. That is a good start. But after that and even more significant is to find a thought partner for regular times of thinking together.

2. Find a thought partner 

You can think more deeply and creatively with the help of a thought partner. A professional thought partner is best. As a coach, I can partner with you to do just that. Email me at info@davidthecoach.com, or text or call me 520-709-1860, and let’s start a conversation to see if I can help you.

Tip: Change for growth is not an option. The flip side of growth is the status quo, and the status quo has an expiration date and is not sustainable for the long haul. Take the first step now.