How to Become a Change Agent for Your Business

I hate change.

Running a business would be so much easier without it. Heck, living life in general would be easier. One thing's for sure, I wouldn't spend as much money on Tylenol.

But why do we hate change so much. Is it that we fear the unknown? Do we despise anything that throws off the mojo of routine just for routines sake? I guess we all have our reasons.

Regardless of how much we hate change, it's usually a good thing. Change brings progress, perspective and brainpower. It forces people to come together and create.

A small business that does not change will die. You don't want your business to die do you? I didn't think so. That's why the tips below will help you to embrace change in all of its glory. If you want to learn how to become a change agent, read on.

Tip #1: Let Go of Perfection

Look, I get it. You don't want to take action until you're absolutely certain that it's the right one. You don't want to look foolish, hurt your business or make a mistake in front of your staff. I'm here to tell you that step #1 in learning how to become a change agent requires you to let go of that insecurity. Just let it blow away in the wind. Do you honestly think the world's best movers and shakers have everything figured out? It's not possible to get it right without taking action, because it's in taking the action that you learn about the problem and find the solution. (Whoa kids, we're getting deep today!)

Tip #2: Get off the Fence

In most small businesses, there's a handful of core processes that don't work. Day in and day out, the business keeps putting up with them though.

Examples of broken processes would be:

1. How you on-board a new customer or client
2. How you mange your company finances
3. How you structure your staff
4. How you market your product or service

You know these areas are a problem, but you find yourself sitting on the fence with a proverbial finger up your nose. Hey don't take offense, we've all been there. If you're truly going to lead an amazing business, pick any one of your broken processes and take a stance on it.

Stand up and shout "This process is broken and we're not going to take it any more!" Que sound track from Twisted Sister...

You never though MTV could teach you to become a change agent now did you?!

Tip #3: Take an Action

Now that you've identified a process that you're mentally fed up with, decide to fix it by taking action. In fact, do something before you even finish this blog post. Lets define "action" though before you get started.

These are not actions:

1. I'll think about it
2. I'll set aside time to deal with it next Monday
3. I'll add it to my to-do list for today and get to it once I finish my meeting with Bob Ranker

Those are excuses to keep putting off the inevitable and slow death of your company. If you really want to become a change agent and build the best business you can, then take real action right now.

Here are examples of real actions that you could take:

1. Invest in education that's designed to fix the process.
2. Schedule a team meeting to brainstorm, assign tasks and get momentum on the process.
3. Get a coach.
4. Hire a professional. Shameless plug here, but if you're wanting to fix how your company handles its finances and accounting, call us at Ignite Spot - that's what we do best.

Tip #4: Build a System

Here's the best part, now that you have taken action on this, you're going to get momentum. You're going to see progress towards something that's plagued you and your company for a long time. Seeing that movement will create excitement.

The next obvious step is to take that excitement and build a system. Just imagine how great it will feel to come into work tomorrow knowing that this part of your business is fixed.

A lot of people get overwhelmed when it comes time to build a system. This doesn't have to be complicated.

A good system simply needs the following ingredients:

1. A Champion: Someone on your staff to push it forward and work for constant improvement.
2. A Playbook: A document that says "This is how the process works".
3. A Tracking Tool: A software or tool that will allow management and employees to track the progress of the system and be a part of it.

Final thoughts on how to become a change agent

Remember that change is a process. You're not going to know everything before you get started. In fact, you're not going to know very much. The trick is to take action. Pick a process and jump in head first. You'll surprise yourself and feel great knowing that you made it happen.