Whoever taught us that it was ‘survival of the fittest’ probably lied to us about something else too.
Maybe that was true some time ago but I doubt it.
Dinosaurs were fit..big teeth, etc… but they haven’t been spotted in a while.
Today, we have more and more proof that the statement, when modified to the following is true:
Its ‘SURVIVAL OF THE MOST FLEXIBLE AND ADAPTABLE’.
Adapt or perish.
Typewriter company execs, people relying on vinyl record sales, vhs or cassette sales arent exacty thriving- nor are those employees of Montgomery Ward or the Sears Catalog.
Talking about the Sears Catalogue, I had lunch with Art Martinez, former chairman of Sears and asked him how he had the ‘audacity’ to pull the plug on the Sears Catalog. After all, the catalog was a mainstay in the US; people would use the catalog to research what advancements were made in areas of eyewear, clothing and fashion, furniture, elixers and even transportation.
“Why, did you close down the Sears Catalog Mr. Martinez?”
His answer had me baffled at first. He said, “Because we were too successful.”
Ohhhhkayy, I thought, as the Grasshopper ready to question the Master.
He followed up quickly saying, “We were so successful that we became overly confident and stopped listening to our customers.”
“You mean, like when you wouldn’t accept any charge card other than your own little brown Sears Card? I remember that you didnt allow customers to have the convenience of paying with Visa or Mastercard.” “You got it” he remarked.
In what areas are you not changing and adapting?
I ask so that I can stay awake to the areas that we stay ‘stuck’ and not fall into that pattern.
Here are some areas that I’ve been somewhat resistant :
Learning and using Facebook, Twitter and Blogging.
Cutting back on simple carbs.
Not eating after 9pm.
Taking time to meditate and reflect.
Arrange my schedule to edit my next book, BrandSlaughter.
As I’ve written and said so often in my adult life, ‘We are either Green and Growing or Ripe and Rotting’. aka Adapt, change and grow as though your life depends on it……’cause it does!
