ADAPT TO CHANGE OR FOLLOW THE BUFFALO

Many years ago, I was sitting with Henry Conyers, my coach at the time, discussing how rapidly the planet was changing.

Henry compared those individuals who won’t change to the dying-off buffalo herds.

“All things must change,” he said to me, “and those who won’t change will be left behind. It’s time to accelerate your learning.”

He then spoke about the infinite number of ways we humans can inhibit our learning.

“We’re not really on a learning planet,” Henry said. “We keep making the same mistakes, continually going to war with one another, being one example. About 10% of the folks on this planet really want to learn. Most people would rather stay the way they are, or they pretend to go along with the new ways, but it’s just that — a pretense. Once you get close to exposing their deeply held beliefs and defenses, folks can get downright resistant and ornery.”

I’m sure we’ve all seen that!

If you are one of those individuals who’d rather stay just as you are, in the comfort of your own habits and ways of doing things, guess what? You risk becoming obsolete pretty quickly, being either set aside by your organization (and your more progressive friends) or being passed over for opportunities for new projects and roles.

If that’s what you want, okay then. But soon you may find the perception others have of you is that you’re becoming old! I’m talking about Henry’s definition of old, not your chronological age. Rather, Henry characterized OLD as Obstructing Learning Daily. You can be 10 years of age and do that! And on the flip side, I bet we all can name someone over 80 who is still youthful in outlook, spirit, and health.

If you find yourself dwelling on the past or if your memories of the past are far more enjoyable than anything you’ve got going in the moment, you may want to stop and look at that. There are subtle ways most of us hold onto the familiar, lest we have to devote time to LEARNING. Yes, there are both personal and organizational barriers to change. Remember, change takes energy. Many folks are downright lazy when it comes to working on themselves. Don’t let this be you!

These days, what’s available to us can be far more impactful and growth-evoking than things were in the past. If you’re holding onto your old ways of doing things, it’s like using old technology. And remember, it’s not uncommon for an individual to know better but not do better.

The buffalo is an unmistakable symbol of the species that will not change. Often, we humans won’t change until we’re up against the wall and have no choice. Well, folks, it’s more painful when the wall is in your face, so my advice is stay current.

Start each day by saying “I can embrace the new with glee and glory!” Give that a try next time you require some assistance with embracing the new — before that wall starts closing in on you.

Back to blog