Individuals and Organizations must follow the Ebbs and Flows...
It's the weekend and many of us will hit our favorite shopping venues and in some cases, will buy something from the Gap. Great store...great idea...great example of readjusting by the owner....Donald Fisher co-founding a retail giant at the age of 41 is an example of working with the idea of ebb and flow.
How many times are we faced with the challenge of having to readjust to life's ever-changing scenarios? In many cases, change comes through force or choice and usually at the most inopportune times. But in the final analysis, all of us must come to the defining moment where we let life overtake us like a massive wave or we ride the wave like a surfer finding the next great one.
In the Fortune Magazine article "10 Entrepreneurs Who Started a Wildly Successful Business After 40", Donna Fuscaldo describes how some of the most iconic brands began in those who most would think may have reached a stage in life where careers, financial livelihood, and even creativity may reach a discriminating end. Without some of these change makers, trendsetters, and even those turning their passions into profitable business ventures, the world would never have known brands such as Gap, Genentech, GoDaddy, Lululemon or IBM. The article is an interesting read and also has allowed the opportunity for us to discuss the idea of "Ebbs and Flows".
Webster's definition of Ebb and Flow is a method:
"Used to describe something that changes in a regular and repeated way."
Theoretically, this definition can be ascribed to the idea that in the development of individual or organizational group goals, there will always be highs and lows associated with both personal and organizational dynamics. Below is an example of this type of charting in which goal setting is coupled with continue ebbs and flows. There is a second component observed in this simple illustration.
The fact that in addition to working through the original goal, there has to be a point in which there are decisions made to work on additional goals, thereby adjusting the original goal. How many times do we as individuals working within groups refuse to realize that ebbs and flows are imminent, as well as the changes associated? Because of a refusal to change with the times, the end result brings stagnation and eventual decline. It is not until we deal with change and transition, that there is growth. There are no simple solutions to dealing with change, however, strategic planning, development and execution of additional goal setting.
Ultimately, we cannot be afraid of change, ebbs and flows, or the ideas that come from planning ahead.
Simplicity...pure simplicity.
TPP
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