Embracing change

To Winston Churchill, "There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction." While change is something that we all have to live with every single day of our lives, a lot of us cannot just make that change that we ought to do. It's always a problem of letting go -- a lot of us are chained by the delusion that the past will not pass away. And this is how things are going for some people who are imprisoned by the old ways of doing business.

I am not Chinese but every time I am with my Filipino-Chinese friends, their friends talk to me in Chinese and whenever it happens, I just give them that signature poker face of mine or just open my mouth without blurting a word. That just happens to me always whenever I'm with them. They mistake me for a Chinoy.  It's probably because I was born with very shy eyelids that I cannot tell if this is a blessing or bad feng shui. (LOL)

Where were we? Yeah, about change. One thing I notice about many Chinese establishments is the way they do business. They're very good with what they do. If there is one thing that shines so vividly in them, it is how the way they use money not really their being frugal. They are like the Amazon rainforest where no dead leaf is spared as soon as it touches ground to keep an efficient and fertile ecosystem, and to support the vibrant life that thrives in this wonderful side of the world. And that's the Chinoy. They know exactly how to optimize their money. 

However, except for some, there are still a lot of Chinese businessmen (and Filipinos as well) who still live in the "abacus era" amidst the digital age where computers are replaced every three years or so. And whenever I tell them to consider computerizing their business, they just shrug with a cold shoulder. Things like "It's an expense," "My business has been doing well even without them for a long time," "My customers do not need it" and so forth are just a few of the common reasons why technology is just only an accessory than a necessity for them.

"We have to respect our parents' decision. We will have to wait for that generation to come before we embrace technology to our business. It's basically the fear of investing something that they do not know," says a Chinese friend of mine whose father never listens to his prodding.

Now I see. I think the refusal to change is the fear losing control. The fear of having to change the game of the business which, of course, is not always the case.  Computers are there to assist, to make things easier for people and to enable faster communication between businesses. And I think those fears are just a consequence of having failed deeply to educate the older generation. The new generation, being heirs to the business, needs to be persistent but not disobedient.

To be persistent is to assure that the change in internal process does not always amount to change in the rules of business nor does it cause any pain to their loyal customers. The rules of business will still be the same and you still keep your customers happy and even happier for the changes.

Technology is there to make the business more responsive to the new habits of people and to the new breed of customers. If you think that your old and loyal customers will be with you for a very long time, you're wrong. Your customers will soon be replaced. The new generation will be the new customers and it is impossible for a new generation of customers to adopt the old ways of doing things. Technology is the best tool to adapt to the changing requirements of customers.   

Gone are the days when business used to be about the people you know or old friendships. And yes, I admit that many of today's businesses were built by such relationships. But they will not last. Change has already come. Business nowadays is not always gauged by the length of the relationship but the amount of value that you can give. Business relationships last because of the value that they give to each other not because you have been there together through thick and thin. Value is the new state of mind -- the new paradigm in today's business and technology happens to be among the useful tools to achieve the best value for the customers.

Change is the essence of business. Be willing to surrender what your business is today for what it could become in the future.

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