My children love eating at Applebee’s. Their food selections are remarkably consistent – chicken nuggets for my daughter and mac ‘n cheese for the little guy. You might say my kids are real creatures of habit. They’d never guess – nor would they care - that Applebee’s has been under fire for sagging performance. The restaurant chain has, in fact, recently been called “a study in stagnation.” Performance has declined and profitability has dropped.
So what gives? Is there something particularly unusual or unique about the Applebee’s story? Is it to be dismissed as merely an anomaly? Or is there some fundamental lesson to be gleaned about the relationship between stagnation and decline, change and growth?
Truth is, there is nothing all that surprising in the Applebee’s scenario. For companies and individuals alike, stagnation inevitably leads to decline. You’ve got to continually get better, or you’ll eventually get worse.
The antidote to stagnation and decline? Change. Constant, ongoing, meaningful, productive change. It can be small scale or large, subtle or overt. The point is that deliberate, calculated change leads directly to growth and progress.
Self-development and continuous learning are essential in the quest for growth. Read. Take classes. Join a mastermind group or form one of your own. Challenge yourself. Take risks. Continually raise the bar. Above all, keep moving forward.
Change need not be scary and it need not overwhelm. Particularly when supported by others, change initiatives can be extremely energizing and motivating – both to your business and to you personally. Let people know what sort of change you have in mind. Seek their input, solicit their support. Then go for it. Put your best foot forward and do something new.
What sort of change have you embraced lately? How have you moved yourself and your business forward? Even more to the point, what will you do differently tomorrow?
To learn more about this author, visit Liz Bywater's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
|
|
Liz Bywater
(Visit Liz's Website)
Liz Bywater, PhD, is president of Bywater
Consulting Group, LLC, an organizational
consulting firm in the Philadelphia area.
Dr. Bywater helps her clients dramatically
improve individual, group, and
organizational performance... resulting in
enhanced job satisfaction, maximized
productivity, and heightened profitability
for the organization.
Dr. Bywater is a specialist in human
behavior and behavioral change. She
brings her sophisticated understanding of
people, relationships, and communication
to the corporate environment to help her
clients effect meaningful and lasting
improvements in job effectiveness. Dr.
Bywater writes and speaks on a variety of
workplace topics, including the power of
collaboration, effective workplace
communication, and outstanding leadership.
She has been published and quoted in such
publications as the NY Times and the
International Herald Tribune.
Dr. Bywater earned her PhD at the Derner
Institute of Advanced Psychological
Studies. She earned her AB at Cornell
University, where she graduated Phi Beta
Kappa and Cum Laude with Distinction.
|
|
 |
|
Liz Bywater's
Complete
List Of
Small-Business-Consulting
Articles
|
|
If you enjoyed this article, get Liz Bywater's Complete List of Small-Business-Consulting Articles For FREE!
|
|
|
|
