You Can’t Change What You Can’t See

To Change Your Business Outcomes You Have to See What Needs Changing

"Eyes that look are common- eyes that see are rare  [Bible]"

Ever wonder why so many people with obvious problems in their lives stay stuck?  Businesses who could be growing and morphing with the needs of society often stay buried in the ways of the past.  As a change specialist and consultant, I see that ignorance is not bliss all the time.
Take Joey with his plumbing and heating business.  Joey’s dad started the business 27 years ago in Denver Colorado.  He advertised in the yellow pages, and eventually had a sign made for the back of his truck with his phone number on it. Joey’s dad made a living that put his sister through nursing school and Joey through his journeyman training. Ralph (dad) retired at 59 and he and Sharon enjoy life in Arizona.
Joey runs the business now.  Built on reputation, Joey had good success for the first 7 years of the business, but now, he is losing market share, laying off employees and finding it difficult to show profit on his year end statement.

"Joey’s biggest problem: He can’t see what he doesn’t know."

Joey is not aware of the power of the internet, the need for joint ventures, the contacts available at key networking events.  He runs his business like his dad did – and he is losing.
Change is happening whether we want it to happen or not, it moves on.  If we don’t have a perception of ourselves in the change, we often cannot even “see” what seems so obvious to the outside observer.
Like a person who wants to lose 50 pounds – Joey cannot see himself being what the change would offer, so he cannot see the change itself.