To Change is to be Ahead and Stay Ahead

Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights. ~Pauline R. Kezer

According to its new CEO, Stephen Elop, Nokia's market share drops; needs to “change faster”. The issue at stake here is about making changes in order to be ahead and stay ahead. How do you make changes and be successful? Here are the vital tips:

1. Change yourself: Are you changing yourself to keep up with the pace of the changing time. Be flexible and accept changes and do things differently. Take advantage of technology advancements and work more productively.

2. Keep thinking: You must work your mind constantly and look at things from a different perspective. Be innovative and creative and conceive original and unique ideas.

3. Keep changing: To be progressive is to try new things and make positive changes. You may not get what you want, but to fail is a positive thing. Firstly, it means you don’t stay still. Secondly, you can learn a lot from what you have done wrong.

Progress is not created by contented people. ~ Frank Tyger

4. Know what is happening quickly: Do you harness the power of information technology to stay in the know? Subscribe to Google News, Google Reader, and Google Alerts on topics relating to your area of work or expertise. Stay on top of things as it happens.

5. Be competent: You may be good at what you do, however, more and more information is easily and freely available on the Net. It is important in this information age that you keep learning and getting the right knowledge in order to stay ahead.

6. Keep tracking your performance: Monitoring your performance is crucial for your success. You want to know whether what you have done is achieving the results as expected. If not, it is necessary to make more changes to get the desired outcome.

7. Be proactive: Go one step ahead. As soon as you have successfully completed a project, don’t rest on your laurels. Find out how you can make further improvements. The car industry is a very good example. A model may be a top seller, to maintain its position, it has to undergo a constant facelift to be more appealing and do engine modification to get more power and fuel efficiency.

This is a competitive and ever-changing world; you need to differentiate yourself to stay ahead. To evolve and make constant changes for the better is the key.