Change – there are only 3 great choices.

In choosing change, do you ADOPT, ACKNOWLEDGE or ADJOURN? Business change in 2025, what will you do? by Susan Hayward

Key concept: Business and life are full on in December 2024, and with it, change is something that we cannot avoid. If we don’t get with change, change will overtake us and leave us behind. That doesn’t mean we need to accept ALL change, but we do need to embrace what is happening around us and use the best bits to enhance our personal lives and business. This applies to technology, process, strategy or tool. One of the challenges facing us in 2025 is deciding what to adopt, what to acknowledge and what to adjourn (put on the shelf).

ADOPTING CHANGE

When considering adopting a technology, process, strategy or tool, you need to evaluate it carefully:

•  Does it align with my personal and/or business goals and needs? Is it relevant? Does it fit? Could it be scaled up as your business grows?
• What is the ROI (return on investment)? Consider initial and ongoing costs, the payback period and tangible (or intangible) benefits such as work speed, efficiency, and impact on costs (increase or decrease?).
• How easy is it to use and implement? Can you easily integrate it into current work practice? Is it user-friendly, and do you have the support and easily accessible resources to carry it out?
• Finally, remember to evaluate the risks to your business of adopting that change—consider regulatory compliance, vendor reliability, and data security.

ACKNOWLEDGING CHANGE

We may need to know about some technology, process, strategy, or tool but have not adopted it yet. We need to know of its existence and potential impact but accept that it is not for us at present). In considering it, we accept that it is not for us for now; we need to do other things first:

• What is its relevance to us and its potential impact on us? Is it an industry trend we need to be informed about? Are competitors using it to their advantage? Will it become widely used soon?
• Will we be ready to adopt in the future, just not yet/not now because we lack sufficient resources, infrastructure or expertise at present? Do we need to wait until a later edition/improvement has been made and not be an early adopter? Will it better meet our needs in time, just not now? Are there barriers to adoption, such as cost, culture or practicalities, that we need to address first?
• What can we learn from considering the technology, process, strategy, or tool? Does it help us stay informed and benefit decision-making? Is there potential for partnerships and collaboration with others who are considering or already using it? Can we benefit from the learning of others/the early adopters?

ADJOURNING FROM CHANGE

If a technology, process, strategy, or tool is not for us, we need to be bold enough to know why it is so and say so. That doesn’t mean we will always maintain that stance in future planning. Saying no, not be for now or not at present, it does not necessarily imply au revoir (goodbye); it may mean a bientot (till soon, some point in the future).

For example, 18 months ago, few of us considered using AI (artificial intelligence). Now, almost everyone I know is using or considering using AI to smooth and speed up the repetitive tasks we all have in business.

For those who are frightened of AI taking over the world, it already is. I realised, simplistically in my own way, that I have been using early forms of AI for years – spell checker and mail merge in Word, automated social media posting (Buffer), grammar, spelling and tone checking (Grammarly). Even programs such as Mail Chimp, Hootsuite and CRM systems are forms of AI. Even formulae on complex spreadsheets are an early form of AI (change one number, and all the related numbers change).

The challenge before us in 2025 is whether we adopt, acknowledge or adjourn change in our business for the right reason. Remember, there is wisdom in seeking and asking for help. Once a decision is made, the reasons may change, and we may need to change that decision, and that is okay, too.

Happy New Year, everyone, and here is to #BuildingBetterBusiness in 2025.

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