George Romney once said, \u201cThere is nothing more vulnerable than entrenched success.\u201d\u00a0 In other words, we get a little success under our belt and there\u2019s a risk that we become fat, dumb, and happy . . . in short, complacent.\u00a0 Hubris sets in and some rigor leaves.\u00a0 We take our foot off the gas a bit because we think, \u201cNo one can catch us.\u201d\u00a0 Until someone does.\u00a0 So, in the face of success, how do we avoid that kind of arrogance?\u00a0 How do we maintain the rigor and vitality that brought us success in the first place?\u00a0 For more on this, please continue reading below.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen was the last time you did something for the first time?\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/strong>~ Unknown<\/em><\/p>\n That\u2019s a line from a new Darius Rucker song, so we thought he wrote it . . . but he didn\u2019t.\u00a0 Although we\u2019d never heard it before, it\u2019s apparently been around for awhile.\u00a0 Even so, we couldn\u2019t find any attribution for it, so it\u2019s either anonymous or in the public domain.\u00a0 Anyway, it does illustrate one way to keep things vital and dynamic.\u00a0 It challenges us to try something new once in awhile to prevent us from becoming stale.<\/p>\n There\u2019s one school of thought that says, \u201cIf it ain\u2019t broke, don\u2019t fix it.\u201d\u00a0 That leads to doing the same old thing, day in and day out, until someone arrives in your market with some fresh ideas and better ways of doing things.\u00a0 But there\u2019s also the opposite school of thought that says, \u201cIf it ain\u2019t broke, break it.\u201d\u00a0 That\u2019s change for the sake of change which probably doesn\u2019t make much sense either.\u00a0 If your processes and procedures are working well, why would you arbitrarily throw them out and start all over again?<\/p>\n So between those two schools of thought, there must be a middle ground.\u00a0 This is where Continuous Improvement comes in . . . the idea that no matter how well things are working, there are always things we can do to make them better.\u00a0 In other words, we\u2019re not fixing something that \u201cain\u2019t broke,\u201d we\u2019re taking something that\u2019s already working well and making it even better.\u00a0 Nor are we breaking something just for the sake of starting over.\u00a0 We\u2019re preserving the fundamentals of the things that have made us successful, but finding ways to improve and strengthen them.<\/p>\n Will Rogers warned against complacency when he said, \u201cEven if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.\u201d\u00a0 So don\u2019t just sit there.\u00a0 If you ask yourself the question, \u201cWhen was the last time we did something for the first time?\u201d, and you either can\u2019t remember, or you do remember but it was a long time ago, you\u2019ve probably allowed yourself to \u201cjust sit there.\u201d<\/p>\n Improving things that are already working well is tough, but with creativity, innovation, and determination, it can be done.\u00a0 Improving things is also risky.\u00a0 What happens if, in our efforts to make things better, we make them worse?\u00a0 Yes, change always brings some risk, but isn\u2019t the greater risk \u201cjust sitting there\u201d and giving your competition an open field to be the ones with the new, creative ideas?<\/p>\n Try something new.\u00a0 Look for improvements in old things.\u00a0 No sacred cows.\u00a0 Anything and everything should be subject to Continuous Improvement.\u00a0 Challenge your people to be innovative, to think creatively.\u00a0 Ask them, \u201cWhen was the last time you did something for the first time?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" George Romney once said, \u201cThere is nothing more vulnerable than entrenched success.\u201d\u00a0 In other words, we get a little success under our belt and there\u2019s a risk that we become fat, dumb, and happy . . . in short, complacent.\u00a0 Hubris sets in and some rigor leaves.\u00a0 We take our foot off the gas a<\/p>\n