The Power of Adaptability

Our business world continues to change at an alarming pace. Imagine if you were in the automobile industry. Today, shared services ­- Uber and Lyft - represents less than 1% of all driving volume. Several experts predict that self-driving vehicles and shared service will represent 10% of driving volume by 2024. With the auto industry accounting for 15% of gross domestic product (GDP), the anticipated disruption is going to have far-reaching economic and social impact.

 

Our industry continues to be disrupted by the Internet and new competitive players. Many showrooms are successfully combatting online competition by improving customer experiences and demonstrating the value they bring to their customers and their projects. To survive and thrive in a consistently changing retail paradigm you need to be adaptable, writes Rick Houcek in a recent 2-Minute Monday Motivator. If you need an example of successful adaptation, look no further than the wily coyote, suggests Houcek.

 

Throughout time, coyotes have become stronger, more grizzled and in greater numbers than ever before. The reason is adaptability. Houcek points out that while other species have suffered as their natural habitats shrink, the coyote has learned to adapt. They can live in cities as big as Los Angeles, Washington DC and Philadelphia. They can live in all life zones - deserts, grasslands, low valley floors, open plains, foothills, tall mountains and populated neighborhoods. Coyotes, unlike most other breeds of animals, can hunt alone, in pairs or in packs and will eat almost anything. Coyotes do not miss a single opportunity. They are neither nocturnal or daylight foragers. They are 24-hour animals.

 

Coyotes have survived better than almost all other members of the animal kingdom by their ability to adapt. Houcek states the coyote reminds him of an old German proverb, "There's no such thing as bad weather. Only inappropriate clothing."

 

The key to surviving in today's ever-changing world is to have the foresight and ability to change. In your showroom, what adaptations should you make to meet customer demands and improve customer experiences? As the leaders in decorative plumbing and hardware industry nationwide, we all can take advantage of Gandhi's guidance, "Be the change you seek."

 

We know that success is not guaranteed, prosperity is not promised and safety is not ensured. Your ability not only to survive, but thrive is a direct result of life-long learning, constantly improving and most importantly, adapting to whatever life and circumstances throws at you.