In the last few years, companies have had to go through a lot of adaptations. They bring their share of uncertainties, mistakes, enthusiasm, misunderstandings and successes.
If it has always been necessary to evolve to ensure the continuity of the business, the changes required today are more numerous and more difficult, because they directly affect the mentality, the state of mind and the adoption of new behaviours. It’s easier to build machines than it is to change humans, who by nature tend to prefer the status quo.
Here are 13 powerful quotes to help you understand different dimensions of sales transformation and embark on this process with full knowledge.
1. One constant: change
“Every successful organization has to make the transition from a world defined primarily by repetition to one primarily defined by change. This is the biggest transformation in the structure of how humans work together since the Agricultural Revolution.”
2. Innovation has many facets
“The only way to survive is to continually transform into something else. It is this idea of continuous transformation that makes you an innovative company.”
3. Science as an ally of transformation
4. All change begins with renunciation
“Change is hard because people overestimate the value of what they have and underestimate the value of what they may gain by giving that up.”
James Belasco and Ralph Stayer
5. There is no linear transformation
“Transformation is a process, and as life happens there are tons of ups and downs. It’s a journey of discovery – there are moments on mountaintops and moments in deep valleys of despair.”
Rick Warren
6. Mindset is key to the success of any transformation
7. Resistance is not where you think it is
8. The importance of culture and a communication structure
“Become a change-ready organization. This goes beyond being able to deploy a new tool or process — it means building a culture and communication structure that is ready, willing and able to adapt to any change. After all, the rate of change and evolution in business and technology is only going to continue and even pick up speed.”
9. Change starts with oneself
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
10. Risk is an integral part of the process
“A ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.”
11. Innovation is the source of opportunities
“Resilience – if you think of it in terms of the Gold Rush, then you’d be pretty depressed right now because the last nugget of gold would be gone. But the good thing is, with innovation, there isn’t a last nugget. Every new thing creates two new questions and two new opportunities.”
12. Good practices are constantly evolving
“After you’ve done a thing the same way for two years, look it over carefully. After five years, look at it with suspicion. And after ten years, throw it away and start all over.”
13. A step-by-step approach gets you through the tough times
“The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence—it is to act with yesterday’s logic.”
TAKE-AWAY
Taking action to transform your business starts with a conscious decision and an unconditional commitment to challenge the status quo. Leaders who successfully take their companies to the next level have the ability to keep moving forward despite circumstances, doubts and failures.
They know that success is at the end of the road and that small victories are the source of great achievements.
Happy transformation!
