Change or Die.

We’ve heard it before, but so many of us will resist change until it’s way too late.

Take Stewart. He had a good position in a small firm. Every Monday morning, his boss held a virtual “town hall” meeting with the team. Stewart could see the company was cutting corners by not providing the right tracking info for him and his other team members. It was a major obstacle to building the business optimally. When he asked questions about the kind of reports and tracking that would help them monitor and build the business, his boss sidestepped the questions or got edgy.

Over time, Stewart got more frustrated, started losing his enthusiasm for the position, and his boss started having “come to task” meetings with Stewart.

Six months later, Stewart was laid off. But the amazing thing? Stewart was stunned, caught completely off guard.For some reason, he ignored all of the warning bells going off about his job.  Seven months later, he is still looking for a job.  His most recent opportunity looked like it was going to pan out. Then, just as the new company was going to send him the written offer, at the 11th hour they decided to postpone filling the position for a year.  They are asking all the other sales reps bordering the region to fill in the gaps until they fill the slot. The company will do without to keep costs low, even if it retards the growth of the business.

Alice had a senior level position in a Fortune 1000 company. There was a huge management change, and a new CEO was named. Alice, who had been handpicked by the former CEO, was out.  In her late 40′s, Alice began the job hunt. Two and half years later, she is still hunting. The job offers she receives are way below the salary and level she was at before, and often she is considered overqualified.

Bob has been in his own business for 14 years. He focused on background checks for new employees in the professional services arena.  His business has been decimated by the recent economic downturn. Very few of his clients are hiring anywhere near the levels they were 3 or 4 years ago, and they are reticent to spend top dollar for full-scale background checks. They are using on-line services at a fraction of the fees. Bob’s solution has been two-fold: reduce expenses and reduce his fees. After 3 years of trying to hold on in the old ways, he has decided he may need to add another revenue stream or he may lose his business.

What’s the common element in each of these scenarios?

Each of these people waited and watched as  the market changed dramatically, and was unprepared, and really unwilling to change his or her career or business model  until  it was too late.

It’s like going to the doctor: the longer you wait to address a problem, the harder it is to fix.

Today, to thrive, it is essential to be agile, aware, and willing to adapt to the changes in the business environment.

The days of job security, a guaranteed paycheck, and top quality fully paid benefits are over.

The days of relying on the business model you always knew is unrealistic given how fast the market is changing. Online tools, cloud computing, social media are not fads we can dismiss. They are part of our business climate and the faster we learn to adjust our world-view, the better the chance we have of optimizing our opportunities.

This goes for entrepreneurs, professionals, and executives alike.

Most people are reticent to change for fear that they will make a mistake by making a change. Today, avoiding change will often result in more dire results than ever before.

Here are my top 4 recommendations for how to change, and claim your share of business and career opportunity:

1. Not ready to leave the corporate world? Change by retooling your skills into areas that are growth areas in companies. What roles  are companies spending their bucks on? Do the research.

2. Don’t look for a job, create one. Show a company why paying you will pay off for them and by when. Ask not what your company can do for you; tell your company what’s in it for them. If necessary, work as a paid consultant until you prove your value. Who knows, you may learn to love being  consultant and making your own rules.

3.  Build your own biz. The upside to building your own business? No one can ever fire you again. You’re the boss. While there isn’t a steady paycheck, there is no limit to your earning potential either. And paychecks aren’t the steady, dependable resource they were in the go-go years.

4. Don’t go it alone. Seek out mentorship or solid coaching because trying to figure it out alone usually delays the process. When you are in your own head, you are usually in a bad neighborhood, especially when it comes to the process of change.

Each of these scenarios will call for you to change on a number of levels: the way you manage yourself, the way you approach creating opportunity instead of hoping it comes to you, and embracing change instead of resisting it.

Remember, what you resist, will persist.