I’m Tired of Change

I don’t know about you but I’m not a fan of change just for the sake of changing. Give me a good reason to change and show me the benefits and I’m with you, I’ll probably beat you there. There is nothing inherently good, or bad, about change unless there is a compelling reason to avoid pain or to gain a greater reward. This is why I’m always surprised by how often people change their business relationships when something doesn’t go just right. I guess I get it. I really think at times it just seems easier in the moment to change, get a new vendor, and avoid the ‘pain’ of unmet expectations. But maybe there is another approach that is more productive and ultimately less ‘painful’.

Change is all about managing expectations. If you don’t tell me what your expectations are, there isn’t a snowballs chance in Phoenix (I know but I’m trying to keep this G-rated) that I will get it right 100% of the time. Expectations are all about communication. We are really big on keeping everyone in the loop around our office whether the issue is big or small. Why? Because we are all clear about expectations and there are no surprises down the road.

I think companies change vendors too quickly a lot of the time. Here is what I think happens. I go to a vendor for a product or service but I don’t tell them I expect perfection for the price I’m paying. Then I get the service/product I actually paid for and now I’m mad. “The heck with you I’ll find someone else”, I say, and then I repeat the same scenario again and again. Lets stop the madness. Figure out why this didn’t work and… wait for it… communicate all of your expectations to your vendor. I have found the more transparent I am about what I expect the more information I get and the less grief I experience later. By the way I have discovered that putting in a little more effort with my existing vendors will pay much bigger dividends down the road and I will not have to constantly change. When I am loyal to my vendors and work to clearly communicate with them, I have discovered that they are loyal to me. Funny how that works.