Times Are A-Changin'
April 25, 2025
Change is here, whether or not we notice, are prepared for, or want it. Is your business or life where you want it to be? If not, what can you do about it? The answer is to make your own change.
Think of Bob Dylan's classic folk song written in 1964, which is just as relevant today, The Times They Are A-Changin'. As he sings, "start swimmin' or sink like a stone."
Practical Pointers for Handling Changing Times
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Realize that we are constantly in a state of change.
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Set up a regular time to consider this situation with yourself and team.
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Use the STOP, START, CONTINUE framework. Seek answers in various areas of your work and life, and record them in a list:
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Reflect on this list. Prioritize the responses. Choose the top answers —not more than three per question.
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5. | Act on the top answer for each question as your way to proactively handle the changin' times. |
My Story
After building and selling my first entrepreneurial venture, Radish Systems 1.0, I began to use my experience via consulting and coaching to help organizations and leaders thrive.
To further help me help others, I became a certified Gazelles Business Coach, now known as Scaling Up, and I learned from Verne Harnish. That's where I first came across the STOP, START, CONTINUE framework.
One of my clients was a non-profit organization, the Colorado Women's Education Foundation, now known as CWEF. Its goal was to help women attain economic self-sufficiency through education. In guiding the strategic planning with its Board of Trustees, we asked and answered these key questions:
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What to STOP doing? Answer: Stop giving out loans. We had been setting these women and the Foundation up for failure. Many of the women did not pay back the loans which resulted in a bad credit rating for them and wasted energy at the Foundation.
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What to START doing? Answer: Start an endowment campaign to raise funds which would be protected into perpetuity. This would allow us to triple our giving and help many more women.
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What to CONTINUE doing? Answer: Give aid to the students, in the form of scholarships to accredited Colorado higher education institutions, thereby helping these non-traditionally-aged students complete their education and earn higher wages. |
We changed with the times and took action. The result was a successful endowment campaign that was able to help a larger number of women and their families.
Summary
The times are a-changin'. You must recognize and change so you can swim, rather than sink like a stone. Ask what to STOP, START, and CONTINUE doing. Contact me and let's brainstorm other ways. Then take action.You will get results.
copyright 2025 Theresa Szczurek. All rights reserved.