What Now?

When change comes a knocking, what do you do? 

I got a disturbing letter on Friday that shifted my world. Things would never be the same as a key member of my community moves on to a new role; the organization involved could suffer, it might grow, but for sure it will be …changed.
Change happens to all of us. When Apple announced the iPhone, it shook up the mobile industry; When Hurd got ousted from HP, it sent waves through the enterprise computing industry; When “angelgate” got revealed, many wondered about the future of the venture community. The question is really: “what now?

You could respond with “I’ll do it, too” like many (HTC, Blackberry, Samsung) companies did in response to Apple’s move, which is a lovely form of flattery but imitation never really achieves anything of value. You could get mad, like HP’s board did after Hurd’s immediate landing at Oracle and them looking foolish, and hope to get revenge by starting lawsuits. You could hide-out hoping the change will pass, much like the many unnamed angel investors of Angelgate, and believe “the storm will blow by”.

But once things change…they change. And, so do we.

The question is whether you know what you want to do (or in the case of HPs Board or the Angelgate guys, who they want to be)  in response to the change. To do nothing might be the answer. Or not. But perhaps the first step is to <pause> and ask yourself where this puts you now, and what new doors it opens. Every time something changes in the external world, you are also changed. Perhaps it will mean an adjustment, perhaps it will mean for more fortitude and resilience will be required. Perhaps, in the <pause>, and the clarity of noticing the change, you will get MORE clear about what you aim to serve and how best to do it.

 

And to do so, is to ask the question and listen carefully to “what now”.

 

3 Replies

  1. Another thought leader on Posterous! Awesome. Blog on, Nilofer — I love your perspective on life and business…

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