4 Benefits of Embracing Change

You don’t need anyone to tell you that the world is undergoing a lot of changes right now. From sociopolitical shifts to healthcare reform, it’s pretty obvious.  What may not be so obvious is your ability to adapt to the changes that are necessary for your business to survive and thrive in the changing market.  How do you set yourself up for success when global changes are affecting the future of your insurance business?  You find out where the change is headed and adapt to meet the demand.

Hypothetically, you could resist changes in the market and stand stubbornly in your comfort zone.  But eventually, you’ll  be sinking in quicksand—and taking your business with you.

Embracing change is important for everyone, and that’s especially true for today’s insurance agents. .  The ability to adapt, and even welcome new challenges, is absolutely essential to the success of your business and life.  Why waste all your time and emotional energy fighting the inevitable?

Let’s take a look at what happens when you embrace change:

1. You may uncover a problem you didn’t know existed

It’s easy to become complacent when things seem to be going well, and put the blinders on when everything around you is stuck in a rut.  When you deal with the same pattern over and over again, you lose perspective on what is working and what isn’t working.  Continually having a healthy perspective and a finger on the pulse of your business is very valuable and important.

As an agent or advisor, it is essential that you are running your business with maximum efficiency and for the highest profit.  If you don’t know what your big money maker is, or your marketing plan doesn’t have a successful ROI, you’ve got a problem.  Research is what drives other successful businesses so identify what works and then apply that model to your own business.  Change and improve what isn’t working, and you’ll be setting your business up for success.  In addition, take a forward-thinking approach to your industry to anticipate changes that can affect you, and be willing to change or adjust quickly if needed.

2. The easy part is integration and adaptation

Many agents and advisors resist change for the simple fact they are fearful of a painful outcome.  The truth is that once you get past the resistance, integration and adaptation are easy.  As humans, we are inherently creative and that allows us to adapt much more easily than you might think.  Remind yourself that you will have a much tougher go at change if you choose to fight it.  Embracing it merely employs your inherent ability to adapt to a changing environment.  Apply that creativity to your business, and you’ll find that it is much more flexible than you initially thought.

As an independent agent or advisor, you have an enormous advantage over larger organizations in the industry simply because it is more difficult for them to change or adapt quickly.  While large organizations are struggling to adjust to an unexpected change, you can use their lag time to your advantage, and implement fast changes to increase revenue and gain positive exposure.

3. Make room for more success

Your success only expands as far as you expand.  Change allows you to grow and expand your perceptions, beliefs and performance, which is what you want because your success will come in direct proportion.  In order to make room for the new, you must do away with the old.  Look at embracing change as your opportunity to embrace the success you have always desired.

Of course, you could also look at it another way.  For every piece of resistance that you put up against change, you are also resisting a piece of your success.    Don’t let limiting beliefs or fear of the unknown hold you back. Think – what’s the worst that can happen?  More times than not change will have a very positive outcome in your business. Now what do you think about embracing change?

4. You may get more of what you want and release what you don’t want

Here’s a popular quote that sums it all up, “If you keep on doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep on getting what you’ve always got.”  – W.L. Bateman

If you want different results, you are going to have to do things differently even if those things cause discomfort.   If you don’t like what you’ve been getting, then change what you’re doing.

Change can sometimes be scary, but it really is the key to ultimate success both in life and in business.  What are you really afraid of anyway?  It may not always feel comfortable, but the more willing you are to embrace change, the less painful it usually is and the more success you will experience.