Bob Dylan Was Right

The key to positive action is knowing the difference between a problem and a fact of life. A problem is something that can be solved. A fact of life is something that must be accepted.”
Fred Smith, CEO of FedEx

One fact of life is Bob Dylan was right: The Times They Are A-Changin’.

Cars have replaced horse-drawn buggies (except with the Amish community). A growth strategy focused on buggy whips is certain to fail. What’s next? Driverless cars and trucks.

Smart Phones have replaced iPods which replaced CDs which replaced cassette tapes which replaced 8-track tapes which replaced vinyl records which replaced… (before my time). And surprisingly, vinyl records are making a comeback.

Almost 60% of U.S. households are wireless only. We took the plunge last year. How long will it be before landlines are obsolete? Do you know where a working pay phone is?

B&W tv’s were replaced by color which are now in 8K-HDR (whatever that means). If your screen is less than 60 inches, it’s a dinosaur.

About 1/3 of millennials claim no religious affiliation or belief whatever (4x as many as for my generation).

My wife and I handled Christmas shopping without a single trip to the mall. Rats! I missed out on Auntie Annie’s pretzels.

High-speed internet has made Remote Work the fastest growing segment of workers in the U.S. You can live anywhere and work somewhere else!

A fact of life is that significant change is inevitable. If not technology driven, it will be culture driven. Anne Mulcahy, who led the turn-around at Xerox, summed it up this way:
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“Do not defend yourself against the inevitable.”

Organizations with leaders who resist, ignore or fear change are becoming obsolete and disappearing. Take action now so your organization doesn’t sink in the rising waters of change.

Come gather ’round people wherever you roam
And admit that the waters around you have grown
And accept it that soon you’ll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin’
Then you better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’.
Bob Dylan (verse 1 of The Times They Are A-Changin’)

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