Change as the safe option

At the risk of sounding old, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s easy to be young. A young person, company or government has lots of fresh and original ideas, something to rebel against and a clean slate on which to build. As we get older, choices have been made that can’t be undone and the consequences of those choices color every decision made since. Deciding to have a baby, building a website in .net or funding rebels in a war against Communism all become part of an elaborate house of cards in which one mistake could topple the whole thing. It’s no wonder then, that for all of our talk about change we are addicted to the status quo. Change cannot happen for established people, companies or government without taking it all apart. Even if long-term results make the most sense, the short term could be disastrous. It’s impossible to predict whether we can survive the change.

I’ve experienced this phenomenon a lot over the past couple of years, working for mature online companies (10+ years in a coon’s age on the Internet). As a marketer, I’m the most painfully aware of a product’s shortcomings since it’s my job to differentiate it in the market and win over (or retain) customers. So much marketing happens online that product and marketing are virtually indistinguishable. I’ve found that it’s easy to rally the troops for change because it’s easy to see how things can and should be different (once it’s pointed out) but if taken to senior management, these great ideas suffer a quick death. No. No way! Change costs money, jobs, disrupts nepotistic relationships, upsets the stock price and is just too damn hard. Only a company that is founded on change and remains committed to it, because innovation IS their product, can avoid the crippling effects of Cronyism.

Reading about the presidential race, I find it really interesting that Barack Obama is doing so well despite his lack of experience. In this arena, he is youth. But is the U.S. still a young country? Hilary’s close rivalry suggests that people understand that despite the allure of youth and change, they understand that in reality, we are deeply entrenched in our past and in things that cannot be undone and they aren't willing to be the guinea pigs. Eventually, however, all mature organizations discover that the long-term effect of the status quo is far worse than the consequences of short-term change. By many perspectives, this government has already been run into the ground and the time for change is here. But are we really ready or is it just talk?