By Buckley Brinkman
It was something often heard from my parents, my teachers, and my bosses. There was always something happening around me…and it wasn’t always good. “Try it and see” was my motto. My friends and I weren’t always successful, but we were always learning – even if it was how not to do something! We were going to change the world.
Weren’t we all?
Then adult reality set in. Jobs, responsibilities, and nay-sayers all put limits on what we think is possible. We fall into our routines, go about our lives, and many times create more smoke than actual fire. Activity takes the place of real action and our lives unfold before us in a pedantic day-by-day fashion.
It’s time to ask a new question of ourselves. The question is no longer “What are you doing?” “What are you changing?” is what truly matters.
The new economy puts a premium on creating value, and it’s very difficult to create true value without creating change. Are you ready? Really ready to change yourself in order to create meaningful, lasting change? That type of personal change requires us to step out of our comfort zones and truly test our personal limits. It also demands that we ask difficult questions about every part of our lives and take constructive action.
It’s a tough challenge to accept. I’ve been involved with change my whole career. I turned around multiple companies in different industries, creating more than a half-billion dollars in realized value. I left that world in order to start Launchpad Partners and tell other people how to create that same value for themselves. There was plenty of activity: blogs written, Tweets sent, and hundreds of face-to-face meetings. I created a lot of smoke – great ideas, conversations, and friendships – but very little fire. There were few engagements and only marginal change.
Something was missing. My partners and I were making ourselves experts on change and innovation. We were learning everyday and engaging some of the best minds in the Midwest. We formulated great ideas for change – a tremendous amount of smoke – but almost no fire. We were telling people how to change, but we were not creating change. Without change, there was no value.
The difference between talking about change and creating change
became very clear when I came to Minneapolis and started running Vallon. Our challenge is very clear: to change the way companies staff their organizations. Traditionally, it generally takes between 60 days and six months to find and land talent for a vacant position. Vallon cuts that time down to 48 hours. The ability to deliver in a shorter time doesn’t guarantee the company’s success. That will require new beliefs, structures, and paradigms to make this model flourish. We are changing them all as we move forward: smoke and fire.
Our efforts are creating change and value by connecting activity with action. Vallon’s abilities and approach transform the flexibility and cost of a company’s talent. Activity is vital. The blogs, Tweets, and visits are critical to our success, but now they are focused and creating genuine action. Action that creates change, and change that creates value. That chain is growing the business and putting us in a better place to face the future.
So are you ready to change in order to create change? Where in the world will you make a difference? Are you willing to test yourself and your abilities?
You do have a choice!
You can decide to create change, personally defining your value to the world. Or you can opt for activity without action – smoke without fire – and allow someone else to set your value and future.
Which will you choose? Are you ready?
