5. THE DECISION FOR CHANGE CAN BE AN INSTANT!

5. THE DECISION FOR CHANGE CAN BE AN INSTANT!

How long does it take to make a decision to change? It takes a nanosecond, but a lifetime of passionate pursuit to maintain excellence or achieve world-class-standard.
"If you want to achieve excellence, you can get it today in a second, by quitting doing less-than- excellent work."--IBM Founder, Thomas Watson. A profound thought, but true!
The first thing is the determination to do it, and not to compromise, no matter what roadblocks your peers may erect for you. The other 99.9% is persistently doing it to:-
(1) keep your spirits high through any inevitable storms,
(2) learn something new every day, and
(3) practice until it becomes part of you.

Persistence will bring success, not because the nature of things has changed but the will to do is made easier, advised by Emerson and Hugh Grant, Church Leader.
It holds true for any job you undertake, clerk, nurse to the CEO, or even, quitting bad habits, like smoking, drinking alcohol or taking drugs.

The determined shift of mind-set is an all-or-nothing deal. Many people lament on how long it takes to achieve change. Is it really true? No, it takes a long time to MAINTAIN CHANGE!
The decision to change is simple. Honest. But to remain changed and maintaining it may require lifetime pursuit.
"Mockingbirds" by Mary Oliver, poet, tells of a very poor couple, who was visited by unexpected strangers, gods in disguise. They had nothing to feed them, but being attentive to listen to them....as the finest gift human beings could have made.
With the advanced technology, new competitors, new everything, the gift of human attention is the best blessing to have.
Forum Corporation researched and analysed that customers were lost by 14 major manufacturing and service companies:-
* 15 % switched suppliers or left because of quality problems: they found better products.
* 15 % changed to "Cheaper products" elsewhere because of price.
* 70 % of lost customers abandoned, not because of price or quality, but because they didn't like the human side of doing business with the prior provider of product or service.

So, in an age of globalisation, a token of human kindness, like the old couple in "Mockingbirds" is the best gift we can give anyone of our customers. "Change is the door that can only be opened from the inside" from the human heart, whether be motivation or empowerment of people.Terry Neill, Andersen Consulting's world-wide change practice says "Empowerment is not the thing we do to or for people. It's the impediments you take away, leaving space for folks to empower themselves."