Beyond Reflection – The Challenge of Relevance

Year endings are also year beginnings, and it is human nature to spend time reflecting on what has happened and what will happen. I’m confident you all can do that without any assistance from me, however, so I’m going to take this moment to talk about something other than reflection…. something that is less human nature and more of a deliberate choice.

Time passes for all of us. How it shapes us is not completely within our control. How we respond to that outside force – how we choose to move forward, to evolve – that IS within our control. Your story, today, may not bear much resemblance to the one you were busy writing for yourself 20 or 30 years ago.

Businesses evolve, too. Sometimes, far more rapidly than the humans who comprise them. As your business story evolves, sharing each new chapter becomes imperative if you intend to stay part of the narrative for – stay relevant to – your audience. The landscape of content creation, marketing, storytelling, and all the bits in between can seem complicated, loud, and challenging to navigate – maybe not worth it to attempt. There’s a tendency to assume that the people who need to know your story, already do. Why take the time to tell it again or tell it differently… or share the latest chapter?

Everyone out there is also in this state of change. New people join firms, people move into or out of positions, and the businesses that are your suppliers, customers, or partners evolve, too. Successful business stories don’t have a theme of stasis – and we can help with the “find it and tell it well, at the right times and in the right ways” part of sharing your next chapter.

As you think about the year ahead, I encourage you to think about the ways you and your business are evolving – and who needs to connect with your story.