Most people would agree that pace of change is accelerating. Some would even say the pace of change has hastened to an alarming rate. News travels seemingly at the speed of light. Social media has accelerated the pace at which news hits and spreads virally across the globe. Software updates are being issued even before the kinks are worked out of the previous version. The next generation of smart phones is released scarcely before we’ve had a chance to even crack the glass on the previous device. Transportation is also getting faster with high-speed trains and supersonic jets revolutionized the time it takes to get from point A to point B. Medical advances are also being discovered more rapidly. Seemingly daily, innovations in medicines, devices and therapies are being introduced that combat the most devastating illnesses. And fashion no longer adjusts according to the seasons. New styles are popping up in magazines, programs and window displays every week. As soon as one trend gains traction, another look emerges pushing the previous one into design history.
Indeed, the lightning-fast speed of change is redefining concepts such as old, historical, dated and passé. There isn’t even time to get comfortable and used to something before it is outmoded and updated. In some ways, this is a good thing. After all, who can argue against advances in medicine? But, for businesses, it is difficult to keep up with such a relentless pace of change. As things change, people’s skills must be updated so that they stay current and fresh. Technology must be updated. Systems must be replaced. So how can businesses and employees keep up with the ruthless onslaught of change that seems to make something obsolete even before there is time to learn and adjust to it?
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