Daily Inspiration: “Change the change barriers!”

“To be a change maker, change the change barriers!” – Futurist Jim Carroll

The photo is from an event for a major insurance company almost two years ago, but the quote is from last Saturday.’

I spoke at the Indiana Municipal Authority – in the room were senior executives of small and mid-size power generation/utility companies from throughout the state. Representing communities of a few thousand people to mid-sized cities, the event and my keynote were the future trends impacting the electrical grid, energy generation and more.

I think we quickly came to agreement that only idiots loudly proclaim that windmills cause cancer, and that you can’t watch TV with wind-generated power when the wind stops. (Because, batteries).

An interesting question did come up during the Q&A as it does in many talks, along the lines of : “We understand the fast trends that you speak of, but what do we do about the state regulators and other authorities who might put barriers in the way?”

The quote in the picture captures the essence of my response.

When faced with a barrier, you can try to go through it – or you can change it.

For the folks in the room, it would make sense for them to help the regulatory authorities understand and appreciate the sweeping scope and speed of the trends occurring. (Give up on the cancer windmill dude, though. Insanity is a hopeless cause to battle)

On a personal perspective, what change barriers do you encounter that are self-imposed? Due to circumstances beyond your control? Which ones are minor and easily managed, and which are probably too big and significant to make any progress?

Parse them down into those that are actionable, and those that are not. Control what you can control, and put the others on the back burner as long as you can while you figure out what to do with them.

And as you start to think through solutions, keep this path in mind – what can you do about them if you think creatively, as opposed to trying to barge your way through?

Change the change makers!