BENEFITING FROM EFFECTIVE CHANGE

Over the years, I have found that the best way to adapt to change is to focus on the benefits.  And when we find a new approach or strategy that produces successful results for others in a similar situation, it’s a bonus.  That’s what I consider to be effective change.  

I had an interesting experience while my wife and I were visiting with my father in Ontario last month.  Most of our time was spent doing the things we usually do on our family trips “home” and, as usual, we did enough new and different activities to add some variety and gain new perspectives.  On the plane ride back to Calgary, I began to reflect on one small event that took place near the end of our visit.  This was not the type of powerful event or happening that would stand out as potentially high impact.  In fact, this event was so subtle it could easily have passed me by without any further reflection.  (There’s one of those “6 R’s of Summer” again.)

While I was out one day, Dad had retrieved the mail from his mail box.  Curiously, one piece that would have ordinarily been discarded as “junk mail” was thoughtfully placed on my reading pile.  The publication was called “Profiles of Success – Investigating Concepts of Success”, written about and for successful Canadian individuals, professionals and corporations.  More noteworthy than the magazine itself was the fact that it had been carefully left open on the contents page which featured seven separate articles, each dealing with a different aspect of initiating or adapting to change.  My initial reaction was to read the first article which quickly led to reading the next, then the next, and the next until all seven articles had been read and digested.

As I reflected on the publication’s focus on change, I wondered what kind of readers would be interested in a series of articles dealing with change.  After all, isn’t it the normal reaction of most people to resist change?  Change is challenging and takes us out of our comfort zone, so it is much easier to avoid change than to embrace it.  If that’s the case, then why was I so interested in what all those articles had to say?  I quickly ruled out that I enjoy pain or painful experiences.  Quite the opposite – I enjoy assisting my clients to enjoy the benefits derived from changing their thinking and approach to some of their tax and investment matters.  

If we don’t change our thinking, then how can we expect our current situation to change?  At Peer, we understand that change is difficult, so we focus on where we can direct our clients to gain the greatest impact with the least amount of change.  Over the years, we have constantly developed more effective ways for our clients to deal with various tax and investment situations.  These strategies have stood the test of time and are more popular today with our clients who can now follow in the footsteps of the early adapters, who created a trail for others to follow.

Ralph Burgess