Change or Growth?

Someone told me the other day – “you guys are going through a lot of change right now.” Have you ever felt that way…that we are going through a lot of change? The person asking me did not mean anything particularly negative by the word “change” but that seems to be the way the word, or phrase, is often understood. And, for what it is worth, it is true change can be bad if the state of the company is worse for the stakeholders after the change than it was prior to the change occurring.

But what if the change causes the object to be better? To be faster? To be more agile? To be more resilient? To better deliver on promises? In these cases, I would not actually use the word “change” but instead a more fitting word – “growth”.

All growth is change but all change is not growth – it is critical for us, as a team, to see the difference. If you see all change as the same, you will completely miss what we are transforming into and you will end up resenting the growth we need to get to the next level.

Elliott Home’s growth starts with our purpose – “To Create a Place Where Life Gets Better.” This purpose is completely behind every decision we make and every growth opportunity we take. Our growth, while not easy, is meant intended to create a stable and robust organization which can repeatedly deliver an outstanding experience to al stakeholders. The “stakeholders” who benefit from our growth are those with an interest in our company’s performance – this would include:
• You – our team members
• Trade partners
• Banks and lenders
• Local governments and municipalities
• Local supporting businesses
• AND…Of course Homeowners

Our growth covers the gamut of our total operation including staffing, buyer experience, processes, organization, technology, and metrics/performance management. The growth will continue, and we want you to be a leader to help us reach our next level. Sure – we are changing a lot but that makes sense because we are not exactly where we want to be. The more correct would be “you guys are really growing right now.” Read that statement again and then reread the original statement at the top – see the difference?

Both change and growth take effort, focus, and energy. Ultimately it requires a paradigm shift in your thinking to give you the ability to see beyond the change itself. Embrace the growth and be a part of it – we are here for a purpose – “To Create a Place Where Life Gets Better.”