I refuse to “pivot.” Yep, I said it. Every time I hear the word, I cringe. At first, I didn’t quite understand why. But then I sat down and really thought about it…
The term isn’t just being overused in the entrepreneurial world; it’s being used incorrectly. The literal definition is to stay in one place, while you rotate, turn, and swivel on one foot—usually a strategy used in basketball, where you’re also flailing your arms around, clenching a ball, waiting for the moment when you can stop pivoting and finally take your shot!
Is that really how we want to run our businesses? Constantly feeling like someone’s blocking us…our goal…our vision?
Now, I realize I’m being overly literal here. In business, what we really mean when we say “pivot” is to change direction or adjust accordingly when current circumstances don’t enable us to operate the same way we have been. I get it. But it’s like seeing the same comedic act over and over. Eventually, you want some new material!
Or perhaps I should say old? Because that’s what I’m about to give you…
The concept of pivoting is nothing new. However, we used to call it “shifting gears.” And my team and I still do. Why? Because when you think about how certain words and phrases affect your mindset, one term has a connotation of always being on the defense, while the other implies possibilities.
For example, when it came time for my friends and I to learn how to drive, most of us only had the option of learning on a stick-shift. (No need to stop and guess my age…) If you wanted to back up, you had to use your gear-shift and manually take your car out of park, put it in reverse, shift into first gear so you could go forward, and then build momentum before you could shift into second, third, and/or fourth gear. The gear you wanted to be in depended on the speed you needed to go and whether you were driving on a flat street, going up a hill, or going down a hill.
Today, most of us drive automatic cars, but the same mechanical principles apply. When driving, we also stop, look, and listen before we go. We’re still maneuvering based on our surroundings, and sometimes we do have to swerve, but doesn’t the idea of revving up your engine and operating your business like—as BMW says—“the ultimate driving machine” feel less hectic than the idea of constantly swiveling around on your toes, while simultaneously dodging a bunch of hands in your face?
Sure, learning to drive a stick isn’t any less jerky…at first. But it sure is fun. And regardless of whether your car is an automatic or has manual transmission, you get in knowing where you want to go, and if there’s a hill or it rains, you shift gears. When you write up a business plan, you know where you want to go, and while you know you can’t always foresee the future—who (other than Hollywood) would’ve ever anticipated we’d be in the middle of a worldwide quarantine in the year 2020?—you scenario plan, i.e., come up with strategies for how you’ll shift gears if met with certain obstacles.
Since we can’t predict every possible adverse scenario we may meet, the best we can do is adopt a mindset that is open to shifting gears.
While this seems like an inherent principle of Business 101, it’s still something we need to be reminded of, as I’m doing and every other entrepreneurial influencer/coach has been doing since the pandemic hit; it’s just that if I hear the word “pivot” one more time…
Anyhow, it doesn’t matter if you’re a small business or a gargantuan one, those who shift gears are the ones most likely to make it during economic fluctuations, so to speak.
For instance, remember Borders? How did Barnes & Noble keep cruising along when the aforementioned massive book seller with multiple levels of retail space ended up sinking? It’s because as digital technology began to emerge, Borders continued to invest in more space as well as DVDs and CDs, while B&N actually shifted into reverse, and instead invested in its online sales and developed its own e-reader, The Nook. Borders outsourced its online sales to Amazon; it handed its keys over to the kingdom!
This also shows us that we don’t operate in a black-and-white world. Right now, if we’ve been mainly doing business at a brick-and-mortar establishment and have shifted into a “virtual reality,” it doesn’t mean that it has to stay this way. Most likely, it means that now you’re going to be able to offer your clients and customers more options—as well as have a backup plan in place for whatever circumstances the future brings.
When the lockdown was put into play, some savvy hairdressers shifted gears by mixing up their clients’ color formulas and delivering them to their doors with instructions on how to touch up their roots. And when the regulations loosen and they’re able to reopen their salons, there’s no doubt in my mind that these entrepreneurs will be booked solid.
Another example of how shifting gears doesn’t require all-or-nothing thinking is how my local grocery chain Ralph’s tried a program where customers used a handheld device to ring up groceries as they loaded them up in their cart. At first I thought, Oh, no. Is AI (artificial intelligence) going to threaten grocery workers’ jobs? Do we all need to get IT degrees now?
Turns out, a year later the program no longer exists. Enough people dishonored the honor system (stole groceries) that Ralph’s stopped using that technology. It’s unfortunate that so many people would take advantage of a store trying to create a way to make their shopping experience faster, but it also shows that technology can’t replace people; it’s simply a tool that we get to choose how to use and that enables us to shift gears if we so desire.
In addition to petitioning that we start using “shifting gears” instead of “pivoting,” I’d also recommend we stop saying this is the “new normal.” For one, if we’re all saying it, we’re basically telling our collective unconscious that we plan to stay in pandemic mode, and secondly, Zoom (and other virtual meeting platforms) wasn’t invented yesterday. Yes, more people are using it now than a year ago, but we were already headed in this direction. The pandemic just caused us to shift into high gear and get creative real fast. But again, now we’ve got options for the future. Plus, our customers are now also trained on how to use such platforms, so they’ll be more comfortable opting in to any virtual programs/additions you may be thinking about incorporating into your new business plan going forward.
Things will be different when this is “all over.” But not as drastically as some seem to predict. As history has shown us, during World War II, Americans shifted gears, came together, and held drives to collect rubber, metal scraps, etc. to donate to the war effort. Food was rationed (much like paper goods are being rationed today). And then after the war, the economy skyrocketed (and we experienced “The Baby Boom”). We put political differences aside and came together after 9/11. We had the “housing bubble” not that long ago. The point is—we shifted gears, recouped, and, well, we changed some, but for the most part we went back to business/life as usual.
None of those trials and tribulations became permanent conditions. They caused us to shift gears, but in a positive direction: increased security measures, tighter underwriting guidelines, and now improved hygiene…among other things.
In short, now we’ve got more options, just with more precautions. Which is a good thing. So stop pivoting, and start shifting gears. If you’re still not convinced the terminology matters, perhaps rewatch the episode of Friends where Ross and Rachel try to carry Ross’s new couch up the flight of stairs. What did Ross keep yelling? “Pivot! Pivot! Pivot!” And what happened to the couch?
That’s all I’m saying…or, well, not saying!
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