Aprio’s culture is best defined by 31 Fundamentals that make up the Aprio Way. Below, I share how I live out the “Embrace Change” fundamental.
I am a problem solver by nature. I enjoy recognizing a challenge and figuring out how to solve it. This typically involves addressing ambiguity and implementing change.
However, in my personal life, I’m not a big fan of change. It can be unnerving and unsettling and I am more comfortable with the structure of established routines.
I started my career as a software developer. I recognized early on that it wasn’t something I wanted to do forever and desired to expand my role / responsibilities.
Shortly after, I started with Deloitte Consulting. And the first project I was assigned to had nothing to do with writing code. In fact, I would be working directly with the CIO of this client in addressing a major priority of his.
I didn’t feel like I was ready for this type of change and thought the firm should have given me something in my comfort zone to ease the transition. What did I know about disaster recovery planning for a major statewide system? Funny enough, I did successfully deliver on that project. And I developed a level of insight into enterprise IT that I couldn’t have gotten staying in my comfort zone.
About 10 years later, I was faced with another inflection point in my career. The work I had done with a long-term client had come to an end and I needed a new project. A colleague recommended a project and I resisted for a while before taking the role. That too led to the broadening of my skillet in a way that I would have never willingly gone unto.
My pastor said something that challenged my perspective and has helped me see change differently.
“Change is not difficult; it is just different”.
Michael A. Freeman
Change then is simply an opportunity to do something different. It may certainly be difficult to make the necessary adjustments. But the difficulty isn’t the issue so much as it is the fact that you have to learn something new or to do something differently.
Change isn’t typically easy. Nor is it comfortable. But it is frequently necessary. Whether it works out or not, you will find that you have learned something new about yourself and/or about your capabilities through that change.
I’m now in a new role and in a new organization that is the epitome of change (with 14 acquisitions over the last 4+ years and an accelerated pace of growth). I have new team members that I get to work with and new stakeholders to get to know across the firm. There are also new technical challenges that I haven’t faced before. Plus future M&A activities to plan for and execute, etc.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have moments when I wonder whether I can keep up with it all. But I’ve chosen to embrace the change and look forward to seeing where it leads. I encourage you to do the same.
PS: I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank those who knowingly or unknowingly helped me with the changes that have shaped my career. Thank you!
