On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Why Todays Workplace Needs You to Be Fast on Your Feet

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese Why Today's Workplace Needs You to Be Fast on Your Feet You know those picky and demanding customers who drive you nuts? Or, those employees who endlessly complain that things could be done better? Instead of running away from those you may consider annoying, its time to start listening to them, says Amanda Setili, a strategy consultant who has worked with Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines and Home Depot. Thats because those who complain whether employees or customers are doing so because they have ideas about how things can be done better. Its just those idea, she says, that may keep a company afloat in a rapidly changing marketplace. When change is happening so fast, then whoever is fast on their feet will gain the advantage, says Setili, author of Fearless Growth: The New Rules to Stay Competitive, Foster Innovation and Dominate Your Markets. So, embrace the problem customers. Listen to the skeptical naysayers in your company because they can help you be fast and agile and innovative. Unfortunately, many companies do exactly the opposite and tune out diverse opinions. They hunker down in their uncertainty, blocking out dissenting views and embracing the status quo as a way to ride out the unknown. But Setili, who has been an executive with two successful disruptive technology startups in the U.S. and Malaysia, says that companies need to learn to be adaptable and ready for anything. One way(read more here)