Can you teach an old dog new tricks?

We have all heard, and probably said, that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

The expression really speaks to people getting set in their ways and perhaps losing their capacity to learn. But age is just a number and most new skills can be learnt at any age. It’s a choice.

The key is to have an open mind, you must to be prepared to change.

However, we can all be hesitant towards change. After all, if it isn’t broken, why fix it? It could only lead to problems if you tried to improve on something that simply just works.

Whilst there may be nothing wrong in sticking with a tried and tested methodology, you can run the risk of missing out on the opportunities offered by a new approach to dealing with an old problem.

The problem isn’t improving something that already works. The problem is “what happens when that old system fails?”. Instead of viewing change as something optional, think of it as adapting to a constantly shifting business landscape.

You might take longer and have to have some adaptations but generally speaking, we can all learn pretty much anything if we want to. We might not be world-class but we can be passably good if we put the time and effort in.

Having a business coach will reduce the time, effort and speed up the adaptions too.

So can you teach an old dog new tricks?

The answer is absolutely yes! As long as they’re willing.

Answer these 5 important elements to determine your willingness to grow, change and adapt to your surroundings.

1. Desire – Does the individual have the personal passion for being successful?
2. Commitment – Does the individual have the willingness to do uncomfortable or difficult things to be successful? Will they give up too easily or will they grit it out to succeed?
3. Motivation – Are they adequately motivated to succeed?
4. Outlook – Do they have an optimistic outlook?
5. Responsibility – Do they take responsibility for outcomes or do they tend to make excuses?

Not happy with how you answered those questions, give us a call on 01244 555800 and we will help you get the results you deserve.