Let a well-worn couch be a core call to action

My wife and I purchased a new living room set after almost 25 years. It looks great and fits nicely in our living room. However, after a week of sitting on the new sofa and loveseat, my wife wants our old set back. She doesn’t like the stiffness of the cushions or the depth of the couch. Watching her sit on the couch is like watching a person wearing clothes that are twisted and uncomfortable. Sitting up, laying down; she makes me uncomfortable watching her. There is nothing wrong with the new furniture in my opinion, it just needs to be broken in a little.

As human beings, we want to hold onto that which is familiar. We want that well-worn couch that sinks in perfectly where we sit each night. It doesn’t matter if it is a couch, a car or a core data processing system. We hate to let things go.

Fear of Change

We recently merged two credit unions. The credit union being merged was on a system with green screens and prompt-and-scroll technology. It was interesting to see such an antiquated system, and the merger went well because the older system didn’t offer many benefits and features. The real question is, why would a credit union stay with a system with such old technology?

The answer may be because human beings are naturally resistant to change. Some suggest that the amygdala in the brain interprets change as a threat and tries to protect us in our ever-changing environment. The amygdala releases hormones that trigger our fight-or-flight reflex. Fear of change is the best friend to the outdated core system.

 

continue reading »