MITCHELL: Can people change? I don’t know. People are who they are. Give or take…about fifteen percent. That’s how much people can change if they really want to. Whether it’s for themselves or the people they love, yeah, it’s fifteen percent. But sometimes, that’s enough.
I’ve been catching up on the show Modern Family recently, and in the episode I watched today, family members were posed the question – “Can people change?”
The question – and Mitchell’s response – stayed with me as I walked into work this morning. As I settled into my desk, a few of the guys were talking about marriage, and the merits of living together before getting married. I started thinking about my own marriage and how we’ve changed since moving in together five years ago.
My husband and I agree about pretty much nothing – other than sports. Living together is a continuous work in progress, and we both have to make adjustments. My hope is that as we continue to make these changes, we still hold on to who we are. That we grow and change – but only that 15%.
Business relationships can be just as complicated at times. We want to be everything to everyone. We want to do anything to make our clients happy. But sometimes…we just can’t. Sometimes, we have to say no. Every relationship – whether personal or professional – is two-way, and take concessions from both sides to work successfully.
Companies spend large amounts of time and money to build and establish a brand, and as the people representing them, we have to stay true to that brand. We do what we can – but within reason. Within that 15%.
