You go to the same ocean resort for vacation every summer. You know your landlord and the local merchants. You know where to rent your bicycle and get your coffee in the morning. But this is the problem. These things are too familiar. So you decide to try something new and different.
Trying something different is harder than you think. First of all, there is a steep learning curve. You end up spending a lot of time finding out about the new location and finding a place to rent. Then you have to figure out where to buy your beach tags and purchase your suntan lotion. And it turns out that even after you sort things out, you don't have as good a time in the new location. (Of course, you also might have made a marvelous new discovery.) Was your decision driven by a need for variety? Do you think the grass is greener on the other side of the mountain?
Cherry is the most popular flavor of Lifesavers candies, but we often buy the five-flavor pack.11 You may not care for orange, but you do like variety. Some of our decisions are driven by a need for variety, yet this doesn't always lead to better decisions. We see the negative side of this need for change in the management fads that sweep through organizations—TQM, business process reengineering, one-minute management, downsizing, rightsizing, and outsourcing. There is always at least a kernel of truth to these new ideas, and sometimes more than a kernel, but they often take on the wildfire passion of Pet Rocks and Beanie Babies.
If you're making a decision to change something that works, you should be particularly careful about your motivations. Recognize that you might be choosing something different merely because it's different. Is the new option that you're choosing really an improvement, or are you merely seeking variety? Is there another way to fulfill this need for change—such as taking up a new hobby rather than reorganizing the firm—that will lead to a better outcome?
Is the new option that you're choosing really an improvement, or are you merely seeking variety?