Pivot: Navigating Change in Times of Uncertainty

“Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.” – Isaiah 43:19 (NKJV)

Are you facing uncertainty in your business or life? Do you need to consider a pivot? What does it really mean to pivot?

The word pivot was introduced and made popular in the entrepreneurship world by Eric Ries and Steve Blank in the best-selling book called The Lean Start Up. Forbes defines a pivot as fundamentally changing the direction of a business when you realize the current products or services aren’t meeting the needs of the market.

This word is often used to suggest that something originally planned did not work out and an adjustment had to be made to prevent failure. It is a redirection to ensure ultimate success. Though pivoting usually leads to a change that increases the chances of success, it can sometimes be viewed as a path to choosing a less-than-ideal option. In another word, since the ideal plan did not work out, let’s pivot to a less than ideal path that will prevent failure, but this path would not have been chosen if the pivot was not required.

What if pivoting is God’s way to redirect us not to a less than ideal path but to the ideal path? What if pivoting is not just to prevent the failure of the ideal path but to discover the ideal path? Pivot is God’s way of redirecting us towards His ultimate will!

Scripture is loaded with examples of God pivoting from one direction to another, leading to His ultimate and perfect will. Whether it is God pivoting to Jesus Christ after Adam sinned, pivoting to David after King Saul disappointed him, or pivoting to the gentiles after the Jews rejected Christ, God always has a plan B and is never left without options. His plan B seems to always work out even better than His plan A as though that is what He intended all along. No wonder the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose”

Truly there is no circumstance when change does not work out for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose. Change improves our chances of success and the probability of discovering God’s ultimate will.

How do you pivot in a way that leads to a greater discovery of God’s ultimate will?

1. Review your mission and vision.
2. Find out why you feel the need to pivot.
3. List down Scriptures that support your need to pivot.
4. List down the negative impacts of not pivoting.
5. Review your SWOT analysis to ensure that it supports your pivot.
6. Develop an action plan for the new direction.
7. List down the financial and non-financial benefits of this new direction.

As you go through these steps, make sure to engage all of your stakeholders. A pivot strategy that is done in isolation can lead to confusion and may destabilize the organization, while a pivot strategy that is done in cooperation with your team has the potential to unify and re-energize your team towards your mission and vision.

My prayer for you today is that the next time you are considering a pivot, you will see it as a gift from God to discover His ultimate purpose for your life and organization.