Want to know the six most expensive words in business?
"That's how we've always done it."
The Consulting Paradox
As a consultant, I live in this bizarre reality: Companies hire me to solve problems, then fight me when I suggest changing the very approaches that created those problems.
It's like hiring a personal trainer, then arguing when they suggest you stop eating donuts for breakfast.
The Real-World Cost of Complacency
The Cannabis Dispensary's Text Message Madness
A dispensary with steadily declining sales refused to change their SMS strategy: daily blasts at 8:45 AM to their entire customer list. Same message, same time, every single day.
When I showed them their 47% unsubscribe rate and suggested testing different times and segmenting their audience, the manager looked at me like I'd suggested selling oregano instead of weed.
"Our customers expect to hear from us in the morning. That's how we've always done it."
Meanwhile, their competitor across town sent personalized texts based on purchase history at varying times and was growing year-over-year.
The Franchise Company's TV Addiction
A holding company kept dumping marketing dollars into local TV commercials for their newest brand—a modern fast-casual restaurant targeting millennials.
When I presented data showing their target audience had abandoned traditional TV for streaming services, their marketing VP pushed back: "But TV commercials worked great for our senior-focused brand, so they'll work for this one too."
They spent $180,000+/yr on commercials seen primarily by people who would never visit their restaurant while their competitors dominated the platforms their actual customers used.
The Furniture Dealer Control Freak
A furniture store owner hit a revenue ceiling at $3M annually despite strong market demand. The bottleneck? Him. Every decision required his approval, from vendor selection to which color staples to order.
When I suggested creating management systems and delegating authority, he physically recoiled.
"I need to approve everything personally. That's how we maintain quality."
Result: 80-hour work weeks, constant operational bottlenecks, and frustrated employees who eventually left for competitors who had actual systems in place.
Why "We've Always Done It This Way" Persists
It's Comfortable
Humans are wired to conserve energy. New approaches require learning, adjustment, and the possibility of failure. Old approaches, even when failing, offer the comfort of familiarity.
It Protects Egos
Changing an established process means admitting the current approach isn't optimal. For many leaders, this feels like a personal attack on their judgment.
It Masks Fear
At its core, resistance to change is about fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of losing control. Fear that a new approach might work better and expose the opportunity cost of not changing sooner.
How to Kill the "Always Done It" Mindset
1. Make the Cost of Inaction Painfully Clear
Most businesses obsess over the risk of change while ignoring the risk of standing still. Quantify it:
"Your current approach is costing you approximately $27,000 per month in lost revenue compared to industry benchmarks."
Numbers cut through emotional resistance.
2. Start Small and Create Wins
Don't try to change everything at once. Pick a low-risk area, implement a change, and demonstrate results.
For the dispensary, we tested sending messages to just 10% of their list at 4 PM instead of morning. Open rates jumped 38% in a single week. That win opened the door to broader changes.
3. Create Psychological Safety
People resist change when they fear being blamed for past approaches. Make it clear that past decisions made sense with the information available then, but new information demands evolution.
4. Hire People Who Challenge You
The most dangerous business cultures are echo chambers where everyone thinks alike. Hire people who respectfully question assumptions and bring different perspectives.
The furniture dealer finally broke through when he hired an operations manager from outside the industry who asked "why?" about processes everyone else took for granted.
The Silent Killer of Modern Business
Your competitors aren't standing still. They're not doing things the same way they did last year, let alone five years ago.
Every day you cling to "the way we've always done it," the gap between you and market leaders widens.
Your customers don't care about your comfort zone or your company traditions. They care about getting the best product, service, and experience possible.
And they'll happily go to competitors who prioritize results over routine.
So what's your "we've always done it this way" story? And more importantly—what are you going to do about it?