Evaluating your organization in today's rapidly-changing world can be overwhelming. But having a clear picture of what should change and what should stay the same helps you focus your strategy and keeps you from making changes just for the sake of change.

There are two essentials critical to developing a business idea or organization:

"What you do" – the marketplace need that you answer

"How you do it" – the methods that you use to meet the need

The "what" will often remain the same. As long as the need exists in the marketplace, you're in business.  When the "what" is too often changed, organizations and businesses become diluted and unfocused.

The "how" is what we must relentlessly evaluate and change. The way we meet the need today may not be the most effective or profitable way to meet the need tomorrow. An ongoing analysis of the marketplace and methods is necessary to make sure that the "how" is on the mark.

When we started The A Group nearly ten years ago, we set about to offer effective communication solutions to ministry and non-profit entities. Though we've seen a dramatic change in our business, that "what" is still the same.

What has changed is the "how." In the early days, we used direct mail, brochures, billboard and advertising. Our "how" was often a print piece. As the market changed, we shifted our skill set and strategies to take advantage of a new online world. Today we develop interactive campaigns and online communities that engage today's consumer.

Organizations that are not flexible with the "how" will die – some slowly and some quickly, but all painfully. Only those that are constantly looking for a better way to meet a need will grow with the changes in their market.

What will The A Group look like in another ten years? I have no idea. I can tell you one thing – we'll be creating effective communication solutions. The "how" probably doesn't even exist yet.