Adopt not adapt
I’ve always thought that being adaptable was a good thing. However, when it comes to finance systems, sometimes reshaping old habits often results in carrying problems forward instead of fixing them. It seems as though the better way is not to adapt what you already do, but to actually adopt to the new way properly, as it was intended.
You see it in real life too.
Say you get a new phone. Instead of learning how the new features work, you ignore the tips, turn everything new off, download the same apps, keep the same cluttered home screen, and use it exactly like your old one. Technically, you’ve upgraded, but you’re not actually getting the benefit of what’s new. You’ve adapted the old habits instead of adopting the new setup.
Finance systems work in the same way.
I’ve seen it first hand. Finance teams move onto new software and immediately try and rebuild their processes. Typically the old way becomes the default starting point, with as-is process mapping. The spreadsheets they rely on don’t go away. Forecasts are still pulled together outside the system just in case. People still export reports and double check everything manually, not because they need to, but because that’s what feels safe. To manage these workarounds, implementation specialists are often brought in, which adds cost.
The result? Instead of making processes simpler, we over-engineer them. Instead of getting clearer, everything gets more complicated. And instead of trusting the new system, we end up rebuilding the old one inside it.
Adopting a new finance system properly is much harder at first. It means unlearning a few things, letting go of the “this is how we’ve always done it" attitude, and trusting the structure that is already there. It might be slower in the beginning, but it usually pays off. You stop fighting the software and start letting it do the job it was built for.
I guess I’m being a little hypocritical here. Bear Blog is designed as a blogging platform, not a microblogging tool. It’s designed to let each post stand on its own. But I’ve ended up creating a journal page that pulls all my smaller updates onto one page, so readers don’t have to click through each post. I guess it’s more like a feed or a timeline, and in a way, I’ve adapted the platform to fit my old social media habits instead of fully embracing the way it was built to work.
Being adaptable still matters. But in finance, and in life, sometimes the real skill is knowing when to stop holding on to old habits and actually try a new approach.