Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it.Henry Ford
Think for a moment
about the ways in which you spend your working day. We spend time on routine tasks, managing
people, addressing the needs of your clients and, to be honest, wasted on
things like writing blogs. The reality
is that we often react to situations, or we follow tried and true methods. We know from psychology that in times of
stress, we revert to habit.
The problem with these
behaviours is they are the same… and the same actions lead to the same
results. Ben Franklin said, "The
definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting
different results." In today’s
world, with rapidly changing market conditions, we need new approaches.
Our tendency is to ‘do
something’. In our society, especially
in the commercial world, we value action.
We love terms such as ‘go getter’ and ‘self-starter’. Rarely, if ever, have I heard the word, ‘thinker’
considered a superlative in a business context.
We consider thinking a more academic pursuit…not worthy of the real
world. As executives, we need to take
time to think!
When was the last time
you thought about your own business?
Take some time to think…even to dream about what you do, how you
accomplish it and even for whom you are doing it. Think of how your situation has changed in
the past few years, and how it continues to change. Engage in some extreme thinking. I first discovered this term in a book by
Faith Popcorn. She suggests looking for
a trend, and take it to the extreme. For
example, if there is a trend towards vegetarianism, ask the question, “What
would my business look like if everybody was a vegetarian?” If you are in the restaurant
business…then this could have profound consequences. Then
bring it back to reality and ask yourself, what I should do given this
trend.
Thinking is
tough. The best way to begin is to
continually ask two questions…they are the two golden questions of entrepreneurship
and they are:
Why?
What
if?
So here is this week’s
challenge. Ask yourself either a Why or
what if question as it pertains to your business. Remember, take time to think!
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