Self imposed change... something to encourage yourself to do.

Sometimes you just need some self imposed change... and I am not referring to taking a different route to work or having a strawberry shake instead of your usual chocolate; something more substantial:

• Sell your house and live somewhere new.
• Get an MBA to elevate your prospects.
• Take the package and explore new career paths.
• Take that job in another country.
• Buy a standard, even though you've only ever driven automatic. 

Ok, maybe switching to standard is not so substantial, but don't underestimate how tricky it can be in the beginning. My point here is that deliberately initiating change, the bigger the better, is important for growth, well-being and exploring this adventure we call life.

Let's take me for example... I am selling my house and moving. Although circumstances allow me to sell, I don't have to, and I'm not exactly sure where I would move to; still there is a sign out front. Here is my thinking, and I believe it is applicable to other substantial change events... in both a literal and figurative way.

• I will literally change my perspective of the world. I will move from a place where I looked at the world a certain way to where my perspectives and views will be totally different. I will literally see the world a "different" way..
• In dealing with the "different", I will learn new skills or at the very least sharpen my existing skills. As an extension of this, I will also break or at least challenge old habits.
• My ability to ADAPT will be challenged and strengthened. I believe adaptability is a skill we all need to develop for our ensured success.
• It will strengthen my planning, organization and execution skills. I rarely use the word "hate", but when it comes to moving I will say, " I hate moving... immensely! And with said, I will ensure I do this move as efficiently as possible, with as few issues as possible.
• It will be an adventure; I will find myself doing things I haven't done before to complete the move and once I'm settled, it will all be new!.

There is also one more thing and maybe the most important which is with self imposed change, you are in control (well at least the illusion of control)..but there will be times when big change is thrust upon you, and you are not in control (be it an illusion or not).

Self imposed change lets you practice for those times when opposed change come your way. And make no mistake, it will. 

Wish me luck with my move,

gpe 

They say they want different, but do they really?

The following is the original and the rewrite can be found by clicking here.

I heard someone say this other day, "People say they want a different way of thinking and operating at work; when it is offered up, it turns out they really don't". I have also experienced this first hand and want to ponder it for a while - At face value this simply doesn't make much sense... but then again, maybe it does. 

Humans have been very successful and are at the top of the food chain mostly because we have been able to control our environment - Be it keeping the rain off our heads, the wild animals at bay, or building a state-of-the-art process to manage customer orders and ship within 12 hours (guaranteed). We control and bring predictability to things. We are successful for it, and this "request for different" simply seems to flies in the face of it. So begins the "rub"*. 

This "perceived contradiction" is created as we work hard to bring control and predictability to what we do, and then want to work outside of what we have created to bring improvement and growth; all the while putting up roadblocks to prevent it from happening. Examples abound of "the wild project" that could not get support, but with some inventive "skunk works activity"** becomes a big hit that everyone rallies behind. The fact that no one originally wanted it, is forgotten.  

I call this a "perceived contradiction", as this dynamic may seem as much, but will argue it is more of a check and balance to manage success and sustainable growth - Successful and viable businesses need to have systems, processes, operating mechanisms, business rhythms and measures that are all in control or they simply will not be sustainable. The coveted new idea or different way of thinking can, and will play havoc on the way a business is run if not kept in check. These roadblocks that arise and push back on a "different way of thinking" are to vet out what is viable and what is not. Simply put, the good will find their way, and the bad will "die on the vine". 

When you hear someone say, "They want a different way of thinking" or "They want to do things differently" take this into consideration:

• They truly mean it.
• Up front you should know that anything new, different, and "outside the box" will be challenged, dismissed, and you will hear various versions of the word "no".
• The burden is on the person with something different to "sell it", not for others to "buy it". 
• Without breaking the law or the guiding principles of the company it is "on you" to make it work... this is where that expression "Good People Find a Way" probably came from.

So how do you work through this "perceived contradiction" to make different a reality? Success stories abound, so know that it is done all the time and these are a few things that come to mind: - 

• Be persistent. If you are not willing to be the champion and a loud advocate, it simply was a "passing idea"
• Not everyone will say "no", search them out and leverage their voice, skills and funding (if they have it) and build momentum.
• Just make it happen and prove its success. You know that old adage "It's better to beg for forgiveness, than ask for permission". ***

So good luck with your different ideas and remember - The company is truly a a safe place to vet everything out, as when you get into the open market, it is a ruthless, hostile and unforgiving place.

gpe

* An idiom derived from how irritating it is for the animal when you rub it's fur the wrong way, 

** A skunk works is a group of people that, in order to achieve unusual results, work on a project in a way that is outside the usual rules.

*** There is no doubt that there is "risk" that comes with this, but anything worth doing, always comes with risk.

A growing awareness of being an entrepreneur...

I will say up front, that I struggle with the word entrepreneur for a number of reasons, one of which, I constantly spell it wrong. With this said, I find myself "playing on the entrepreneurial side of the business fence"; I am building a business to support small and medium sized business leaders with their "commercial problems". I thought I would start with this particular idea, as I can leverage my experience; as they say, "go with your strength". You could say the plan is to become an entrepreneur to support entrepreneurs.

One of the biggest struggles I am having with the word entrepreneur is the definition. Is it a person, a state of mind, or representative of the life stage in a business? 

• Is an entrepreneur a person who is interested in making money, but simply has the inability to work for someone other than themselves?
• Is it simply the state of mind of wanting to creatively build something from an idea or concept, opposed to administrating a business process or business function?
• Is being an entrepreneur an aspect of the size of the business? When it is tiny you are an entrepreneur, as it gets bigger you manage to an entrepreneurial spirit, and finally when it is large you are "corporate".

As with all things, it's probably a combination of the above and a few other things that haven't come to mind. There is definitely one thing that has become apparent... the word "entrepreneur" is a badge of honor for those building a business from an idea or passion. There is also no doubt, no mater how you define an entrepreneur, they by necessity are salesmen. Being an entrepreneur is a sales activity, as you are selling your idea to anyone who will listen; building awareness, looking for support (either in money or in time), and building a viable revenue stream. 

As I continue to wade into this pool we call entrepreneurship, a number of business fundamentals have come to the forefront... some of which if I am honest with myself, took for granted when I was surround by a corporate structure - 

• You have to build your business infrastructure yourself, and the expertise to get it done may not be close at hand. The trap I have already seen is that "having a brilliant idea" and "being able to build a business" are two independent skill sets; having one does not mean you have the other. More often then not skills to build a business will probably have to be brought in and those early decisions will reverberate for years. The people who you want to partner with initially, are crucial.
• For those organizations that are five, ten or more years in business, (with a proven model and customer base), a "forecastable" revenue stream comes across as "straight foreword". When you are much earlier in the business developing process though, the cold reality is that revenue is hard to realize. There is a large amount of work between that first product idea and having someone ultimately pay you money for it.
• The timeframe between your idea and "exiting" as a millionaire is counted in years, not months. Yes, there will always be exceptions, but it is better to settle in for the long haul. The big dream is very important, and will carry you far, but as they say, "Rome wasn't built in a day".
• Most likely you will have to involve investors or bankers so ensure you spend their money wisely - You will need to borrow more of it down the road. To this point, it is being said money is readily available; although this may be true, you will still have to sell your idea and it's value. An investor will always be looking for a return.
• I am learning quite a lot... with so much more to learn.

Can I call myself an entrepreneur at this point? Sure, why not. Can I call myself a proven, success entrepreneur? Nope... but give it time and I do have an idea after all. Wish me luck.

gpe