Can you envision the "potential"?

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

After spending an hour and a half wandering a property we are thinking of acquiring for the family, I looked at my uncle Tom and asked him what he thought - His response was simply, "It has potential."  As we looked at the thirty-six acre parcel of land (with a steam and a pond), we were not looking at it for what it is today, but rather what it could become in the future. 

A while ago, a former colleague commented on how one of my past hires was becoming very successful; in the same breath, he admitted he didn't understand why I had hired her and didn't think much of her capability at the time - Like my uncle, I said, "She showed great potential".

Potential* by its very definition speaks to the future, but its importance lies in the present; consideration and understanding of "what is" and how it is aligned with your vision, goals and dreams for the future - "Does someone currently have the potential to help build to our common long term goals?" Or even more importantly, "Do I currently have the potential to achieve that vision I've set for myself?"

Potential is a key measure to ensure and validate you are aligned with your vision and longer term goals... there is a cold reality that comes with envisioning yourself as a profession hockey player but not having any ability to skate or any understanding of the game. When hiring someone, ensuring that the person has the ability to be successful in the role is important, but for me, their ability to be bigger than the role is crucial - I have always hired with the next role in mind - Potential is the great motivator, as it cultivates for the future. 

It should be remembered that potential represents the future and does not necessarily reflect current capability (which, over the years I have seen confused and inevitably leads to great disappointment); it is important to remember that potential needs to be developed, fostered and given an environment to flourish.

Potential is of course situational and contextual, but there are some core fundamentals that seem to be common to those who make the most of what they have: 

• Confidence in their ability and willingness to take on challenges.
• Strong work ethic, with a desire to go the "extra mile".
• Work in an environment that fosters potential, with leaders who manage to bring out the best in their people.
• Have a vision and the tenacity to go after it.
• The desire to achieve their potential.
• An understanding that potential can be developed and comes with constant learning.

As I look back on my uncle's comment and our vision for a property and sanctuary that can be used in the years to come, he is right - It does have Potential.

Now it's just a mater of realizing it.

gpe

* Potential is defined as latent qualities or abilities that may be developed and lead to future success or usefulness.

"... expose ourselves to the winds of change."

Recently I was skimming a number of Andy Grove* quotes from his book "Only the Paranoid Survive" and kept coming back to this quote:

“The person who is the star of a previous era is often the last one to adapt to change, the last one to yield to logic of a strategic inflection point** and tends to fall harder than most.” 

(My interpretation - Do not assume that what has made you a star in the past will make you one in the future... because it may not - Forever search out how to do things differently and change with ever evolving situations.)

I also liked this quote:

“As we throw ourselves into raw actions, our senses and instincts will rapidly be honed again”

(My Interpretation -  Just put yourself out there in new situations and do it - you will quickly start making things happen and will get better as you go.)

And this:

“The ability to recognize that the winds have shifted and to take appropriate action before you wreck your boat is crucial to the future of an enterprise”

(My interpretation - Be aware of what is going on around you, be curious and don't dismiss the facts until it's too late to do anything.)

And this one:   

“Admitting that you need to learn something new is always difficult. It is even harder if you are a senior manager who is accustomed to the automatic deference which people accord you owing to your position. But if you don’t fight it, that very deference may become a wall that isolates you from learning new things. It all takes self-discipline.”

(My interpretation - Pride and Arrogance will prevent you from learning, growing and continuing your success.)

There was this one too:

“Strategic change doesn't just start at the top. It starts with your calendar”

(My interpretation - Stop talking about change, write it down and do something.)

And finally this one: 

“The Lesson is, we all need to expose ourselves to the winds of change”

(No interpretation)

gpe

* Andrew Stephen "Andy" Grove (born András István Gróf, 2 September 1936) is a Hungarian-born American businessman, engineer, and author. He is a science pioneer in the semiconductor industry. He escaped from Communist-controlled Hungary at the age of 20 and moved to the United States where he finished his education. He later became CEO of Intel and helped transform the company into the world's largest manufacturer of semiconductors.

As a result of his work at Intel, and from his books and professional articles, Grove had a considerable influence on the management of modern electronics manufacturing industries worldwide. He has been called the "guy who drove the growth phase" of Silicon Valley. Steve Jobs, when he was considering returning to be Apple's CEO, called Grove, who was someone he "idolized," for his personal advice. One source notes that by his accomplishments at Intel alone, he "merits a place alongside the great business leaders of the 20th century. (Wikipedia)

** A strategic inflection point can be defined as the time of transition of company's (or person's) competitive position that requires the company (or person) to change its (their) current path and adapt to the new situation, or risk declining profits (well being).

Optimizing execution - When ideas and operating systems collide.

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

On more than one occasion I have seen sales and marketing ideas, sometimes very good ones, gather support and momentum... and then - SCREEEEECH, CRASH... BIG FIERY EXPLOSION! 

Why would that happen you ask?

These "fiery instances" came about because the idea simply could not be accommodated by the operating systems that are being used to manage the business... the idea could not be automated, "systematized" or streamlined with the current operating system(s); never to get off the ground... or if it does, it's a pale version of the original idea.

I will be the first one to say that systems should not dictate what you do, as that is the job of the customer and the market... however, it is important to understand your available systems and not execute on ideas that are misaligned with the capabilities of your systems - When you play chess, no mater how much you want the bishop to go side ways, it can only go diagonally; much like the systems you work with, their capabilities make up the rules of the game and dictate how you have to play. YOU NEED TO LEARN THE RULES.

RULE #1: It is imperative that you understand what your ERP, CRM and online systems can and cannot do; you definitely need an in-depth working knowledge of these systems within your functional area, as well as a broad understanding of the overall system... everything is so interrelated. Demand as much system training as you can get, or at the very least, ask where you can find the "manuals".

RULE #2: Develop a system process map for how your idea(s) will be executed before you move to build the support and momentum that will fuel your execution. If in any of the process you find the need for manual involvement, this is a strong indicator that a possible BIG FIERY EXPLOSION is in your future - This will also highlight system shortfalls that need to be addressed to serve your market and customer more effectively.

RULE #3: If you hear the phrase "they will figure out how to make it work" used in the context of your available systems, this is a big red flag. Big systems can be used by those who execute... they cannot be fixed by them. This also conjures up images of the loveable Business Gnome, and you know the mischief they can get into. 

RULE #4: Systems can never be blamed for why your idea "did not" work... that is on you. They however can be blamed for why your idea "will not" work... refer back to Rule #1 & #2. Align with your "operation" partners; escalate customer and revenue limiting issues regarding your current systems; bring data, and make people listen.

If you have ever experienced a SCREEEEECH, CRASH and BIG FIERY EXPLOSION, you will know they can be very, very messy situations to clean up - Probably the biggest consideration for the above rules.

gpe