Due to certain experiences recently, companies lay offs, general economic gloom something a friend told me not so long ago has come back to me with timley meaning; “Darragh, be a plug-in and not a cog“. Basically this means that you avoid fitting into the company machine, do not conform to medirocracy, do not be pushed into becoming a comdity. Think differently, work differently be different always look for new ways of creating value, look for new problems to be solved, don’t be another cog in the machine, another brick in the proverbial wall.

Fitting in is attractive

Fitting in to the machine is tantleisingly attractive especially if there is, and there usually is, pressure from the rest of the cogs to do so. Being out on your own at moments is quite difficult to handle and makes you question yourself…Doing the right thing in the wrong place can causes a lot of pain.

Being a plug-in does not mean that you only look out for yourself and do not create value for the company, on the contrary we are talking about being innovative, creative, focused and active. However, it does mean that you cannot be replaced like a cog. You plugin into the company like nobody else, you play things differenly and there is no real way to duplicate that, that is the risk for the company and the benefit for you. In addition to plugging in you can also plug out and look for another socket (opportunity that fits better).

Solve new problems, create value for others; be a plug-in my friend!

I think it is very admiral to see people who strive to innovate, to break moulds. But those that I most admire are those that do so while always looking for a balance between working well with the rest and being different.

Be a plug-in and look for new sockets, new problems to solve and new ways of creating value for others.

• If you want to recieve news and future posts via email enter your email address:

No related posts.

With all that is changing in the world recently; politically, socailly, economically, ideologicaly etc we are well and truely in crisis. I believe that this crisis is being prolonged as we do not or cannot change, either way, change is the solution and lack of change is the pain being felt.

All of this brought to mind an African proverb I heard some time ago, long before this crisis started and I think it sums up this brave new world very well. You can interpret it has being positive or negative, that will depend on the individual and I think that the change that is now needed will also start with the individual and work it’s way up to bigger things.

When the sun comes up..

Every morning on the Africa plain, a Gazelle wakes up
It knows that it must run faster than the fastest Lion or it will be killed
Every morning in Africa, a Lion wakes up
It knows that it must, at least, run faster than the slowest Gazelle or it will starve to death
It doesn’t matter if you are a Gazelle or a Lion

When the sun comes up, you better start running

 

• If you want to recieve news and future posts via email enter your email address:
  

No related posts.

An interesting phenomenon happens sometimes when are waiting on the traffic lights to go green as to walk across the road. Instead of looking at the lights we invariable look at the people on the other side of the road and wait for them to move and THEN we cross.

When it comes to creating new products and new businesses I think something similar occurs in that we stay over focused on the movements of our competitors and or industry analysts and as such we forget about the real regulator, the market (our traffic light).

What is the competition not doing!!!

I don’t know how many times I have heard the saying “What is the competition doing in regards to…”, I think that is healthy if you are looking for a way to differentiate yourself and in that sense the question should be rephrased to “What is the competition NOT doing in regards to…”. However, if that question is asked to validate opinions I think it is off the mark.

If you want to cross the road focus on the traffic lights not on the oncoming pedestrians because on the contrary best case scenario you will cross at the same time as the them (maybe long after the light has gone green) or worse case scenario you follow them under an oncoming truck as the light is still RED.

The commodity era is over, we need to change the focus

Focus on the market, that’s where the market problems are and they will show you the way to make new and profitable market driven products and business. If you want to beat your competitors start by forgetting about them, the commodity era is coming to an end and the these copy-cat tatics are no longer valid, you have to bring something totally different to the market if you want sucess and who knows more about what the market needs than the actual market itself!

• If you want to recieve news and future posts via email enter your email address:

No related posts.