Jan 06 09
No More Big Ideas
By Renn Vara
During my catch up reading over the holidays, I came across a number of articles saying this is a time for execution vs. big ideas. Tough times call for doers vs. thinkers I’m afraid. But that’s only half the story. Real execution requires a consistency of behavior, processes and metrics for gauging results. Not as much fun as big ideas but it works.
In his latest book, Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell makes the same point about successful people. According to Gladwell, studies show that the 10,000 hour rule really works. This is the idea that it takes 10,000 hours to master any instrument. Well, I guess it’s even more important than that. It seems it makes the difference between someone becoming a professional paid musician vs. a high school music teacher. Talent doesn’t even come into play. It’s all about the fundamentals of practice, practice, practice.
So what does this have to do with our current predicament? Well it seems consistency trumps talent or a brilliant idea. The old adage of muscle memory is true. The more you do something, the better you become at that task or function.
So for an unpredictable future in 2009, time to get back to basics and set up processes and systems that make your team(s) behavior consistent and steady.
This is painful for people like me. I like big ideas. Well, maybe next year.
