Categories
Blog

Are you ‘failing short’?

The other day, I misread the phrase, “falling short” as “failing short“. At first, I laughed, and then I began to think about what it might mean to ‘fail short‘.
To fall short is to fail to meet the expected standards, whether yours or another’s. To fail is to 1)be unsuccessful in achieving one’s goal or 2)neglect to do something.  I’m going to use the second definition for this illustration.
When we fall short, we have tried and failed to meet the target. We can assume we have given it our best effort.
What is Failing Short?
Failing short is when we neglect to do the things that we know would help us move forward. Or, we do the same thing we’ve done before and hope to have a different result. Failing short carries the weight of not doing what we said we would, of not living up to our intentions.
We fail short when we:
  • Procrastinate and put off the actions that would move us toward our goal.
  • Neglect to do what we know we should, such as sign a contract promptly, make an important phone call or answer a critical email.
  • Ignore critical measures such as income and revenue by playing out of sight, out of mind.
  • Repeat the same actions the same way we have before, even though we failed.
Falling short may be completely due to circumstances beyond our control. Failing short is completely within our power. The good news is that since we have control over our actions, we can choose to never ‘fail short’ again.
Categories
Blog

Why being a generalist is better for your business. “Specialization is for Insects.”

“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.” – Robert Heinlein

As a teenager, I stumbled across the above quote by Robert Heinlein.  Born into a family that taught me I would never be “enough’, I pledged to myself that I would become my own version of the quote. After all, as the oldest of 9 children, I could already change a diaper, cook a tasty meal (for 11), balance accounts, solve equations, pitch manure (we grew up on a farm), analyze a new problem, give and take orders, and fight efficiently. Consequently, I have lived my life with a hungry mind acquiring skills wherever I could. Today, I am proud to declare myself a generalist.

From Regret to Celebration

It wasn’t always this way. Though my diverse skills have served me well as a serial entrepreneur, until recently, I continued to feel as if I should have specialized.  However, being a generalist definitely has its perks. It is easier for a generalist to integrate information, practices, and ideas across fields.  David Epstein, author of Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, writes, “Our greatest strength is the exact opposite of narrow specialization. It is the ability to integrate broadly.”

Being a Generalist in Business:
  • allows you to have a basic knowledge of the different parts of your business – including bookkeeping, sales, marketing, administrative work, hiring and firing, managing people and more depending on the kind of business you have. You will likely have the basic skills you need.
  • means that you can ‘cross-pollinate’ ideas from one industry or field to yours. Generalists are easily bored after mastering the present learning curve. They seek new areas to explore. The end result is a wide array of experience and knowledge of different fields.
  • allows you to have the knowledge to know if the ‘expert’ you hired is doing what you hired him or her to do. It can prevent you from becoming ripped off by a specialist contractor.
  • means you are more likely to be a better problem solver. As a generalist, with cross domain experience,  you may be an analogical thinker which makes you see more creative solutions. An analogical thinker is one who draws analogies by recognizing the similarity in multiple domains or scenarios that may have little in common on the surface. Quoting Epstein again, “It is a powerful tool for solving wicked problems.”
Conclusion

Generalists have several advantages over specialists. A generalist business owner will have a wider perspective and a more holistic view of the business. Having basic skills, knowledge, and experience makes starting a business easier. Cross-pollination of ideas and analogical thinking is likely to lead to more impactful problem solving. And, if you need to, you can always hire a specialist!

Categories
Blog

Welcome to Foresight Solutions

Welcome to my new space and what is intended to be my flagship site.

Blurred abstract background interior view looking out toward to window and greenery
Image by topntp26 on Freepik

I’ve finally made the jump to independent digital publishing. I did this with the help of several folks who kept encouraging me to stop hiding and go ahead and create something.

This website and blog are the culmination of years of dreaming and ‘getting ready to get ready’. However, none of that time was wasted. As Mary Oliver once said in an interview, “Things take the time they take. How many roads did Augustine follow before he became St. Augustine?”

I have no pretensions of being a saint, but I’ll acknowledge that there was some necessary personal learning and growing before I was ready to put all of myself out into the world.  As with many of you, my life was divided into parts. I’m bringing them together in this space as I learn, explore, and share “the Spirit of Business and the Business of life”.  My goal is to share my hard-won wisdom as well as lessons I’m learning as I learn them. I promise you to wholeheartedly bring my passion, experience, ideas, and thoughts to you. I hope you find education, inspiration, and motivation here.