Whether you want to predict your future or actually
prescribe an outcome of your choosing, you'll have plenty
of company!
Throughout history, we humans have tried many ways to
predict the future, from reading palms to stargazing.
Today, we refer to these as descriptive methods when we
attempt to describe objectively what the future will be or
could be.
Prescriptive methods, on the other hand, focus on
determining what the future should be. These techniques can
help us clarify our preferences and values so we can create
a vision of what we would like to see in our lives,
businesses, or communities.
Once we understand what we would like the future to
represent, we're better able to take the actions required
to implement it. Preferably, that future will resonate with
our passions, gifts, and what we (or our organizations) can
really excel at doing. This article suggests a two-stage
process for achieving that goal.
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First, Identify Your "Hedgehog Concept"
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So, what can you be the best in the world (or at least in
your community) at doing? This thought-provoking reflection
is one of many from Jim Collins' "Good to Great: Why Some
Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don't."
Collins' team examined 1,435 companies to see which ones
made substantial gains in profitability and sustained those
improvements over 15 years or more. They found only 11
companies that, since the 1970s, rose from mediocrity to
greatness and stayed there -- topping many other prosperous
firms that lacked the same staying power.
One of the eight characteristics all had in common was an
unshakable adherence to becoming the best in the world at
whatever they did. Each company committed to doing only
those things and nothing else. That sometimes meant
dropping their core businesses to pursue other things at
which they could become the best in the world.
Collins and his team coined the term "hedgehog concept" to
reflect a single-minded determination and focus that,
similar to that of the hedgehog animal, attempts to do only
one thing really well, such as curl up and roll. A hedgehog
concept actually represents the intersection of three areas:
1) What you're most passionate about
2) An understanding of what you could be the best at doing,
and
3) A metric that drives your economic engine and helps you
measure results.
Keep in mind that according to Collins, this concept is not
a goal, strategy, or plan, but an understanding of what you
can and can't be the best at doing. Until you develop your
hedgehog concept, you won't know your true vision, mission,
or purpose.
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Next, Define Your "Business Success Criteria"
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Do you have a crystal clear idea of the types of business
undertakings that align with your gifts, talents, passions,
and strengths? In that same context, have you thought about
whether your business can be the very best in the world at
doing those things?
If the answers are "yes," you are in an excellent position
to choose the ventures that can give you the greatest
satisfaction and results.
If you're not yet totally clear about the answers to these
questions, developing a set of "business success criteria"
can enable you to select worthwhile endeavors with much
deeper insight, and thus set the conditions for
successfully pursuing them. A hedgehog concept thereby
represents part of the formula you can devise to identify
and choose among your very best options.
Why is this so important? Many people wander into
businesses, projects, and professions opportunistically,
meaning that they grab something that comes along because
it's available and convenient. At times, this may be
necessary for financial reasons. But unless we understand
our underlying success criteria, we might not recognize the
options that truly fuel and inspire us -- those that are
best suited to our passions and strengths.
Some of your criteria could be practical considerations,
and others more lofty ideals. But all of your criteria will
be essential to achieving balance, fulfillment, prosperity,
and higher contribution in your life.
In conclusion, a set of carefully crafted success criteria
fueled by a potent hedgehog concept provides an unbeatable
strategic advantage, and an excellent direction-finder for
prescribing your future!
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Adele Sommers, Ph.D. is the author of the award-winning
"Straight Talk on Boosting Business Performance" program.
She helps people "discover and recover" the profits their
businesses may be losing every day through overlooked
performance potential. To sign up for more free tips, visit
her site at http://LearnShareProsper.com
