We had our annual training day today. I was introducing the concept of franchising into our discussion, as I charted out the path for 2007.
In the process, I found myself articulating that the process of entrepreneurship is not to a large extent about vision. I don’t necessarily have a problem with the concept of vision, but I think it’s overrated. I’m sure there are visionaries out there who actually have a very clear picture of what it is they’re going after and then go after it.
But for me, it’s probably less a vision and more an insight. It seems to me that the process of growth, at least as to the way I’ve experienced it, has the following steps attached to it.
1. Insight. An insight comes along. You don’t necessarily know whether the insight is accurate or not, but it starts germinating in your mind. And, as it is germinating, you’re having an internal dialogue as to whether it’s even worth pursuing or discussing with other people.
2. Invalidation. I then move from the insight into some general discussion about it, which gives me the opportunity to explore it in more detail. From that discussion, I then start attempting to invalidate it. I start thinking to myself what are the operating assumptions which would need to occur in order for this insight to be effective. What are the ones that would not necessarily be important? My discussions become more pointed and I start looking around for research as well as authorities who will either challenge or confirm the basic insight. While I’m not going to be influenced by either denial or confirmation, I’m going to be listening carefully to what’s being said.
3. My experience is that, often times, some types of individuals are going to deny anything that doesn’t already occur and most entrepreneurial insights occur around things that have not yet been created. On the other hand, there are other individuals that you may go to, who even have substantial expertise, who simply like you enough that they’re not prepared to be totally upfront and candid with you, especially if they think the idea you’ve come up with absolutely reeks. Hence, what I am listening for is less the ultimate conclusion and more the reasoning process the individuals are using in order to either validate or invalidate the insight.
4. The decision. I then make the decision to go forward with this particular project. And as I go forward, I then start taking one step after another after another until such time as I’m now sucked into execution.
5. The execution. From the decision, and the initial foray, it’s then appropriate for me to execute for success. In other words, what do I need in order to make this project successful? I then am required to outfit the insight sufficiently, to resource the decision enough, that it will be successful.
6. The rearview mirror. At that point, it’s a question of taking a look at the rearview mirror and seeing where I’ve gotten throughout that period of time. Sometimes, the insight turned out to be valid. In other times, the insight turned out not to be valid in the raw glare of reality. But no matter what, my experience suggests that the process is not dissimilar whether it turned out to be successful or unsuccessful. Regardless, the ultimate movement comes from viewing the rearview mirror to see where I have gotten as to that particular project.
As I take a look at the process of morphing, or growing, or changing, our enterprises, I am mindful of the fact that these five steps continue to remain the backbone of what actually occurs. The organization itself changes, or morphs, or grows, based upon the individual decisions which are made, but at the end of the day, it looks the same for an organization as it does for the individual decisions made in the process.
Original writing date: January 15, 2007