The Right Tools

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but not me. Not yet. I am always curious to understand how things work. Not too long ago, almost any appliance in the house was fair game in my pursuit of understanding inner workings. Radios, VCRs, vacuum cleaners, etc . Yes, this involved taking the devices apart, looking inside and how the parts fit and then putting it back together. The question of whether it would work after was not a question at all. It just had to. However, when taking things apart, having the right tools made all the difference.

In Jim Collin's Good to Great, the Chapter on "Technology Accelerators" made me remember how having the right tools, makes a difference. In this case, for the right reasons. I know many of us are more than ready to jump on the next gizmo and/or gadget that looks cool & technologically advanced to brag about. Who stops to think whether or not it will would really enhances us - as an individual. Who cares. It looks cool.

Needs to be a phone too...  

From viewpoint of a corporation, "cool" doesn't cut it. The technology must accomplish a task that propels them forward providing more momentum already established. That is, according to the book, if you've made it this far: the company already has all the momentum from having all the level 5 leaders with the "right people on the bus" confronting the brutal facts with the hedgehog concept all figured out along with the discipline to follow it. Deep breath.

What was interesting of the chapter is that it puts technology in its place. That is, companies that are great will use it as a tool - not the defining factor. However, does that apply to companies whose business is being on-top of the latest technology? :-P
Furthermore, the chapter elaborates on "how companies react" to technology says a lot about them. Either they fear it or embrace it depending on how they adhere to their hedgehog concept (if they even have one).

I can't wait to read the next chapter: The "Flywheel and Doom Loop". I like the title because I have the funny feeling most companies operate in the "doom loop".  In my humble opinion, it's the path of least resistance. It's flying by the seat of our pants. No time to structure things since you're always putting out fires. I suppose in some cases it justifies our existence in the "daily grind".

Discipline: A Hate-Love Relationship

I finally finished the chapter on "A Culture of Discipline" from Good to Great. In the end, I liked it a lot. Took me a while to get through the 1st half though. What was neat is how everything that was read up to this point was tied together. Maybe the negative feelings about the word "discipline" made me drag my feet. Sadly, the word reminds me of those grammar school days and the people who made me feel inferior. :-/

Discipline (as a process)

School. Harboring some of my least-favorite memories. Not because I didn't like learning. Trust me, I'd give up any one of my adult days for one of those care-free school days. However, I can't help but frown sometimes about school because it felt like I was constantly being told what to do and how to do it. Especially, how to behave. Needless to say, if you did something that was outside of the guidelines, you'd be facing some type of "disciplinary action". As we get older and wiser, we realize it was for our own good.  What can seem difficult is how to re-incorporate discipline in life. Not because others tell you to - but because you choose to.

No Whey?

After a nice 2-month break from blogging , I figure I'd get back into it. And back to dragging myself through "Good to Great". Half-way through the book... and half-way through the chapter on "Culture of Discipline". I had to take a pause from reading the chapter for two reasons. One - I had to do this entry since I've been such a slacker these past two months. Two - I had to do some online research over the "Rinsing your cottage cheese" section of the chapter. :-D
I promise to give an insightful entry soon on the full chapter. Right now, I need to get my thoughts on this screen.
So - how does "rinsing cheese" fit into a chapter about Discipline?! Quite a bit actually. I had trouble understanding it at first. After reading it, I agreed... Reluctantly. No doubt, if you are so disciplined as to "rid extra fat" (whether it is true I'm still not sure) from your cottage cheese by rinsing it - I suppose you do deserve to win Ironman Triathlon... six times.

NOT THIS IronMan.. .Cool Though.

There's a ton of training that goes into it which cannot be belittled. However, the cheese thing had me shaking my head. So - how much fat could that really be? (Especially if its "low fat" already) Not to mention if you're already doing a ton of training you're probably burning that in your sleep. ;-)

Can a fox be a hedgehog too?

What a busy month. I have had zero (0), zilch, nada amount of time this month to continue to read "Good to Great". However, I did have some time to ponder about my previous entry and wonder if the "Hedgehog Concept" has applications to people as well - not just corporations. I have a feeling it does. And I am sure others have already considered the question, and might have already written on it. Sadly, I didn't have the time to read those either. Sorry. However, I will give you my own perspective, and if you have the time - please let me know your opinion and send me links to articles that show applications of the Hedgehog Concept to their personal lives.

The Hedgehog Concept: "The Fast & The Furry"

I always wanted to do a blog about “knowing thyself” – the great Latin phrase “Temet Nosce”. Found over the doorway in the Oracle’s kitchen in The Matrix, the simplicity of the phrase has profound meaning. Although my original intent for such an entry was to cover aspects of the 16 personality types – it will have to wait.

Chapter 5 in Good toGreat starts with the phrase Know Thyself. The opening paragraph asks the question “Are you a hedgehog or a fox?” If asked suddenly and given little time to respond, I would probably say I’m a fox. Sly, swift and cunning creature. Unless it’s Sonic the Hedgehog, who is more than just fast, he’s awesome.

  

             Sonic the Hedgehog & a real hedgehog... Where's the concept?

In reality, hedgehogs are rather small & cute looking critters. So – why is it dubbed the “Hedgehog Concept” ? Stemming from Isaiah Berlin’s essay The Hedgehog and the Fox, the bottom line is that a fox knows many things, and can see all the complexities of the world. However, a hedgehog knows one BIG thing – and thus can simplify the complex world. It’s almost as if the fox is that “jack of all trades master of none”. In that regard, I am like a fox. I know a little about a lot of different things, but not focused. Although I have not read the essay yet, per Jim’s summary, no matter what new attack strategy the fox may come up with, the hedgehog will do what he is best at: curl-up into a perfect sphere with spikes pointing in all directions and always win the confrontation.