Corrections or additions?
Published in U.S. 1 Newspaper on February 9, 2000. All rights
reserved.
Between the Lines
Our Survival Guide editors must have their thinking
caps on. Two weeks ago they profiled a consultant who advocates
corporate
environments that promote and reward "fast learning." Last
week they introduced us to an expert who asks us to recognize that
"smart" people may not be smart in each and every possible
way — the challenge is to identify their talent and focus it.
This week our Survival Guide section reports on another consultant
who not only puts on a thinking cap to solve problems, but who
literally
passes them out to seminar participants to encourage lateral thinking
— looking at problems in different ways. Donna Coulson, who has
a firm called Live Your Life Staff Development in Red Bank, says that
different colored thinking caps represent different problem-solving
techniques: Red represents the emotional, passionate side, for
example,
while white considers the facts and figures. The blue hat is the
mediator,
the perspective that pulls all of these visions together. See page
10 for the rainbow of thinking styles.
Given that fusillade of mental gymnastics, this humble column is
reluctant
to introduce any new elements to the head game arena. But we were
struck by an article in the February issue of Inc. magazine, a
question
and answer piece with Amar V. Bhide, the author of "The Origin
and Evolution of New Businesses," a hefty volume based on 10 years
of research at the Harvard Business School.
One of the author’s conclusions is that, contrary to the popular
public
notion that start-up companies are the result of some moment of
inspirational
genius by their founders, most companies are born from a confluence
of mundane circumstances:
Most businesses, Bhide says, "are started by someone who is
working
for another business, who sees a small niche opportunity — one
in which the company he or she is working for is already taking
advantage
of, or one in which a supplier or customer is involved. And the person
jumps in with very little preparation and analysis but with direct
firsthand knowledge of the profitability of that opportunity —
and pretty much does what somebody else is already doing, but does
it better and faster. These entrepreneurs don’t have anything that
differentiates their business from other businesses in terms of
technology
or in terms of a concept. They just work harder, hustle for customers,
and know that the opportunity may not last for more than six or eight
months."
Or as Thomas Edison supposedly said, success is 2 percent inspiration,
98 percent perspiration.
Top Of Page
To the Editor
ON BEHALF of everyone at Morven, thank you for the article concerning
our lecture by Ulysses Dietz (U.S. 1, January 19). The article helped
to bring a very large crowd to the lecture. Despite the snow, ice,
and cold temperature, we had a capacity crowd of more than 120 people,
including 21 "walk-ins," who I am certain came because of
your article.
Thanks for your continued interest in our activities at Morven.
Emily Croll
Historic Morven
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