Russell Allert
Unless you specialise in something, most people’s knowledge is sporadic. They know a little about a little. Or, sometimes, a little about a lot (this is how I describe myself). But the important thing is to have a good foundation with the knowledge that you have. Why? Because it is only with well laid foundations that you can build successfully.
You know something. We all know something. Some of what we know, others do not know. So, the real question is, what do you know that others want to know? And how much effort are you willing to go to in order to 1) find out what they want to know, and 2) teach them what they want to know- for profit or otherwise.
You know a lot more than you release. Others know a lot less than you realise. Sure, some people know much more (usually only on one particular topic), but they are the exceptions to the rule. Learn from them, make their knowledge your own, and then pass on that knowledge to others less knowledgeable.
This is your leverage. Use it.
If you are going to do something, then do it to the best of your ability. If you are going to start a business, give your everything. Go big. Think big. Why not? You are going to be doing it anyway, so why not do it better and/or bigger?
Enjoy it. Bathe in it. Smother yourself with your plan/idea/whatever.
You may find that the returns are better than you ever hoped for.
Think about the last piece of work you completed for your employer. Did you find reward in the fact that you completed it? Or were you happy just to be done with it?
Doing something that you love means that you will feel great satisfaction in its completion. If you are just happy for a job or task to be over with then you are not truly happy with what you are doing. No reward is better than that feeling you get when you complete something that means the world to you. Find a job that will give you that.
Do people where you work understand you? If not then it may be a good idea to look for a work place which does.
Why waste your time with a company that does not know who you are, what makes you tick, or does not understand your aspirations or goals. If you are in this position then they aren’t “getting you.”
Start looking for a company that would better suit your needs and your goals. Working for a company that isn’t in sync with your lifestyle and goals is like trying to ride a bicycle with no seat – you are always on your toes.
I wrote a quick post earlier in the week about a book I purchased called Rework
If I was restricted to one word to describe Rework I would use ‘indispensable’. It was a shot of ice cold water on a steaming hot day. Hats off to Jason Fried and David Heinemeier (from 37signals) for writing such a book and for having the moxie to publish it. It is simple yet exceptional. Blunt yet important.
Each chapter of the book delivers a punch to “the norm” and gives you reason to believe that we all just keep perpetuating the same old mistakes that may have been the way business was done in the twentieth century but is not something you want to emulate in the twenty-first century.
The strongest message I got from this book was:
Don’t over think or create complicated plans – just do. Start whatever it is you are working on and get it out there. You can fix it up as you go. Which goes hand-in-hand with one of my favourite quotes: “Let go of perfection, and just do”.
The best thing about this book is that it has been written from pure experience. The authors have lived and are living what’s in the book. They are, in deed, living proof of what they are espousing.
If you are thinking about starting a business (even a one-man outfit at home), just about to start a business, or already running a business, this book is a must-read.
Is your job good enough for you?
It is not about being arrogant. It’s about finding the job that is not only right for you, but one that is equal (or greater) than you. What’s the point of doing a job that you know so well you are uninterested. If you are going to be spending that long at work then it better be challenging. Otherwise it’s just a bore and no-one likes boring.
In “Ye Olden Days”, back before the Industrial Revolution, people worked hard. Their whole day was filled with labour and toil just to put food on the table and to keep a roof over their heads. They had little time for much else other than perhaps the love of their family and perhaps a drink with friends.
Then came the Industrial Revolution. People needed to toil less as machines and steam took away a lot of their work, leaving them with less (or nothing) to do.
So they got new jobs, a lot of them very different to what they had been doing, and a lot of them newly created.
Fast forward a few decades and you have the Rise of the Corporation and the Information Revolution. With the advent of computers, people had even less to do. Between the increased efficiency of machines and now the rise of the computer, a lot of jobs, and therefore people, became redundant. But you don’t want thousands, even millions of people sitting around doing nothing. So you create new jobs for them.
And that is where we are now: millions of people toiling away at purely invented jobs that have no real meaning other than to give someone a job. Middle management (actually, most management) I am looking at you.
The point to all this? If you feel like you are stuck in a meaningless job, you probably are. In one of the many purely invented office jobs that were created to fill a void.
In marketing standing out from the crowd is a good thing. The same cannot be said for every instance in your work life. Sometimes though it is necessary and important. But you should not do so just to be different. Don’t choose the path least travelled if it will lead you off a cliff. That’s just silly. Be different and individual for the right reasons.
I have been thinking about running my business start-up differently lately. Jiipe.com has seen a few iterations but has now come to a place I finally like.
And then today I find myself in a book store browsing the business/finance section and stumble upon a book called Rework
Sometimes life has a peculiar way of bringing you closer to what you want and need. I say embrace it.
My Projects
