Where the Action is... Are You Stuck With Out of Date Thinking?

It used to be that, long ago, you needed to be near the samurai warlord in order to wield any power; you had to be "where the action is." It used to be that way in the west too; if you weren't near the king or in the king's court, you couldn't influence any decisions and you had little power to influence society.

It has been this way for thousands of years; you either had to be near or in a seat in government or the church or you had zero influence in decisions that moved society.


It started changing in 1450 when Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press. As technology has gotten better and better, the ability to influence society and change people's lives has gotten easier and easier - farther and farther - away from the traditional seats and centers of power.


This is probably how the saying, "the pen is mightier than the sword" came into existence.


Still, all through the Industrial Revolution and even up until the last twenty years, being involved and being able to change an archaic system such as our political one has still required being in the center - but changing and influencing society as a whole, and being able to change how the average man and woman thinks and feels, has changed completely with the advent of the Internet.

Maybe Rasputin wasn't a really bad guy

I would submit to you that, today, you can change and influence society much more when you are not in the center. Just look at things like Anonymous taking down the Greek government sites, Wikileaks, the Twitter and the Occupy Wall Street Movement and the overthrow of governments in the Middle East for evidence of that.


The Internet has shown us the you no longer need to be in the center of action. You no longer need to be in the big cities in order to have a big influence and change things... You no longer need to be sitting at a desk or physically in that meeting... You can be far away and have a great impact. The Internet has become the great equalizer. The Internet allows everyone and anyone to be able to have some say, some control in what is happening. That's why it scares the hell out of the old center of power and that's why they are doing whatever they can to control it.


Many people think that they must be in the center in order to influence people, thinking and actions. In our modern day Internet, this sort of thinking is proving old fashioned and out of date.


Are you stuck with out of date thinking? Or can you free yourself?


Thanks to Paco Pil and Seth Godin for the inspiration for this post!

Making the Correct Decision

In matters of business or running the affairs of any group of people, always remember the Golden Rule: It's not what is decided that matters the most, it is how things are decided that counts!


This is such an important message that I am so surprised that it seems few people remember or even know it. Whenever dealing with an group of people in a social or business setting, it is always so important to keep this in mind! 


It's not what is decided that matters the most, it is how things are decided that really counts!


When things are decided, without consulting with all the people involved, you take a huge risk of missing the entire picture. You take a huge risk of getting people angry or demotivating them. This is a terrible mistake to make at work. You must get the opinion of everyone involved. You must make everyone feel that they are important and that their opinion counts.


This doesn't mean that everything is a democracy and everyone must agree with every decision, it merely means that, in order to increase the chances of your success, you must make everyone feel a part of the decision making process.


Here's an example that I have heard somewhere:


You are the president of a small company that makes toasters. Sales are down and your company solvency are on the line. To fix this situation and return your company to health and profitablility will take a mighty effort from everyone at your company. 


As president, you must decide the new model that your company will manufacture and sell for the new season starting next year. You look at all the different models that you might manufacture. You check them for production cost per unit and  a profitability and then make a decision on which model to manufacture.


Have you made the right choice? Perhaps. Did you choose wisely? No. You would have greatly increased your chances for success if you had included all your staff in the decision making process.


If this is the best design and the model that your company needs to make it into profitability again, then why didn't you consult with, for example, Sales and Promotion department? After all, these are the people who daily are out on the field and talking with customers, buyers and checking the competition.


Not asking their opinion is the best way to make them think that you don't care about what they think and you do not value their ideas. Employees who think the boss doesn't care what they think are demotivated employees. Demotivated employees - especially in the Sales Department, will not go that extra step to make the sales that the company needs.


If your choice is the best machine, then why wouldn't you involve them in the decision making process? Of curse, not everyone needs to agree on one specific model, but everyone needs to feel that they are being heard, that their opinion counts, and that they are  a valued member of the team.


Regardless of the model that your company choose to make, if you involve everyone in the decisions process, make them feel wanted, heard and respected, then they will feel responsible. If your staff feel responsible towards the success of the project, then they will just go that extra mile to make sure it is a success. And that is what your company needs.


It is often the difference between a successful company and a failure: The successful company has employees who feel valued and feel that their ideas and opinions are heard and respected.


So don't forget the Golden Rule: It's not what is decided that matters the most, it is how things are decided that counts!