Grow or Die: Lessons of Survival

I originally wrote this post for the website of Athens Startup Weekend, an intense 54 hour marathon event which focuses on building a credible business, bringing together people with different skill-sets – primarily software developers, graphics designers and business people to build applications and develop a commercial case around them. I am delighted to be supporting new ideas and ventures that have a chance to take off . For more information or if you are interested in participating, please see here.

As our business grows, we have to get a lot smarter. The need is absolutely compelling.  We understand the business better than those around us, but sometimes we may think we know everything we already need to know.

Then – Kaboom! Reality strikes: “didn’t know that, did ya?” Your business is in turmoil. Chaos. Confusion. Pigs flying home and Apocalypse is near.

So, how do  you get smarter? How do  you grow? And is there anything else you can do other than keep on learning? It was Anthony J. D’Angelo who said:  “Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.”

So here’s to those who don’t want to give up but want to keep on thriving:

Accept You Don’t Know Everything

You’re clever. I know this because you’re reading this. I also know I’m preaching to the converted – that’s why you’re here. Perhaps you should forward this post to the colleague know-it-all. And if you’ve had this forwarded to you because you are the colleague know-it-all and you’re about to stop reading because you really don’t need to learn what’s in here since you know everything, let me ask you this: What drupaceous fruit were Hawaiian women once forbidden by law to eat? And no cheating on Google. See? You don’t know everything.

If you’re not sure you fall in this camp, go read this post about being Mr. Smartypants – it’ll give you a few ideas on how to think about this problem. Once you accept you don’t know it all, you’ve opened your mind to being better at what you do.

Figure Out What You Want to Know

I’m sure most of you don’t need to know the fruit (coconut) Hawaiian women were once forbidden to eat.

But you should lay out what you do need to know. Step back from your business. Identify a few major trends that will affect it in the coming 2-3 years. Ask yourself how much you know about those trends. Target the one you’re dumbest about. You can also ask “what does my organization need to do better” and target getting smarter in that space. What do you want to know and learn about? Create a little curriculum list for yourself entitled “Stuff I Gotta Learn More About This Year” and use it as a checklist. Monitor your progress against that learning agenda in 2011.

Go Learn

Find the opportunities to get this new knowledge. It could be a book, a training course, a seminar, reading blogs, or simply sitting down to lunch with people who are really smart about that topic. Go down deep into the subject. Keep your brain open to new ideas, tools and techniques. Challenge conventional wisdom and ask yourself how the new knowledge changes your existing view of the world.

Apply the learning too.

Pick targeted aspects of the new ideas and try them out. For example, if you’re a social media idiot, open a twitter account and start following and tweeting. See how you can do old things in new ways. You must apply the tools to truly learn how to use them and integrate them into your existing knowledge base.
Learning is a lifelong sport. The minute you stop, you die. What new things are you learning about right now? How do you keep yourself focused on learning and growing?

And please don’t tell me you absolutely don’t have time to go learn and do…. Because then you are already dying…