Choose Yourself and Solve Different Problems

Hi,

Hope you've been having a cracking week and you are well.

This week I've been reading an old(ish) book for about the fourth time now. It's called "Choose Yourself" by James Altucher. I've read it about three times before and it's given me some useful insights, but reading it this time provided me with some profound lifestyle changes. It's funny how, depending on the season of your life, you take different things away from the books you read. 

Anyhow. I digress.
 

It worked somewhere else

One of the most counter-intuitive things you can do as a manager or leader is bring in a process, solution, tool or methodology you've adotped before, without studying whether you have the same problems as last time.

Just because something worked before doesn't mean it will work again. Each team, business and product/service has different problems, different people, different technology and different cultures. What worked somewhere isn't guaranteed to work somewhere else. If one company adopt X process with positive results, it doesn't mean another company will see the same success with it. Sure, look at what others do, but use their approaches only if it solves your problem.

Most managers just bring in things they've seen work before because they can't or won't, or don't know how, to study. Knowledge can only be gained by studying, and solutions can only be applied well to things you're knowledgeable about. 

Many managers were also not part of rolling out the process, tool or technique in the first place, so they never saw the problems it solved. They never understood why it worked, all they saw was positive results. "It must therefore be the process that brings success". Wrong. It's the problem that process solved that lead to positive results.

Studying is hard work. It takes time. It also tends to lead to gnarly, intricate and cross departmental problems. It often requires facing hard truths, having tough conversations and cooperating, sometimes with people you might not like.

Rolling out a process because it worked somewhere else will lead to new problems. In my experience these are often harder problems. Fixing those problems without studying leads to deeper problems still. Soon you're patching problems, on top of problems, on top of problems. Get to the root cause and you'll likely find someone rolled out a tool, process or methodology that didn't solve any problems - it just created more. 

It reminds me of the story about General Motors visiting Toyota and copying the way Toyota laid out their factories, tools and processes. And it didn't result in the same quality or growth for GM that Toyota had. The Toyota execs visited GM and reportedly pointed out that these same solutions wouldn't work for GM, as GM had different problems to Toyota. 

Good managers go and see for themselves. They study. They get data and evidence. They look at what the real problems are and they fix them. Cultivated Managers don't copy unless copying solves problems. Good managers don't roll out new tools or processes without first understanding the problems they have. Good managers, like you, don't assume that because it worked in one company, that it will work somewhere else.
 

Choose Yourself

If you're not familiar with James Altucher then it's worth checking out his blog, podcast and books. He made it big time running his own companies, investing and other business enterprises. He made millions, lost millions and lives his life by his own rules now. His writing is very personal. I reckon you'll either love his work or hate it. Choose Yourself is a book about just that, choosing yourself. Choosing your own life, your own health, your own work. It's about putting yourself first and all that goes with it. 

I guess the reason this book resonated with me is because it's sometimes easy to drop a priniciple here or there, or to step outside of what you believe in - especially so in our technology capitalist culture. Holding down a job, paying bills, worrying about pay cheques, not wanting to rock the corporate boat and many other reasons, keep us often locked in to a world that plagues us. Depression, stress, disengagement and other health/body issues can ensue. We have to become vigilant of this in ourselves and those under our care as managers. And yes, care is an intentional word. 

James, with sometimes vivid stories, explains how to throw all of that away and do what compels you. And how, by doing what brings you energy and enthusiasm, you'll find your tribe and you'll find people willing to pay you for your work. The book made me laugh lots, but it also got me thinking. Deep thinking about the state of the tech industry and the way people feel locked in to working in environments that might be crushing their hopes and dreams. Powerful stuff indeed. It's not for the easily offended though.

Choose Yourself - by James Altucher

Until next time. Have a fab weekend.

Rob..