Capitalizing on Potential

Capitalizing on Potential

If I had to sum up potential in a single photo, it’d be this photo of my beautiful granddaughter at her college graduation. Watching her walk across the stage to accept her diploma, I was struck by the realization of all she (and her fellow graduates) have overcome: COVID, virtual learning, unprecedented uncertainty, etc. Suddenly, I realized the value of a positive perspective. What if we all made the conscious decision to focus on the upside, rather than worrying about what could go wrong?

graduate with potential

Risk is unavoidable. But if you’re getting bogged down in the scary weeds of what could go wrong, you’re missing out on opportunities. Sure, you might fail, but failure is a part of success and should not be feared. Experience, testing alternatives, and finding effective solutions include failure as part of the process.

“Upside probability” is business speak for seeing opportunities instead of problems. Not convinced of the value of this? Just look at billionaires like Gates, Bezos, Musk, and Zuckerberg for evidence!

Seven Steps to Realized Potential

  1. Build a Positive Culture: Creating a positive culture is as easy as saying “thank you” and praising employees for a job well done. Wondering if you’re building the right kind of culture? Ask yourself a simple question: would I talk to my family the way I talk to my employees?
  2. Inspire Confidence Every Step of the Way: Creating an environment where people believe they can succeed is the key to effectiveness. The biggest opportunities for increasing confidence frequently lie in reducing the factors that inhibit it.
  3. Embrace Technology and Change: While new technologies like A.I and electric cars may experience a few bumps in the road, their potential is both assured and unlimited. Successful innovators embrace new technology, quickly get themselves up to speed, and put these new tools to use for their business.

The WNBA is having to adapt to entirely new popularity, compensation equity, stars, quality of play and attendance all at the same time. This requires numerous adjustments such as how to treat emerging rookies, private instead of commercial travel, larger stadiums, and better communication to effectively manage the increased attention. 

  • Stop Thinking of Planning as a Dirty Word: Whether we’re looking at business trends to guide decision making or checking the weather so we don’t get stuck in the rain, planning is often the difference between success and failure. AI makes it so planning has never been easier but it’s our job to plan effectively – and that requires prioritization. Prioritize the things you’re good at over the areas where you struggle. Identify and compare alternatives to identify new approaches and add insight to the existing ones. Review and modify plans on a regular basis.
  • Understand Parameters, Improve Strategies: Adaptability is key. The world changes fast, and so should your strategy. Regularly review parameters like population, economy, and social values. Staying updated on the latest variables is often the game changer. Make a decision and then embrace the Nike mentality and JUST DO IT! Not making a decision is a decision in itself.
  • Create a Culture of Opportunity: Encourage out-of-the-box thinking and ideas and avoid normal day-to-day problem solving. Invite people to test new ideas and scrap the ones that don’t work. Recognize that you will make mistakes and focus on solving them rather than blaming someone.

For example, the population is aging which is creating numerous opportunities and challenges. On the one hand, the population is growing at a slower rate and we will need immigration of workers to maintain economic growth.  On the other, we will require numerous growths in certain services like health care, retirement homes, and leisure activities for retired workers. 

  • Collaborate to Win: Collaboration is a proven winning strategy that needs more attention. Quite simply, it provides more alternatives, more analysis, greater satisfaction, and more innovation than working in an isolated silo. Despite these seemingly obvious advantages, collaboration is often overlooked. Too frequently, we pursue simplistic solutions without fully understanding the complexity of the problem.

In summary, let’s all commit to letting new grads relax and explore instead of tormenting them about responsibilities. Lastly, two great quotes to kick off your journey into embracing potential.

“Some people see things as they are and say why? I dream things that never were and say, why not?” – George Bernard Shaw

“What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” – Sheryl Sandberg, addressing the self-doubt that still holds many women back.

Dr. Bert Shlensky, president of Startup Connection, prides himself on his ability to define what is unique about each and every business. He works closely with individuals to develop a personalized approach that targets specific areas of concern and offers solutions based on his 40+ years of experience. His team of experts will address your particular needs while working to save you time and money. You can reach Dr. Shlensky at 914-632-6977

Unleashing Your Potential: Easy Guides for Your Success Journey

Unleashing Your Potential: Easy Guides for Your Success Journey

In a world saturated with negativity, particularly in the wake of the pandemic, it’s high time we shift our focus towards opportunities and unlocking our true potential. Let’s explore some straightforward guides that strike a balance between wisdom and relatability.

Begin with a sprinkle of wisdom. Consider these two thought-provoking quotes:

George Bernard Shaw once mused, “Some people see things as they are and say why? I dream things that never were and say, why not?”

"What would you do if you weren't afraid?"  - Sheryl Sandberg
Learn to unleash your potential!

Sheryl Sandberg, addressing the self-doubt that still holds many women back, challenges us with, “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”

The Realities: A Charted Journey

We all crave success, but let’s not be blind to the ups and downs of the journey. Picture this – a chart revealing the common, bumpy ride to success. It’s a visual cue that appearances can be deceiving, much like those optical illusions where all the lines are r the same length.

Diverse Paths of Entrepreneurship

There are different approaches to entrepreneurship that we sometimes fail to recognize.On one side, big company are all about growth and raising capital, as seen in the fact that 83% of IPOs in the last year were in the red. On the flip side, the majority of entrepreneurs are simply hustling to make ends meet year after year.

Much of corporate innovation is focused is on uncovering superior or novel solutions to existing challenges. Picture this: car companies investing years in refining combustible engines, retailers dedicated to enhancing the shopping experience, and giants like IBM striving to build bigger and better computers.

And yet there’s a whole other league of companies carving a different path. Their mission is to develop entirely new solutions. This shift has given birth to groundbreaking innovations like the electric car, the E-Commerce revolution, and the ever-expanding realm of cloud computing – all championed by these visionary new players. It’s a dynamic landscape where established players and fresh faces alike are shaping the future.

Embracing Change: Cooperation and Collaboration

Change is the only constant, and it’s time to adapt. Cooperation, collaboration, and embracing new resources are the keys to evolving. The game-changer is recognizing that taking risks isn’t synonymous with failure. Testing alternatives to find optimal solutions and gaining experience are crucial aspects of success. Risk is a critical part of every decision. And, frankly, I think we all need more of it. We tend to think of risk as a taboo concept when it’s really not—once you understand it.

Cartoon with boss talking to an employee hiding behind his chair - "OK, I'm going to say you're quite risk averse."
Learn how to unleash your potential

Balancing Vision and Execution

“Vision without execution is hallucination,” echoes the wisdom of Thomas Edison.

While we celebrate excellence, we often overlook opportunities to do things better. Streamlining processes, cutting unnecessary costs, and tackling bureaucracy can enhance organizations. Customer service is a function where companies can devote new efforts to improve. Pricing is not a dirty word, and there are numerous tools to improve results without deteriorating your brand. All these actions can contribute to progress and improvement if an organization embraces them.

Battling Bias: The Unseen Culprit

Bias lurks in the background, often leading to unreliable results. Here’s the thing. We love to be right and hate to be wrong. Acknowledging and challenging bias is crucial. The “It won’t happen to me” mindset can be a silent contributor to unexpected volatility. Our brain, working surreptitiously in the background, doesn’t alert us too how biased we actually are. Recognize this unseen force, and decisions become more informed.

Injecting Fun: The Secret Sauce

Don’t forget the fun element!

As Steve Jobs wisely stated, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

"Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends." - Walt Disney

And Walt Disney’s advice to “Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends” emphasizes the joy in mastering just having fun.

Tools for Excellence: Reaching Higher Potential

Armed with these insights, recognize the toolbox available to enhance excellence and unlock higher potential. Realistic goals, strategic plans, understanding risks, biases, and having the confidence to embrace your potential – it’s all part of the journey. So, strike that balance, enjoy the ride, and let’s embark on the path to unlocking our fullest potential.

Dr. Bert Shlensky, President of www.startupconnection.net, offers experience, skills, and a team devoted to developing and executing winning strategies. This combination has been the key to client success. We welcome comments, suggestions and questions You can write him at bshlensky@startupconnection .net or call at 914-632-6977