In Africa, there’s a saying: If you want to go quickly, go alone.
If you want to go far, go with a group.
Does this apply to learning as well? Why would you want to learn with a group? Why share the experience you have gained through so many years of the school of hard knocks? You did it tough. Why give away your secrets and make it easier for someone else, who may even be a competitor one day?
All good questions and deserving of an answer. My answer is, maybe you have been wrong all those years and even though you may feel you are making progress, maybe that progress is actually in the wrong direction!
A distinct trait of the New Zealand psyche is the “do it yourself” attitude. This is both a great strength in people and a great weakness at the same time. And frankly, as the world changes, it is probably becoming more of a weakness than strength. Back when the country was young, and support was weeks or months away, being able to DIY a solution was a great trait, even a life-saver. We are not a young country any more. The world has become smaller, more complicated and more competitive. Going alone with a DIY attitude, including developing your business, is old school thinking and will probably keep your business small and lagging behind others in the technological and profitability stakes. This may be where you want to stay. It’s familiar and comfortable. If so, that’s fine, but if you want to grow into something bigger, look at learning with other like-minded business owners, share your knowledge, experience, frustrations and questions and go far.
A good place to start is joining one of my Business MasterClass groups. The next one starts soon and details can be found here: http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=9anm69dab&oeidk=a07e78vaixd38f1d6dd
A wise man once said: Experience is that which you learn from your own mistakes, while wisdom is learned from the mistakes of others.
Why is there so little wisdom and so much experience?
Andy Burrows
The Trades Coach