I have been talking about the importance of focussing on the important and not the urgent tasks in developing an online business before. A very similar but also very crucial point is the the moment in which we beginn to develop our onlinebusiness or starting to learn the necessary skills. In that situation we tend [...]
I have been talking about the importance of focussing on the important and not the urgent tasks in developing an online business before. A very similar but also very crucial point is the the moment in which we beginn to develop our onlinebusiness or starting to learn the necessary skills. In that situation we tend to see many resources out there and can be easily overwhelmed and confused.
That is one danger if we dont know exactly what we are looking for at the beginning and dont stick to a certain principle based on talent and passion.
The other danger is that when we begin we dont really have a system implemented and might let the things from outside just “pour in” without weighing or systemizing them. We might think „let`s get the smell of this“ and act like a bee flying from one flower to the next. To do it like this is a very dangerous procedure for a succesfull outcome of the business in the long run.
Nowadays we know because of the work of the american W. Edwards Deming, who is acknowledged as the father of „total quality management“ (without ever having used that expression), that in every process there is a beginning and an end. When you focus on the first 15% of that process and get it correct (the so called „initial conditions“), you ensure at least 85% of your desired outcome. The success of any project depends to a big amount on it`s beginning. By focusing on the first 15%, the remaining 85% will effortlessly follow.
Deming added this to his other exisiting principals after learning about the theorie of Edward Lorenz, a research meteorologist, who in 1961 was using numerical computer model to rerun a weather prediction, when, to shortcut on a number in the sequence (he entered the decimal .506 instead of entering the full .506127) the computer would end up with totally different results on the future weather scenario. At first he thought the computer messed up. But then after further reflections he got it – the little change in numbers input had led to a totally different outcome.
Out of this the awareness for a system to be sensitive to initial conditions developed. Today those phenomena are called „butterfly effect“. Small variations of initial conditions can produce large variations in the long term outcome of a system. You can find an interesting applet showing the effect here.
So far so good – but why is that important in starting an internetbusiness?
Well, what we learn out of the work of Deming and Lorenz is the fact, that the first 15% percent of every new project is very important for the successful outcome. So being aware of that fact and putting in some quality efforts at the beginning instead of jumping around from one issue to the other increases the probability of our online success later to a high degree and lets the remaining „85% follow effortlessly“.
How does that sound?
So the conclusion for a starter of an onlinebusiness would be:
a) find a mentor which suits your preffered learning style
b) choose an online business niche u have the right passion and talent for
c) follow the mentor to the „honey“ and don`t be distracted by other flowers on the way
d) be extraordinary aware of the importance of the first 15% of the learning process and “play full out”.
As a closing remark I would like to add that these results of Deming and Lorenz find their approval in todays state of the art in learning theories, where it is also a well known fact, that the quality of our „systemizing and construction“ work at the beginning of a learnign process will allways have a direct effect to the quality of the recall and application later.
Of course that sounds pretty obvious, but don`t we all try to rush over steps and systematics at the beginning for fast results without going through a „clean” learning“ process?
Well awareness of the importance of the fist steps let`s us improve in that respect. And …. allways look out for flying butterflies while doing the first steps:-)
For anyone interested to read more about the sources can find them here:
Regards, Dirk
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