Dirk Stroda

Look Out Before You Get Your Feet Wet (In Business And Life)

 

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I was in Newport Beach, California over the weekend for a business meeting. The meeting was on the Balboa Peninsula - a gorgeous place, white sands, dolphins that could be watched from the beaches, 30 Degrees (86 F) and of course the surfers with their surfboards. 

 

The surfers reminded me on the following principle:

 

Never take the first wave - never the last! It can be deadly.

 

Now, let me explain: When surfers go out in the morning they are patiently sitting on their boards out in the ocean and assess. They never rush into the water and take the first wave that they can catch. They watch where the majority of the waves are breaking and how they break, watch for currents (rip currents) and other factors like wind and sunlight.

They thoroughly assess the situation before catching their first wave of the day. 

 

Surfers also understand the importance when to get out of the water.  They know when it's the right time for their last wave of the day. When you are exhausted, mentally and physically, and you overestimate your stamina and focus ability, if it's later in the afternoon and it's getting dark - the last wave can be deadly; and it has been for many surfers!

 

Those principles in the surfing world can be applied to the business world. The first wave of social networking sites you may have never heard of was Six Degrees in 1997. The next one in 2002 was Friendster. If you had caught one of those waves you would not really spend time and talk about it 15 years later.

 

However, waiting patiently for the next wave of social media site would have paid huge dividends.

This wave was a big one: It was 2004 when Facebook launched it's services to the world. 

 

Keep your eyes on the waves and observe. Because assessing is better than guessing! 

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Assignment for the week

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The right timing and making the right move can be predicted fairly accurate by looking at credible data. Data collection and data conclusions are vital in every business and personal decision. 

Identify the resources where you can obtain the data and other hard facts for your future moves. They are part of a strategy. A successful execution is based on the right strategy. It is your homework and it may not always be your 'forte' but make no mistake and execute without a strategy. I have heard people saying that they are 'doers' - but doing before assessing is plain simple stupid and irresponsible if you have others in your boat.

 

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