If Charles Darwin Managed a Business, Here's How He Would Do It

by Syd Stewart

Published on this site: February 8th, 2004

You keep hunting for the 'silver bullet', that one thing that will propel your business forward faster. Frustrated with your lack of progress, you put yourself under more pressure. Your smiles evaporate.

Major issues keep presenting themselves, for example, new competitors, new technology, and key staff leaving.

You dash from one thing to the next. You attempt quick fixes.

You cry out for a better way of coping a simple, robust and proven way. Not the latest management fad.

NATURE BUILDS THE BEST AND SO CAN YOU

Nature produces complex, powerful, elegant, awe-inspiring, incredibly capable organisms and species have evolved, thrived, and survived for millions of years. Could nature provide you with a better way?

Nature has no grand strategy or plan, a vision statement, mission statement or manifesto. Nature uses the simple process of natural selection or the 'survival of the fittest'. Darwin in the 19th century, now confirmed by the science of genetics, defined this process.

Nature's species just take one small step at a time to improve their survival chances.

Nature's environment - competition for food, shelter, mates, the prevalence of disease, and predation, dictates the fittest. The fittest displaces the less fit in the population.

The genetic make up of you and your team determines your success and survival chances in the ever-changing environment.

YOUR GENES PREDICT YOUR FUTURE

Your genes determine your traits or features and capabilities. The greater the diversity of genes you have, the better your survival and success chances. You need to enrich your 'Gene Pool'.

In business, genes can be thought of as, not just the traits and capabilities of you and your staff, but your procedures, knowledge, and experience. Your business gene pool or genome predicts your future.

IF CHARLES DARWIN RAN A BUSINESS - HERE'S HOW HE WOULD DO IT

Nature tells us there are several simple ways of building up and diversifying your gene pool. Apply these five principles:

1. Learn from your and other people's mistakes and good fortunes. Living organisms only truly make transformations through rare errors occurring in gene replication - mutations. Most mutations cause diseases, but some are good and lie dormant for years until they are called in to give an advantage in the environment.
   
   
2. Introduce new genes, new blood from outside... out-breeding a well- established practice in animal husbandry. Inbreeding causes terrible problems in nature.
   
   
3. Collaborate with other genes. Nature favours genes that can collaborate to boost their survival chances.
   
   
4. Nourish, train and develop the genes you have to fully develop their potential.
   
   
5. Build on the best you have one small step at a time. Make many small changes rather than one or a few big high-risk steps.

OUTSIDE INFLUENCE DETERMINES YOUR TRANSFORMATION SPEED

Outside influence determines your transformation speed the first three points above. Imagine the following benefits:

Love your work so much that you can't wait to get to the office. You'll always adapt to your environment, so you'll never be left behind to perish. Excitement pervades your company as the result of a stream of new challenges gleaned from outside.

Work with customers that you like and who rave about your products and services. Outside influence will let you create great products and services.

Evolve as a World leader in your field. Outside influence will make you into a World Class business.

START TODAY WITH THESE IDEAS TO SPEED YOUR PROGRESS

1. Involve your customers. Get face to face with them as much as possible. They'll provide you with a stream of progress making ideas. Stuck on how to improve product and development, ask your customers.
   
   
2. Survey your customers and prospective customers. Use independent company to conduct the survey, so you'll get an unbiased outside view.
   
   
3. Visit and learn from other companies, not just in your own industry.
   Government small business services can arrange visits for you. For example in the UK, 'Inside UK Enterprise' offers hundreds of visit opportunities. Send your staff on visits too.
   
   
4. Visit other countries to establish market needs and demands. Everybody does it differently. New ideas will abound.
   
   
5. Network at external meetings and training courses. Force yourself to get out there and collaborate. Limit your expectations. Just one good idea will pay off. The more contacts you have the faster your business will flourish.
   
   
6. Read journals not only from your own industry but wider.
   
   
7. Seek external help from respected knowledgeable industry experts.
   
   
8. Hire people with different backgrounds and experience, who want to learn and grow. Use mathematicians, biologists, teachers, environmental scientists, chemical engineers, vets, and rock-band leaders to help you accelerate.
   
   
9. Benchmark your company against similar or slightly bigger companies.
   For example, use the UK Benchmarking index (http://www.benchmarkingindex.com)
   
   
10. Involve your staff in all these actions; make the most of their genes.

Remember, like nature just do it one small, low risk step at a time! Radical quick fixes don't work. Silver bullets don't exist.

Outside influence dictates your speed of progress. Get out there now and you'll soon be smiling!

Syd Stewart is the author of "Smiling Owner How to Build a Great Small Business An Evolutionary Business E-Handbook". He has been an owner and manager for over 30 years. He Knows What Works and What Doesn't. Visit his site to find out how you can 'Build a Great Small Business' at http://www.smilingowner.com.