I frequently say, “I’ve only learned one thing ‘for sure’ in the 47 years since I started doing ‘this stuff.'” (The 1966 staring point goes back to my U.S. Navy Seabee days in Vietnam.) The term “for sure” is meaningful; as a scientist by disposition, I don’t believe as a matter of course in “for sures.” So this exception is a big deal—to me.
And that one for-sure thing is …
WTTMSW.
Or, to clarify … Whoever Tries The Most Stuff Wins.
In Search of Excellence was constructed around “eight basics.” And the first was “A Bias for Action.” As we said then, and it’s become more true over time as the pace of change accelerates: Big Business’s #1 problem is “too much talk, too little do.” To bring the In Search message up to date, I just came across an ad for an Economist conference. The conference title: “Redefining the Speed of Business: CAN YOUR BUSINESS FAIL FAST ENOUGH TO SUCCEED?” In fact, my WTTMSW has a fuller alternative: WTTMSASUTMSTFW. Whoever Tries The Most Stuff And Screws Up The Most Stuff The Fastest Wins.
At any rate, FYI, I’ve included here a wee paper I did on this “1/47” topic.
Enjoy …