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Flies In A Bottle

Flies In A Bottle

A famous scientific experiment put honeybees and houseflies in a milk bottle, with the closed end toward a window. The expectation was that since honeybees are known to be far smarter than houseflies, they would more quickly exit.

However, the “smarter” honeybees thronged toward the light, and all eventually perished in the closed end of the bottle. The “less smart” houseflies flew random patterns until every one eventually escaped out the open end of the bottle.

Sometimes, harder work, whether physical or mental, is not the answer. The answer is in an entirely new direction.

I reinvent myself every few years, and I follow the 3M Company’s famous mandate about X% of current revenues coming from products not being produced five years ago. (About 75% of my income last year came from products and services not available even three years prior.) I advocate that all professional services providers similarly reinvent themselves and not allow the market, the competition, or technology to reinvent them.

Hard work: laudable. Working smart: valuable. Setting independent, new directions that constantly put you ahead of the pack: priceless.

Straighten up and fly right.

© Alan Weiss 2010. All rights reserved.

Written by

Alan Weiss is a consultant, speaker, and author of over 60 books. His consulting firm, Summit Consulting Group, Inc., has attracted clients from over 500 leading organizations around the world.

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