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08-26-2015, 12:00 AM
Your long-term success will quite possibly come down to how you answer one question: Are you a dodo bird or a coyote?
In Defense of the Dodo
The dodo bird is the iconic symbol for failure to adapt to a changing environment.
Dodos, however, were not stupid. They evolved in an environment with no natural predators and no need to adapt. The dodo was perfectly suited to thrive in a world that ceased to exist after an encounter with humans.
Extinction is the result when you are born without -- or never develop -- the ability to embrace the concepts of danger, urgency, complacency and change.
Are you doomed to become extinct like a dodo bird? An answer of "YES" to any of the following questions is a cause for concern.
Do you or people on your team believe that you are a stable, secure environment with no need to worry about predators or outside danger?
Have comfort and complacency caused you to lost the ability to expand our of your comfort zone?
Have you lost or never developed the ability to distinguish predators from friends?
Do you struggle with quickly adapting to changing opportunities or threats?
Have you lost the ability to see change coming or anticipate a different possible future?
In its defense, the dodo never had a chance. It was, after all, just a bird.
So how about you and your organization? Are there signs of thinking and behavior that will lead to your extinction?
In Praise of the Coyote
The Road Runner cartoons featured Wile E. Coyote as the bumbling nemesis trying to capture the endlessly out of reach object of its desire.
The truth is far different.
The coyote is not mysterious like the wolf. It isn't as cute as the mice or penguins inhabiting other change parables. But, the coyote is an ideal model for flourishing in the face of unprecedented change. Unlike the dodo, coyotes have flourished in the face of human contact because they are:
Adaptable: Coyotes originally inhabited open prairies and deserts in the southwestern part of North America. Today, they are found from Alaska to Central America and flourish in forests, mountains and urban areas.
Opportunistic problem solvers: Coyotes learned that survival meant doing different things as well as doing things differently. They prefer meat, but they will eat basically anything: mammals, insects, fish, snakes, fruit, food discarded by humans and plants. Coyotes were never told to adapt. They just looked for opportunities and did it.
Aware of their surroundings: It is hard to surprise a coyote. They can detect food and danger up to a mile away. They know you are coming before you know that they are around.
Speedy: Coyotes can run at a respectable 40 mph -- fast enough for them to avoid predators and catch their prey.
Territorial when needed: Like their cousins the dog, coyotes mark and defend their territory. What is theirs is theirs, and you will have to fight them to take it.
Secretive when it serves them: Coyotes have developed the ability to hide in plain sight, and they will even walk on their toes to keep their prey from hearing them.
Versatile when working to succeed: Coyotes usually work alone or in small packs. But they will hunt in larger teams when it serves their purpose. Coyotes will even team up with badgers -- a natural enemy -- to track and kill a common prey. There is no illusion of friendship. The coyotes and badgers enter into this partnership of convenience because it conserves energy and increases their mutual effectiveness.
Are there characteristics on this list that do not apply to you or your organization? If so, now is the time to act.
If you own or manage an organization, start with your leadership team. A team of coyotes led by dodo birds will fail.
If you are looking at your own career, start by identifying the one characteristic that would most increase your relevance in the marketplace.
The future belongs to the coyotes. The dodos will become extinct.
Which one are you? Your answer will determine your future.
Randy Pennington is an award-winning author, speaker and leading authority on helping organizations deliver positive results in a world of accelerating change. His keynote seminars and workshops are informative, engaging and memorable. To learn more or to hire Randy for your next meeting, visit www.penningtongroup.com (http://www.penningtongroup.com), email info@penningtongroup.com, or call 972-980-9857. -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. (http://start.westnet.ca/newstempch.php?article=terms.html/) It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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In Defense of the Dodo
The dodo bird is the iconic symbol for failure to adapt to a changing environment.
Dodos, however, were not stupid. They evolved in an environment with no natural predators and no need to adapt. The dodo was perfectly suited to thrive in a world that ceased to exist after an encounter with humans.
Extinction is the result when you are born without -- or never develop -- the ability to embrace the concepts of danger, urgency, complacency and change.
Are you doomed to become extinct like a dodo bird? An answer of "YES" to any of the following questions is a cause for concern.
Do you or people on your team believe that you are a stable, secure environment with no need to worry about predators or outside danger?
Have comfort and complacency caused you to lost the ability to expand our of your comfort zone?
Have you lost or never developed the ability to distinguish predators from friends?
Do you struggle with quickly adapting to changing opportunities or threats?
Have you lost the ability to see change coming or anticipate a different possible future?
In its defense, the dodo never had a chance. It was, after all, just a bird.
So how about you and your organization? Are there signs of thinking and behavior that will lead to your extinction?
In Praise of the Coyote
The Road Runner cartoons featured Wile E. Coyote as the bumbling nemesis trying to capture the endlessly out of reach object of its desire.
The truth is far different.
The coyote is not mysterious like the wolf. It isn't as cute as the mice or penguins inhabiting other change parables. But, the coyote is an ideal model for flourishing in the face of unprecedented change. Unlike the dodo, coyotes have flourished in the face of human contact because they are:
Adaptable: Coyotes originally inhabited open prairies and deserts in the southwestern part of North America. Today, they are found from Alaska to Central America and flourish in forests, mountains and urban areas.
Opportunistic problem solvers: Coyotes learned that survival meant doing different things as well as doing things differently. They prefer meat, but they will eat basically anything: mammals, insects, fish, snakes, fruit, food discarded by humans and plants. Coyotes were never told to adapt. They just looked for opportunities and did it.
Aware of their surroundings: It is hard to surprise a coyote. They can detect food and danger up to a mile away. They know you are coming before you know that they are around.
Speedy: Coyotes can run at a respectable 40 mph -- fast enough for them to avoid predators and catch their prey.
Territorial when needed: Like their cousins the dog, coyotes mark and defend their territory. What is theirs is theirs, and you will have to fight them to take it.
Secretive when it serves them: Coyotes have developed the ability to hide in plain sight, and they will even walk on their toes to keep their prey from hearing them.
Versatile when working to succeed: Coyotes usually work alone or in small packs. But they will hunt in larger teams when it serves their purpose. Coyotes will even team up with badgers -- a natural enemy -- to track and kill a common prey. There is no illusion of friendship. The coyotes and badgers enter into this partnership of convenience because it conserves energy and increases their mutual effectiveness.
Are there characteristics on this list that do not apply to you or your organization? If so, now is the time to act.
If you own or manage an organization, start with your leadership team. A team of coyotes led by dodo birds will fail.
If you are looking at your own career, start by identifying the one characteristic that would most increase your relevance in the marketplace.
The future belongs to the coyotes. The dodos will become extinct.
Which one are you? Your answer will determine your future.
Randy Pennington is an award-winning author, speaker and leading authority on helping organizations deliver positive results in a world of accelerating change. His keynote seminars and workshops are informative, engaging and memorable. To learn more or to hire Randy for your next meeting, visit www.penningtongroup.com (http://www.penningtongroup.com), email info@penningtongroup.com, or call 972-980-9857. -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. (http://start.westnet.ca/newstempch.php?article=terms.html/) It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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