@dreamerdoers

entrepreneur

Everything happens for a reason?

It is happening again!

When I was ready to join the neighborhood art school, I was forced into the traditional one. I was ready to accept my masters in Sanskrit, I joined Engineering by sheer peer pressure. I was about to join my dream PG course in Medical Electronics, I was pushed to start a business. I had a great opportunity to present my MBA paper at business sustainability conference in Sweden, I missed the flight! I was about to finish my PhD course, found a bug in the heart! I stayed on… on the sidelines of my moving life!

But in real time, I did not know that – the art school got closed in middle of the year leaving students stranded for a while; only two out of 55 of  classmates in Sanskrit school got paying jobs!; Medical Electronics as a degree is yet to yield good value for the profession; Technical snag on the plane which I missed had a disastrous crash; I get to know the real value of life, thanks to my second birth…

Neither did this stop me from – getting several awards for my performances on & off stage; recognition for best Sanskrit playwriting; 5 patents for work on first generation medical devices; being a resident judge for the annual business sustainability conference at Sweden; guiding 4 students in their PhD work and continuing to climb the mountain of fear, everyday!

I thought this is over. I’m on the mainstream, with life.

But, not yet – looks like.

I met this guy in the evening who wanted me to join his company to take the position of its CEO! I asked him why? He says there is a lot of potential in the company – the right guy can explore to make it the best! I asked him why, me? “Oh, I heard that you are always looking for a cool job that will make you happy.” I asked him, why do you think so? He says it is obvious! Not sure what he meant, though.

After a 30 long minutes of grilling, I had to say the truth – “No! I can’t”. “Why not?” was the question. I told him that it is possible for me to build something from scratch and make it big. But, I’m not good at taking care of someone else’s creation or brain child! That’s my biggest weakness.

Just when he was convinced, I get this call from my VC friend asking to take up the managing director’s role in his new firm called – Nirvana!

I think it is happening again!

Looks like it is good to go with the wind, as always! If I’m strong, will remain on course – if not, off course! As binary as it can get! Every coin has two faces that seem to be different – but part of each other!

Doing/being something is more joyful than trying to be someone!

~ from the dairy of a dreamer doer, I admire!

Top 10 Characteristics of Dreamer Doers in the crowd!

What differentiates dreamer doers in the crowd?

A quick snapshot of response from a cross section of over 200 people shows the following:

DDC

When forced to choose only one most important of these characteristics, every dreamer doer chose “Limit The Number of Hats You Wear!”

Looks like this is the golden key to success of being a dreamer doer in the crowd!

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Incomplete list of Secrets of Success

Here is an incomplete list of secrets of success for strategic initiatives….

Include some “fundamentalists” in your discussion on making things work – the folks who derive lot of energy by asking fundamental questions on any topic under discussion. It is very important to get the truly philosophical perspective that should be managed well in reality!

Seamless transformation comes from the pile of multiple, stand-alone mini projects (with deliverables in every two weeks of effort) – magically rolling into the big one!

Spend lot of time in blueprinting, little time in explaining, very little time in implementing… Execution should be the strategy!

Identify an introvert leader and a team largely comprised of extravert members.

Ensure information overload for the sponsors, fully federated communication with dependent groups and boundary-less communication within team members.

Let there be chaos in ways-of-working within teams, but ensure at least one individual has an undivided responsibility for every important portion/task of the project!

Use a portal for entire project activities right from communication, task planning, tracking & reporting. Abandon usage of email – saves documentation effort, guarantees participation, provides seamless reference and maintains trust & transparency!

Bring external experts with inch-wide, mile-deep experience and sponsors who are mile-wide, inch-deep experts! Don’t hesitate to stand-on-their shoulders – it helps to get a better view + confidence!

Let governance be at individual project level and integrated view with no participation from tactical projects, at the overall level! It is not a roll-up of issues that is important – segregation of roadblocks, if any.

Make sufficient provisions for failures, accidents, reworks and surprises – allow at least 20% of project effort for managing these – whenever they come. Take note of actions and results – so that they come handy for other projects or for totally new set of problems.

When in doubt or at cross roads to begin – start anywhere. Allow solution to emerge. When it does, learn to embrace when it makes sense. Allow anyone to lead. 

Make your own tools – start from any suitable generic set but make sure you build an unique set for yourself to use/deploy/distribute through out. Tools amplify capabilities and even small ones can make a big difference!

Take field trips routinely. Meet and listen carefully to all! Don’t take notes – but act swiftly. Action is the only rewarding gift – not intention.

Leave lot of blank tasks & time on project and individual calendars – Allow new tasks/ideas to enter and carefully add them in order to complete the overall picture – continuously!

Be risk-averse; work long hours but take lot of breaks and eat less, but frequently – always with your team! 

Be proud of what you do. Never talk anything about it. Don’t participate in any awards competition! Keep it simple and close to your heart! Let the flower blossom naturally!

Destruction of the past is perhaps the greatest time wasters in any project. We need not destroy the past. It is already gone! – Think only next 3 steps at every step!

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