A business lesson from a fox!
Friday, July 30, 2010 10:42One of the great things about where I live, is that I get to meet with some really diverse and interesting people. Yesterday, I was listening to a local gamekeeper. He said that someone had told him that they left the door to their rabbit hutch open JUST ONCE and that a fox got in and attacked the rabbits. Apparently the man whose rabbits were attacked was cursing his luck.
“What bad luck – The one time I leave the hutch open and it’s the same night a fox turns up!”
The gamekeeper explained to the guy, that there was no luck involved. Apparently, the fox would have been checking on that rabbit hutch every night, just waiting for its chance to come. When the opportunity came, the fox was ready to take full advantage.
The lesson here?
Someone once told me that luck is what happens, when preparedness meets opportunity. One of the reasons that so many people end up cursing their luck, is that they are simply not prepared or ready to take advantage, when opportunity comes their way. For example, they want that BIG sale, yet they never studied how to negotiate; so when the BIG prospective client comes along, they blow it. They want a TV or radio station to feature them as an expert, when a news story breaks in their industry; yet because they never took any media training, they would waste 90% of the opportunity, if it came along.
So, if a great opportunity came YOUR way right now, how well prepared would you be?
- What time resources would you have, to invest in the opportunity?
- What financial resources would you have, to invest in the opportunity?
- What human resources (contacts) would you have, to invest in the opportunity?
- What relevant expertise would you have, to invest in the opportunity?
Make no mistake, there are some genuinely superb opportunities out there. However, just sitting and waiting for them to arrive is not a great strategy. Develop your resources right now, so you have the; time, finances, contacts and expertise required to get the most from future opportunities.
What are your suggestions for identifying genuine opportunities and benefiting from them?
Photo: Digital Primate
Related posts:
- Are you prepared to shine?
- Opportunity knocks, even if you can’t hear it!
- Stephen Fry, critics and a business lesson
View full post on Jim’s Marketing Blog
Danny Brown says:
July 30th, 2010 at 11:09 am
RT @JimConnolly: A business lesson from a fox! http://bit.ly/auTaQL
Diane Cominotti says:
July 30th, 2010 at 11:45 am
A business lesson from a fox! http://bit.ly/d5tOle
Julie Walraven | Resume Services says:
July 30th, 2010 at 11:59 am
Loved this post, Jim. I’ve been preparing all year and looking for new opportunities at the same time.
Corey, you are so inspiring! And I can visual your fox being selective!
Julie Walraven | Resume Services´s last blog ..How Using Skype Can Change Communication
Gee Backhouse says:
July 30th, 2010 at 12:20 pm
One of the greatest resources is an open mind – a mind that is open to opportunities. So many people I’ve met say they wish that they lived in such-and-such a place and did a job they loved – but don’t do anything about it! They list out all the reasons they CAN’T do it and expend little or no mental effort in working out how they CAN. I reckon we all have many more valuable resources than we realise. Keep and open mind!
Ed Han says:
July 30th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
Jim, excellent illumination of preparation and its importance.
My own suggestions re: recognizing opportunities:
1. Keep an open mind: an opportunity is sometimes in camouflage.
2. Have a positive outlook: the right mindset will show opportunities that a negative mindset may not.
3. Where possible, ask intelligent questions because those opportunities may be available only to the right person: be that person.
Ed Han´s last blog ..Being Network-Worthy
Susan Shaffer says:
July 30th, 2010 at 1:34 pm
RT @JimConnolly: A business lesson from a fox! http://bit.ly/auTaQL
Corey Freeman says:
July 30th, 2010 at 1:59 pm
I would say learn which hens to avoid, from the other end of this spectrum. I doubt the fox piled up the hens and tried to carry them off in one go. Be sure to know which opportunities to go after, and be prepared for all of them.
Corey Freeman´s last blog ..Why I Have Ads on My Personal Blog
Frank Dickinson says:
July 30th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
From @JimConnolly A business lesson from a fox! http://bit.ly/cInGyz
Grant Griffiths says:
July 30th, 2010 at 3:13 pm
A business lesson from a fox! http://bit.ly/cInGyz by @jimconnolly RT!