There’s a lot of common knowledge out there, which is stated as fact, but is incorrect.
For example, have you ever stopped to consider the actual meanings behind those often repeated old sayings?
- You’ve got to be cruel to be kind. No you haven’t! It’s perfectly fine to be kind to people, without the cruelty. You will find it works a lot better too.
- A man’s best friend is his dog. Really? Not his wife, his children, his parents or siblings… his dog. I know a lot of men who own dogs, I know none who would choose it over their children.
- You can’t have your cake and eat it too! Every cake you have ever eaten, you bought or were given first. You had the cake, you ate the cake, because cakes are made to be eaten.
Critical thinking
Just as people repeat these old sayings every day without giving them much thought, people often apply ideas to their business, which they have failed to give enough critical thought to.
I have lost count of the times I have heard people say; “We have always done it like this.” as a way to justify why they do, what they do. Now, if they have always done something a certain way, because they have looked for better ways to do it, and failed, that’s fine. But to keep on doing something ONLY because of familiarity, makes little commercial sense.
It does us all good, to regularly review the processes within our business. In fact, it’s hard to make meaningful, ongoing progress, without constantly seeking to improve.