Figure Out If It Fits

On a recent visit I was reminded that Tokyo is awash in brightly colored fashion. I’ll admit, I spent my time there looking around and wishing I was 25 years younger and could pull it off. If I tried it now, though — and some friends suggested that I should — I would look like nothing more than a middle-aged man trying to be something he’s not, and rather than a youthful appearance, I would end up with a sad one.

No, that’s not me. But I secretly wish it was. Image by The Sartorialist

Every idea that looks good might not be good for you. This is true when it comes to fashion, and it is true when it comes to business. You might see an opportunity that looks like it would be very fun, but if it does not fit your firm’s brand or culture, it may be tough to do well, and then you will just come off looking bad. Doing it right is going to take some work, and you need to decide if it is worth the effort.

Why would it be hard? Well, if this sort of thing is completely different from what you normally do, or if it is the sort of thing other firms seem better positioned to do, then you may not have people with the right skills. After all, if you have been recruiting with something else in mind, then it can be hard to get your employees to shift and do something completely different, especially if it lies outside their normal talents. Think about the process, too. If your organizational culture emphasizes long-term projects, and the idea you have latched onto involves a series of deadlines with very short turnaround times in between them, then it will take time before your team can adapt. And if they do, it may be hard for them to go back to the old style of working, so you better hope that what you started continues.

None of this is to say you should not change your firm to take pursue new opportunities. After all, if you never do that, you will likely fade out of business as the world passes you by. What you DO need to do, though, is be honest in your appraisal of what it is going to take to do something new. Do not ignore facts simply because they are inconvenient. Acknowledge them, understand them, and then decide if the benefits of change are worth the effort that change requires.

You have an option that I did not have in Tokyo: while I could not make myself younger, you CAN change your firm to take advantage of new possibilities. But that does not happen automatically and it does require some effort. Be honest in examining the need for that effort and make your decision with all the information you can get.