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What Came First The Chicken or The Egg?

Published by Lorne S. Wellington on

Like other business owners and nonprofit leaders, I have several ideas and some become projects for my endeavor. While implementing I become disorganized, trying to decide which project to focus my energy and resources. Or I get overwhelmed because it all seems so simple and easy to do but in the end I don’t execute as well as I intended because my daily tasks and the new idea just don’t mess well. Then in an effort to fix at all, another idea blossoms and a new project is started as I abandon the previous.

The Dilemma: What Can I Do To Grow My Business (Nonprofit) So I Don’t Have To Get a Job

So the question I asked myself is what do I do, what new project should I chose to that will help build my business? Right now I need the idea to have a net result of me making more money in my business so that I don’t have to go and find another job. I don’t feel burdened or oppressed by a job. Other times the net result can be different. For this example the chosen framework, the fence that surrounds the idea and project, is mo’ money and freedom.

Side Bar: All decision have to be placed in a framework of what is most important. Recently I started using the La Porte’s feeling matrix. No matter what you use, the point is a framework is required.

Now that I have the box for my decision I struggled for days to make the decision. I slept in, was sad and snappy. I was not getting any closer. I was scared I would make the wrong decision. I wanted to ask others but knew that would not work. I mean no one can tell me what is right for me when I can’t. Then this question popped in my head. What came first the chicken or the egg? In this case the chicken is the platform/mechanism to sell and engage from. For those in nonprofit sector, the platform is where to help from. The egg is the actual product, service or program.

When I asked the question that way the answer was clear, the egg. Start with the “it” and build that up to a basic level. Get “it” going and going good. Develop “it’, the egg, to a chick then to a chicken. By default the egg will mature into a chicken just like a baby becomes an adult. Once you have a chicken then develop that into the best hen or rooster possible, adult development has stages as well. Each development stages requires different recourse and skills so there is no need worrying about what the chicken needs if you still have an egg. I am guilty of futuristic worrying when I should be dealing with today.

Make a Home For Your Chicken Create The Best Environment For Your Project To Thrive

Now the timetable to grow an egg to chick to a chicken could take days to years. Once you have the chick then start thinking about where you want the chicken to live. The chicken must has its own coop and space to do its chicken thing. Or where and what is the platform for your “it”? The platform is the place where the people are located that you share to, engage with, sell to or help. The environment (platform) will change so you must think about what you need to do to maintain the best environment for your chicken. Additionally, people will come and go so what do you need to do to keep people there and how do you replace the people when they leave. Just so we are clear the people are your readers, customers or constituency base. The mechanism or platform could be your shop, your blog or the place where run you after school program.

People leave for a variety of reasons and are always leaving. The main point is that they leave so be prepared for that occurrence. It is important to know why they leave but if you don’t have the resources to discover the why in as much detail as possible then don’t bother trying to figure it out. Once you have specific resources to devote to that process then and only then do you utilize. Some resources could be as small as an exit survey or a customer care call.

Since the pool is every changing and folks are possibly leaving daily you have to have a way of constantly getting new people faster than the others leave. What did you do to get your first people? Can you do that same behavior in a new environment? If that is exhausted then try a new behavior in the old environment and then expand from there.

Now that I have my answer I am focusing on my egg. The chick has started breaking the shell so I have to get ready for the baby. I hope this helped you focus and allows you get create the best chick the world has ever seen. Please share below in the comments your thoughts and how this has helped.

 

WANT TO USE THIS IN YOUR BLOG, E-ZINE OR WEBSITE? You can, as long as you include this complete tag with it: Lorne S. Wellington has a BA and MBA. She has been consulting and advising businesses and nonprofit organizations for over 12 years. In addition, she created a nonprofit in 1997 and today she owns Sculpted Silhouette, a lingerie boutique in Los Angeles. Her clients are located in the USA, Italy and South Africa. She has worked with a food manufacturing company, several retailers, an international aid organization, a bed and breakfast and a multi media company.


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