If you want to have a successful business or career, you sometimes have to think like a child. Adults are often tainted by their experiences and this causes them to hold back. My work with entrepreneurs has shown that anyone can be successful at anything. It’s not that those successful people are extremely talented or they have the most creative and unique new product concept. In fact, often they are downright ordinary people. However, they do have many of the qualities that children have, so maybe in ways, we shouldn’t grow up.
Focus on Success, Not Failure
For a kid, the thought process is simpler –“I want it and I will get it” or “I want to do it, I think I can do it and therefore, I will do it.” There is no thought of failure, just success. The younger a child is, the more success guaranteed. Success is to be expected because they believe that nothing is impossible. The probability of success is irrelevant.
Have you ever seen a child look disappointed when they win a prize? They learn quickly that if you reduce the risk, if you ask them to do something too easy, you reduce the prize as well. That is the problem with risk management in business. By reducing the risk too much, the rewards of success become inconsequential.
Minimum Viability
Kids do what it takes to “get the job done”. They don’t often go beyond what’s required. Somewhere we learn if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right and to the best of our abilities. I hear seasoned entrepreneurs say that one of their biggest mistakes is ‘doing things right’ initially. They rent expensive space with long term obligations, they buy too many supplies, they hire lawyers to perfect the corporate paperwork, and they employ full time workers too soon. Consider the current new business strategy of ‘fail fast, fail early, fail cheaply’ by creating a minimum viable product. Kids are a natural at this. When it comes to their first attempt, kids don’t often go beyond the minimum. They do however have a different outlook as well, it’s more positive. Kids have a clear vision of what they want and a much stronger belief in what is possible.
A Leap Gets to the Destination but Baby Steps Work Too
Kids are right. Unless you are trying to defy the laws of nature, nothing is impossible. What we are trying to accomplish, many not be easy, but it almost always possible. Where there is a will and desire, there is a way. Children persist and insist upon success. If they can’t get the goal in one big leap, then inching their way to the goal works just as well.
A school child sees a toy on a television commercial and asks, “Can I have that toy?” If Mom or Dad says “Yes” then it’s the big leap. However, if Mom and Dad say “No” then a new strategy is needed. The child will follow with, “Can we go to the toy store and just look?” Once again, the response is “No”. Then someone decides to run an errand and the child says, “Can I go along?” Along the way, the child comments, “Isn’t this the way to the toy store?” It continues until they end up where they want. Even if you manage to not go there today, the toy will be mentioned again tomorrow and the next day. If Grandma visits then she’ll learn about the toy too. A child does not give up, they are persistent in getting to the destination, whether that destination is a toy, a friend over, or anything else they have their heart set on.
About the Author
Cynthia Kocialski is the founder of three tech start-ups companies. In the past 15 years, she has been involved in dozens of start-ups. Cynthia writes the Start-up Entrepreneurs’ Blog www.cynthiakocialski.com. Cynthia has written the book, “Out of the Classroom Lessons in Success: How to Prosper Without Being at the Top of the Class.” The book serves up tips, insight, and wisdom to enable young adults and parents of kids to know what it will take to forge a successful career, no matter what their academic achievement.
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