I just finished reading The Shortcut To Success by Scott Halford, a post that came through my email. The post focuses briefly on Business Darwinism- the idea that in tight times, only the most useful workers will be kept within any industry. Fair enough.
I know something about the practical application of Darwin’s theories. I see them all the time when I do my laundry- if something shrinks, or needs to be washed by itself in anything but cold water, out it goes. If it is wrinkled when it is finally pulled out of the dryer, it goes to the ragbag. I have no time to mollycoddle the wash. It’s definitely survival of the fittest in our laundry room.
A teacher I used to work with called it the “You snooze, you lose” rule. She was referring to her children, but it definitely applies (maybe more so) in the workplace. No time for napping when you are trying to get the last piece of pizza, or pushing to get the listing and get it sold.
And that leads to the article’s next point: be a Shortcut. This is a new use of the word, with an “S”- be the one who is thought of when the best, most skilled person for the job is needed. Be the expert! Be stable, and by being all of these things be necessary.
I intuitively knew all about this Shortcut business from being a mother. No one could make macaroni and cheese from a box like I could, no one could sit up all night with a sick child better that me, no one could kiss the scrape on that knee and take away the sting as well as I could. And that is the point, in summary- by working harder and better than others, you become indispensable. Not much of a surprise that I scored well on the online test, given the rigorous training sessions I had been through with the little cherubs.
I guess you want to be the best you can be, in business, in your personal relationships, in life. That’s how you create job security, and really, it’s the only way to go, regardless of the rewards. See if you need to babysit my kids- take the test.
And when you’re done, I have a question for Darwin about squirrels.
