Expand Your Thinking - Expand Your Business

A curious mind is a great asset in business. When coupled with a good business intelligence system, new opportunities can open up that would previously have been well concealed.

As businesses struggle to cope with the rapid pace of the market today, real time intelligence can make the difference between being a market leader, and being out of business.

One of the barriers to accepting the insight that business intelligence reveals is emotion. Emotion is wrapped around egos that have for decades made business decisions based on intuition or 'gut feel'. Many managers and executives are finding it difficult to let go of intuition based decision making. However, stack intuition against logic, and in most cases logic will win every time.

Whilst this mode of decision making may have served our forefathers well twenty years ago, the sheer volume of information and the opening up of global competition means that this form of business tactic is very much outdated.

That is not to say that there is no place for intuition. On the contrary, once the logical basis for a decision has been revealed, intuition is the next stage in how best to apply the knowledge and insight to align with strategic objecgtives.

In my upcoming book 'The Logical Organisation™' I take a close look at how business strategy and tactics are finally catching up with market evolution. As business leaders embrace the power of BI technology, the insights gained offer a much better basis for deep thought and both strategic and operational decisions.

In the interim, try to expand your horizon to gain a wider appreciate of the different channels from which insight can be gained:

1. Spend an hour a week on Google - just follow your instincts and note down any areas worth pursuing further. Don't have a set agenda, just let your mind follow your mouse.
2. Check out the website of your local library - you will be amazed at the databases and electronic documents that can be accessed.
3. Spend 10 minutes a day writing down your thoughts in a journal - this is one of those times when you want you gut feeling to flow.
4. Attend one good conference or training course a year. Set clear objectives and measure against the outcomes.
5. Meet up with a group of associates outside your direct field of business - you will be amazed at what insight can be transferred from one industry to another is new ways.
6. Do a speed reading course - you are going to need it!

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