What to change for change
Heraclitus, the Greek philosopher, said “The Only Constant in Life Is Change.” Yes, the world is always changing. New technologies, e.g. computers, Internet, smart phones, and AI, have been changing our lives in a linear path. Moreover, unexpected events happen to change our world in a nonlinear way, such as US-China trade war, Covid19, and extreme weather. Therefore, it is very hard for us to stay constant to live a normal life. Please watch Simon Sinek‘s talk in “There Is No Going Back to Normal”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThJdlJD-foY
Since change is inevitable in our lives, the key question is: how can we empower and prepare ourselves for the change? There are several theories about this issue in the business administration field. I believe these theories can also be applied to personal development, so I would like to introduce them to you, even if some of you already know them well. Hope that we will have lively discussions and experience-sharing during the meeting.
The first one is “The Hedgehog Concept”. Its core idea is to try to do one big thing perfectly in our lives as a hedgehog does, instead of a fox. Please read the following article for more details:
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article ... oncept.htm
Next, different from The Hedgehog Concept, is “expert-generalist”.
An Expert Generalist is someone who has the ability and curiosity to master and collect expertise in many different disciplines, industries, skills, topics, capabilities etc. Please read the following article for more details:
https://medium.com/@jijimajiriugboma/ex ... 11cbb49954
Finally, “Core competence” is a capability kind of between previous two ones. A core competence has three conditions:
1. It provides positive benefits;
2. It is not easy for competitors to imitate; and
3. It can be widely adapted or leveraged to new environment or challenges.
Please read the following article for more details:
https://www.thebalancesmb.com/core-comp ... ss-2948314
Please understand the three concepts first. I will also make a shot introduction about them before the discussion.
Session 1: Warming up for the three concepts
1. Do you agree with the saying: “The Only Constant in Life Is Change”? Why or why not? If yes, please share with us your real experience or examples.
2. What does “The Hedgehog concept” mean? What are the pros and cons of it? Please share with us any persons/businesses you know who succeeded or failed because they were hedgehogs, if any.
3. What does “expert-generalist” mean? What are its pro and cons? Please share with us any persons/businesses you know who succeeded or failed because they were expert-generalists, if any.
4. What is “Core competence”? What are its pro and cons? Please share with us any persons/businesses you know who succeeded or failed due to their core competence, if any.
5. In the Simon Sinek‘s “There Is No Going Back to Normal” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThJdlJD-foY Video, he mentioned a pizza restaurant in Chicago begin to make face shields due to Covid 19. What implication do you learn from it? Among the three theories, which one did the restaurant possibly apply?
Session 2: How to be always successful in such an ever-changing world?
1. What is your expertise? Are you more like a hedgehog or a fox? Have you tried to strategically cultivated your expertise or core competence before? If yes, what are they?
2. After Session I’s discussion, which concept do you think is the most significant or useful for future change? Why? Which one is more practical for you to follow now?
3. Regarding the development of new technologies, like AI, which kind of challenges are we facing, and which kind of expertise or core competence should we cultivate to maintain our competitiveness? Why?
4. For the unexpected disasters, like Covid 19, which kind of capability or core competence should we possess to survive them? Why?
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(Online Meeting)
Agenda: (Subject to Change Depending on the Host's Mood)
3:50 ~ 4:00 pm Zoom App testing and setup / Free Talk
4:00 ~ 4:15 pm Newcomer’s Self-introduction/The host's Presentation/ Grouping for Session I
(Session I)
4:15 ~ 4:50 pm Discussion (35 mins)
4:50 ~ 5:10 pm Presentation (20 mins)
(Intermission)
5:10 ~ 5:20 pm Regrouping and Free Talk (10 mins)
(Session II)
5:20 ~ 5:55 pm Discussion (35 mins)
5:55 ~ 6:15 pm Presentation/ (20 mins)
6:15 ~ ??:?? pm Concluding Remarks / Announcements /Free Talk
Additional info:
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(Online) 10/2(Sat) What to change for change?(Host:Morris)
(Online) 10/2(Sat) What to change for change?(Host:Morris)
最後由 morris25 於 週五 10月 01, 2021 11:36 am 編輯,總共編輯了 4 次。
Re: 10/2(Sat) What to change for change?(Host:Morris)
Hi, Morris, thanks for bringing us several interesting management theories. It’s not easy to say which theory is absolutely right due to daily changing to the world, different nature of market orientation, and it might unexpectedly intervene to our life. Simplicity led by hedgehog approach could lead us to identify what really matter for you to filter out those things you want to do in life. At work, it propels you to dedicate yourself for those wanted capability in career market. For a fox approach, it’s not easy to learn multi-knowledge or achieve several objectives in a period at the same time which can possibly result in doing nothing as a consequence. However, a fox pattern is likely better fitted into flexible organization and market nature. Taking ICT industry as an example, Taiwan have been good at flexibility for its successes closed to fox pattern while Japan has been good at robust car industry lean on hedgehog approach. An expert-generalist theory could be a good choice for us to keep curiosity on exploring something new and entice our passion on it. It does not mean learning multi-knowledge so ambitiously in the meantime; instead, cumulative endeavors to build-up two to three skills can better make preparedness for changing world. Owning the skills meet the trend in the world can likely be one of the good considerations.
Re: 10/2(Sat) What to change for change?(Host:Morris)
Dear Winston,李昰翰 寫: ↑週六 9月 25, 2021 8:12 amHi, Morris, thanks for bringing us several interesting management theories. It’s not easy to say which theory is absolutely right due to daily changing to the world, different nature of market orientation, and it might unexpectedly intervene to our life. Simplicity led by hedgehog approach could lead us to identify what really matter for you to filter out those things you want to do in life. At work, it propels you to dedicate yourself for those wanted capability in career market. For a fox approach, it’s not easy to learn multi-knowledge or achieve several objectives in a period at the same time which can possibly result in doing nothing as a consequence. However, a fox pattern is likely better fitted into flexible organization and market nature. Taking ICT industry as an example, Taiwan have been good at flexibility for its successes closed to fox pattern while Japan has been good at robust car industry lean on hedgehog approach. An expert-generalist theory could be a good choice for us to keep curiosity on exploring something new and entice our passion on it. It does not mean learning multi-knowledge so ambitiously in the meantime; instead, cumulative endeavors to build-up two to three skills can better make preparedness for changing world. Owning the skills meet the trend in the world can likely be one of the good considerations.
Many thanks for the good points.
They really hit the spot.
Re: 10/2(Sat) What to change for change?(Host:Morris)
Bring this topic to the top.
Re: (Online) 10/2(Sat) What to change for change?(Host:Morris)
One interesting fact about management theory is that it’s always full of art of words. Depending on how we interpret them, theories that look very different on the surface could turn out to advocate the same idea.
The hedgehog concept asks us to focus on one big vision only and pull out all the stops to achieve the best. That one big thing we have managed to do best, you know what, becomes our core competency.
By the same token, expert generalism seems to encourage people to become foxes rather than hedgehogs. The versatility that expert generalists must have, however, can also be viewed as their core competency because it’s not easy for others to follow suit. Even if we put two expert generalists side by side, they usually have different combinations of skillsets and are not interchangeable with each other. Every expert generalist's versatility is one of a kind.
The hedgehog concept asks us to focus on one big vision only and pull out all the stops to achieve the best. That one big thing we have managed to do best, you know what, becomes our core competency.
By the same token, expert generalism seems to encourage people to become foxes rather than hedgehogs. The versatility that expert generalists must have, however, can also be viewed as their core competency because it’s not easy for others to follow suit. Even if we put two expert generalists side by side, they usually have different combinations of skillsets and are not interchangeable with each other. Every expert generalist's versatility is one of a kind.
Re: (Online) 10/2(Sat) What to change for change?(Host:Morris)
Thank you, Kooper.Kooper 寫: ↑週六 10月 02, 2021 1:38 pmOne interesting fact about management theory is that it’s always full of art of words. Depending on how we interpret them, theories that look very different on the surface could turn out to advocate the same idea.
The hedgehog concept asks us to focus on one big vision only and pull out all the stops to achieve the best. That one big thing we have managed to do best, you know what, becomes our core competency.
By the same token, expert generalism seems to encourage people to become foxes rather than hedgehogs. The versatility that expert generalists must have, however, can also be viewed as their core competency because it’s not easy for others to follow suit. Even if we put two expert generalists side by side, they usually have different combinations of skillsets and are not interchangeable with each other. Every expert generalist's versatility is one of a kind.
You rock. See you in the online meeting.