We all have an inner geek somewhere within us. Sometimes it’s linked to one of our passions in life and sometimes it’s a general interest. What’s your inner geek*?
One of my inner geeks is of course people growth and scaling businesses. As well as a foodie geek and a petrolhead geek, I have a further science geek within me, and it is that one I am going to unleash on you today.
I’m going to lay some science on you (don’t worry, I’m not going all Brian Cox), and I am going to show you how this aspect of science is relevant to us as business owners and leaders today.
Remember the last time you bought a houseplant. Over time, you feed and water it, and even give it a bigger pot, so it will continue to grow and thrive. If you have seen me online recently you will know I have a Ficus tree that is rapidly taking over!
Now imagine that you never water it – we all know what will happen – the plant will wither and die. This basic and universal principle is described in the Second Law of Thermodynamics
The science bit;
I will summarise if you want to go ‘full science’ check out Wikipedia
The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that “in any closed system, without any external input, entropy will increase”. For entropy, read decay.
Basically, this means that everything decays over time unless there is some sort of external action. This is why food decays, cars rust, buildings crumble, humans age, the waste in our landfill sites will decay (even though it will take thousands of years), our Sun will eventually go out, etc. I think you get the picture…..
One of the most fascinating facts about this Law is that there are no exceptions – there are no examples of decay in reverse – I bet you can’t think of any!
Why is this relevant?
Imagine you have now or you take on a role as a leader or manager, or you buy or start a business, and you spend all your time just being in your role, job or business. That is exactly like bringing a houseplant home and never watering it – but wait I hear you say – We have team reviews and team meetings, we plan, we set goals, we market our business, we attract customers etc, etc. But – you are not watering or feeding your role or business, you are just letting it get on with the day to day activities and operations of your job or business.
Newton’s Law states that, without external intervention, entropy (decay) will increase.
Here are some examples of what you already know happens in businesses and organisations without external input;
- Job dissatisfaction increases, people resign, people feel undervalued and are de-motivated.
- Processes that once were fit for purpose become less and less effective because demands, particularly in technology, increase.
- Profitability decreases as costs increase because we try to do more and more with what we have.
- Products and services which were once cutting edge and relevant to your market become second best in your market because your competitors are innovating and investing.
What’s the solution:
As a responsible business owner, I know that if I am to stay ahead of natural decay, I must implement a strategy that supports a level of innovation and investment that is higher than the natural rate of decay.
Without a level of investment that out-performs natural decay, your role, your team, your business or your organisation will inevitably decay. We all know that the only constant in life is change. Unless you are investing in positive change, negative change is inevitable.
*I use the term geek in a light-hearted way and as “a knowledgeable enthusiast or intellectual”.
Here’s some further relevant reading:
The perpetual motion business
Time limited turnover – the eternal business challenge
Work with me:
I help owners, founders and leaders create a scalable business that works without them, build a world-class team, and 10x profitability. Book a call with me here to see if we could work together.
Remember, there are only three types of people – those who make things happen, those who wait for things to happen, and those who talk about why things don’t happen for them. Which one are you?
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