THOMAS EDISON ON WHY PERSISTENCE NOT INSPIRATION LEADS TO SUCCESS
Use this to motivate yourself when everything is going against you.
Thomas Edison (1847–1931), American inventor and founder of General Electric Corporation, famously failed to make a working electric light bulb 999 times, or so the myth goes, but was successful on his 1,000th attempt. He probably invented that story to show what a vital part persistence plays in any final success.
Many of life’s failures are people who did not realise how close they were to success when they gave up.
Thomas Edison
Very often people overcome the huge initial problems they face only to give up halfway through the project. This is because initial enthusiasm has waned, finishing the project seems a long way off and everything you’ve managed to do to date appears to be total rubbish. I know the feeling; I’ve been there with every project I’ve ever managed or book I’ve written. It’s natural to feel that way. So, take a deep breath and press on.
WHAT TO DO
- Accept that in the middle of every complex undertaking it is almost certainly going to look like a failure. You’re tired. Your team are tired. The initial enthusiasm with which you started the project has dwindled. The end is nowhere in sight. It’s then that you must remember what Winston Churchill said, ‘Keep buggering on.’
- Plan for the inevitable attacks that will occur during the desolate middle of your project. This is when you and the project are at your most vulnerable. Gerard Egan in his Shadow Side theory argues that managers must manage different stakeholders within an organisation if they are to be successful. He categorises the stakeholders into nine categories (see The Little Book of Big Management Theories for a full description). Two categories are particularly relevant to this situation, namely Opponents and Adversaries. Opponents are those who oppose the project but have nothing against you personally, while Adversaries oppose both you and your project. They will wait until you and the project are at your weakest point that mid-point when nothing concrete has been achieved, but a lot of time, effort and money has been invested in the project, and then they will strike.
- You must expect such an attack and be prepared to deal with it by identifying and getting onside your supporters. According to Egan, these include Partners who support the project and Allies, who, if encouraged enough, will support you.
- Identify the likely focus of any attacks, e.g. it’s too expensive, it’s not going to work, there are better alternatives, and have a well-argued rebuttal for each claim. Don’t rely on emotion. Rely on facts and figures.
- Remember, as the agenda for change rolls out, it will affect more people. In focusing on the Opponents and Adversaries, don’t lose sight of the importance of consolidating your Partners and Allies.
- Recognise that this theory is concerned with organisational politics (see Quotations 61 and 73) and that, without some understanding of organisational politics, you’ll be out-manoeuvred by those who play the game better.
QUESTIONS TO ASK
- Who can I rely on when the going gets tough? Do I know who will attack me and do I have a response strategy?
- How well prepared am I for dealing with organisational politics? Do I need to learn more?