By Willis Whiteside, M.S., IDSA, SPE, SME, HFES
The world of
invention, patents and product development is about mastering
organization and success. The definition of success is the key. Is it
accumulating millions of dollars. Is it power? Is it organization? Is it
knowledge? Daily Happiness?
The truth is it is of all of them. There also are no
short-cuts in product development and the meaning of success is in the
mind of the inventor. To play the game of product development you must
always have a "Can Do" attitude and be willing to always try to find a
different or better way. The real challenge is facing the many
psychological challenges "No's" and hurdles "monies" that the
entrepreneur and or product development manager must overcome. The best
plan is to recognize up front that you are going to be facing many No's
and Can't Do's which can detour your drive to succeed. If you overcome
the mental challenges then you face the physical
challenges
of time and energy and production needs.
The first step is to gain the knowledge of the power of
making things happen and aligning people with a greater purpose. One
primary key to
success is aligning the goals with the physical needs of a
target audience. Then gathering a small group of people committed to
the same goals with an organized, efficient and consistent efforts.
All manufacturers understand the value of organized, coordinated
efforts. Henry Ford was the master of foreseeing the power of mass
production, which brought affordable automobiles to the masses. His
insight was he was able to see if you broke the automobile - car
assembly and parts manufacturing process down to the basic, hand tool or
manual manipulation level and organized the assembly in a logical, timed
and managed method, no longer was skilled and motivated labour an
issue. Ford borrowed the concept of a moving assembly line and the
concept of division of labour from the meat packers in Chicago where
each worker cut one specific cut of meat. Add the concepts of
standardized, machined parts, interchangeably and the principles of
”business management" and you have and the skills needed to assemble the
Model T was reduced to a single task out of the 84 steps. The major
change was that no longer did it take a life long apprenticeship and
years of on the job training to manufacture something. The production
assembly line with mass machined interchangeable parts now made skilled
craftsmen unnecessary for most industrial production.
At the time all the parts were in place but Ford still had a problem,
reliable labour. Ford's brilliance was not just the development of the
assembly line, it was the $5.oo a day wage which, at the time was an
extravagant wage. These two major industrial growth changes, the assembly
line and the increased daily wage changed the way Americans lived, worked
and travelled, sparing the growth of the highway systems; longer distance
travel, vacations and even faster transportation methods including
airplanes and jets. Henry Ford had the basic knowledge but also knew the
power of surrounding himself with people of intelligence and influence,
who bring their own trusted opinions and specialties to the tables. Once
these individuals all aligned under the small goals, they organized and
generated the manufacturing technology although still quite primitive and
product of mobility that changed the world's outlook and future. The key
was the power to recognize the potential of the manufacturing assembly,
assembling a diverse but aligned team, with the knowledge and organization
that produced a product of great social value, answering a need which went
far beyond the individual product.
The other major hurdle for most entrepreneurs is the mental toughness
needed to bring a product to the market. Usually the most challenging part
of the process is securing the funds needed. And usually a person needs
the collateral to secure the sometimes hundreds of thousands it take to
launch a product. This is where most inventors get bogged down. The
process of securing an angel investor or small business loan is often a
very long and time consuming endeavour. The person must be very careful
to select the right investor who is willing to lead and or let you lead.
An overbearing investor can be a nightmare. Remember it is usually a one
sided partnership where whomever controls the money, expects results. The
key is to put this most important task at the top of the list and secure
the team, goals and confidence that an investor will jump on rather than
pass over. If you are successful in securing investment funding, you are
well on your way to making your mark. Along the way will be many small
successes and failures. The key to success is the mental initiative to
look past the failures and continue to build upon the small successes,
keeping a positive mind state of consciousness and team building
attitude. When the big success arrives, then celebrate, but you must be
positive and outreaching on a daily basis.
The definition of success is the key. Learn to acquire the knowledge,
treat all people with respect and appreciate even the small
accomplishments you achieve, so you can continue to build even bigger
ones. Align your purpose, assemble your team, organize your efforts with
accountability and you are well on your way to success as an entrepreneur.
You must recognize your power of conscious and unconscious thought and
maintain a daily state of mind of happiness, appreciation and thankfulness
while facing the time, money and resource challenges of new product
development.
If it was easy everyone would do it. If you have the basic
knowledge, power, organization and conviction to succeed, you probably
will.
DING!
COPYRIGHT: WW / WhiteLightDesign, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
6/1/10
willis@whitelightdesig n.com
_______________________________________________________________________
The empowerment slogan for the year:
“There are
two ways of spreading Light; to be the Candle or the Mirror that reflects it.”
By Edith Wharton
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