There are two ways in which to actively approach a situation, circumstance, project or task of running a group or organisation.
The first is "down and in", the second is "up and out".
(Insights from Simon Sinek’s latest book 'The Infinite Game’).
In this little piece of writing I choose to apply it to running a business, but you can easily apply it to running a project in your house or your career or almost anything else.
"Down and in" is the nuts and bolts of the whole thing, everyday and how it sticks together. In business terms, it's operations and HR and finance. It’s how everybody does their piece of the jigsaw to make everything work on a day-to-day, week by week and month by month basis.
“Up and out” is the entire opposite. This is looking away from your business or your project into the wider world, seeking opportunities that fit with it or help to move it forwards in a different way for later. Making connections and friends and contacts to see where paths cross for mutual benefit.
When you first set up a business, right at the early stages you’re entirely up and out, very quickly you become down and in and many many people stay down and in until they're finished (in one way or another) ,someone who is good at down and in is magical. Their desk is always clear, they’re organised, they know everything that’s going on in every part of the work, they’re a linchpin, completely invaluable like a walking database.
People who are up and out are disruptive, bored easily and always onto the next thing before the last thing has even finished.
Down and in gets very frustrated by up and out, up and out can’t wait for down and in, they are too busy moving onto the next thing.
To be only down and in is to bumble along, doing the same things day after day, week after week and month after month, it’s a gradual and slow but complete death.
To be up and out is to flash brightly for a short while and then completely explode with no back up and no systems and no structure.
Here is the thing though, it’s almost impossible for any individual to be both yet we continue to pretend that while running businesses and organisations it is possible to find people who can wear both hats.
This goes for major corporations and small ‘corner shop Dental Practices’.
I believe that the real secret of long-term success is to identify which one you are and then to seek out the other and to work together forever (answers on a postcard to which one you think I might be).
Blog Post Number - 2347