UPPING THE ANTE
Purpose:
To execute the strategy and process of choosing high stakes investments in order to grow your business and create breakthrough results for your company or organization.
Background:
“Live out on the skinny branches…that’s where the fruit is.” This statement by Will Rogers has been used by many to symbolize the essence of taking risks. In Rapport Leadership classes, this idea is used as an anchor for you to step out of your comfort zones and develop your leadership skills.
Just as people take risks in order to raise their individual performances to higher levels, a company has the same opportunity. In his book, The Breakthrough Company, Keith McFarland calls this “Upping the Ante.” Most companies have limited resources, and when determining the initiatives in which they can invest these resources, the investment is like placing a bet. The larger the bet, the larger the potential return. One important difference between companies and poker players, however, is companies have the ability to be strategic regarding their bets. Unlike poker bets, a company’s bets can accumulate over time, setting a company up for greater competitive advantage and better odds of success.
Companies that strive to break through to their next level of performance demonstrate not only a willingness to place big bets, they also demonstrate an aptitude for placing the “right” bet at the “right” time. While some may attribute a company’s high levels of success to luck, a closer look at breakthrough companies shows that they are strategic and purposeful in choosing which bets to place, when to place them, and, more importantly, when to “take down” their bets.
This month’s process outlines the steps you and your team can take to make more strategic and higher yielding decisions for your organization.
Download the entire process as a PDF (Right-click to Save As...)
*Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006
