Is it Time to Specialize?
November 2nd, 2007 | Michael Q. Pink
I was doing some training yesterday for a rapidly growing company in the real estate acquisition business. Their sales process, when done right, results in multiple multi-million dollar transactions on a monthly basis. In order for that to happen, however, a number of other things must be executed well.
I explained that in the rainforest there are a number of factors that combine to make it so abundant and fruitful. Three factors that stand out are specialization, cooperation and communication. Specialization as has been pointed out by Adam Smith in his book, “An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations” leads to highly increased productivity. Henry Ford understood this principle and in a time when there were hundreds of car manufacturers in the U.S. employing craftsmen to build cars from beginning to end, he was the first to introduce the assembly line where every man specialized in one task or another and the results revolutionized the world.
So the first question you might want to ask yourself is whether or not the process of your business, or even your very own sales process, can be broken down into steps and assigned to specialists. A significant determining factor has to do with the market potential. If one man by himself can build an automobile in a month, but a hundred men on an assembly line can build 100 per day, it makes sense to hire 100 men - if there is sufficient demand for the end product.
What we found with the folks I was working with yesterday is that specialization increases productivity exponentially and it can with you too. However, there is another catch that can derail the best laid plans… It has to do with three things: (1) Are the specialists suitable for the task they are specializing in, (2) Is there cooperation between the specialists and (3) Besides the spirit of cooperation, there needs to be a flow of information/communication to facilitate the cooperation or it will never occur and you will end up with a very high payroll with limited results.
Until next time… Be fruitful, then multiply!
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November 2nd, 2007 at 11:09 am
This is so true - specialization is key. In a previous company I worked for, we took the Strengthsfinder assessment as it relates to the sales process, and one of the components is that it helped you identify the specifics of the types of transactions/industries/situations you might succeed in. What I found is that my skills as identified by that test (I’m not selling for them!) where exactly where I’d always gravitated to in terms of dealing with customers and types of deals. The other very cool thing about this was that their findings didn’t stereotype salespeople, meaning that all had to be massively extroverted, gregarious, backslappers, etc. What they found instead is that different things made different people successful, very contrary to much of the “popular” sales training stuff out there where it’s supposedly personality driven. Those people are out there and some successful because of that God-given personality, but that’s their specialization. I think it’s key to find out what our specialization/gifts are and look to work within them, not neglecting the training of ourselves in skill areas, etc.
Blessings,
Dennis
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:18 am
Thank you Dennis for your words of encouragement. We have a natural cleaning company that is working on specializing the Eco Maid, Green Cleaning aspect to help create a safer place for our customers. This is encouraging to see that maybe our specializing is what we are to do. Thank you for all your articles.
Harry
with Healthy Choice Home Care
November 2nd, 2007 at 11:52 am
Would it be “outside of the box” to call this specialization … “anointing?” Could it be that God has anointed you to [fill in the blank]? Why is anointing only for “Church” activity? Could it be that God and his “anointing (empowering) of people” for certain tasks, was meant to apply to daily applications OUTSIDE of church also? One more rhetorical question: Could it be that God never meant for there to be a “Sunday go to meetin|Bible totin” paradigm and something else for Monday thru Friday?
November 2nd, 2007 at 12:07 pm
Greg,
Great comments! I think that follows with the line of thinking that God is much bigger than we think and that we (I) limit Him in our (my) thinking.
As probably has been often quoted, the first guy in the Bible mentioned as being filled with the Spirit was a craftsman!
Awesome post!
Dennis
November 3rd, 2007 at 11:26 am
Dennis
To take your comment one step further: I think I see a direct correlation between the depth of our relationship with our Abba Father, and the amount of “filtering” we do of His vision|plan for our lives. What I mean is this, maybe it was Gods plan for you to open a nationwide chain of pizza shops. But because your relationship with God isn’t as abundant as it could be (not really you, just using it for an example) you “filter” the vision down, based on YOUR resources and YOUR perception of the “bigness” of God, and only open a little pizza shop on the end of your street. God is a big thinker. He does (and wants to do) “exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or [even] think, according to the power (faith) that continually works (The Holy Spirit) in us.”
Greg
November 3rd, 2007 at 11:34 am
I just had another thought also: What happens when in businesses we begin to see five-fold ministry gifts in the ranks… Owners functioning prophetically and apostolically, President/CEO’s who walk in the office of evangelist or pastorally, CFO’s who operate as teachers, etc?
I think the simple answer to that is: Big Things. I think we see Kingdom rapidly expanded.
Greg
November 3rd, 2007 at 12:33 pm
Greg,
GREAT points…in fact, that is part of what God is dealing with me on, the father filter. I also have a huge hunger and desire to see five-fold ministry operate in the marketplace and explode both the perception of the “church” (not against attending a fellowship regularly, being accountable, etc - great and needed) but, just getting out of the box of our limited thinking that would keep us trapped inside the four walls of the church instead of going out into all the world! I want to see the power of God hit the marketplace and people there with prophecy, healing, etc.
I also believe, though, as with Joseph, God only reveals part of what He has for us long-term. Joseph got into enough trouble with just knowing his brothers and father would bow down to him. Can you imagine the greater pride that would have risen in his heart if God told him he would be second-in-command of the greatest empire on earth and extremely wealthy. His brothers definitely would have killed him (!) and God’s plan for his life would have been pre-empted. God is so wise, He knows us so well, and because He’s God, He knows how we’ll respond to these words. As with Joseph, there is a testing and trial period for all of us before the greater can come.
Blessings to you, your posts have really encouraged me, thank you!
Dennis