By Dr Wilfred Isak April
IN twenty-seven (27) days time we will be in 2014. To ensure that we all start off on the same page I want you think about ‘perfectionism’ – whether or not it exists in business? There is this perfectionist mindset we have in the Namibian culture.
People assume that unless they have a perfect business idea, they can’t start a business enterprise. My challenge to you all today is that we all have to reach that point in our lives that we tell ourselves – “I will never be completely ready, and I have to find a way to start right now.” If we go back to that thin slice concept of layering, what is the very first thing you have to do if you want to start a business? Start with the resources you have at your disposal and work until your dream becomes a reality. Do you know what is really funny? Perfectionism is a joke, because there are few people in this world that are genuine perfectionists (a tiny percentage in the world). The rest of us (including myself) are sometimes regarded as cowards, because we are not willing to take the first step, and regard it as perfectionism. It is like there is someone who I am attracted to over there, but I will only do it when I am ready. It is a choice we all have to make, I will do it when I am ready or opt out and be a coward.
So when Namibians say I am not ready yet to start and will only start a business when the idea is perfect, they are referring to something else. For example, people always talk about their circumstances and how the government has done them wrong. It is about time that, as we engage in conversations over this festive season with friends and family, we start reflecting on who we really are (let us make it an identity issue). What is it that you want to be in life? Don’t you want to become someone who takes action? Tell yourself that you would like to become someone who takes charge and a proud Namibian citizen who pushes forward no matter what. Are you able to do that right now or at least by the end of this year if you are a coward?
No? Alright, so start taking care of yourself. It is important to remember that in business most of what you do will fall flat. Not some, most. Think about the number of things you have done in the past year, that have actually gone nowhere. Most of what we do in life will fall flat and we have to be prepared for that. The real problem you will encounter when you are not prepared for that fact is, that you will develop the ‘why me’ mentality. My failure has something specifically to do with me. You have to start realizing that most people go through challenges and failure.
The problem is that when people fail in business, they feel it is personal failure and become very emotional about it. Some of the biggest opportunities you have will sometimes fall flat. Think about that moment someone made a promise to you like: “This is such an excellent idea; just hold on to it” – meaning I will come back to you and you never hear from them again. I am sure we all can relate to that and it really feels like a waste of time, but it is worth it. Experiences of this nature, teach us how to get better at understanding and communicating with people. The lesson I am teaching you all today is that we do not necessarily have to have a perfect idea in life, but start with the idea you have right now, and strive to become excellent at what you do. Please do continue this conversation with fellow Namibians as we celebrate this festive season.
Dr. Wilfred Isak April is a Unam graduate and holds a PhD in Entrepreneurship (New Zealand). He lectures in Leadership, Organizational Behaviour and Entrepreneurship at the University of Namibia (Unam).