These days we are so overloaded with information that it can have an adverse effect, especially if you’re trying to establish, consolidate and grow a business venture. You will be bombarded on a constant basis with news of a geopolitical nature, business stats coming at you all the time and also sound bites about the latest technologies, trends and opportunities.
Many an internet guru will also want to life coach you on to the right path or give you authoritative advice on how to become the next Bill Gates, and all these impressions together can leave you a little confused, to say the least. As with everything, too much of a good thing is detrimental, and the same applies to information, so it is important to know how to sort through it all.
Quality versus Quantity
If there is a more or less universal rule, it is that quality is usually better than quantity, so rather than allowing yourself to be overloaded, be selective with information, read through it and make up your own mind. Do not accept everything at face value, be it facts, figures or opinions, for all of these can be manipulated and/or slanted to suit the argument or sales proposition being made.
Developing the ability to analyse information for yourself is like investing in a very important skill, for it is something you become increasingly quick and good at, though always keep an open mind and don’t dismiss things out of hand either. Working this way will hone your analytical skills, allow you to focus on good, useful information, and develop that all-important business tool – your gut feeling.
When cerebral faculties, knowledge, experience and your emotional instincts are in sync, you will be fully armed to deal with all the challenges the fast-changing business world can throw at you. Add a touch of psychology – i.e. the ability to read a room, recognise situations and know who you’re dealing – and you’re almost bound to be successful.
Naturally, hard work, contacts and luck are vital ingredients too, but develop your personal skills and they are likely to follow. Moreover, it will help you put the otherwise scary onslaught of news into perspective, and you will no longer be put off by new technologies, US-China trade wars, Brexit, Jihadis, bush fires in Australia and rising sea levels.
Not that these issues aren’t real or important, but they’re not as likely to affect your chances of success as you can be led to believe if you allow yourself be brought down by them. Action, both business-wise and in terms of civic-mindedness, begins at home, so make sure your attitude to your business as well as your personal environment is positive and pro-active, and your chances of success are already doubled.
