 A breakthrough is a sudden and dramatic improvement that
propels one to a new level of performance.
The word starts with break,
which indicates a separation, marked progress that cannot be reversed.
A breakthrough is not a temporary shift or a change in perception. It
is an achievement of undeniable and sustained improvement.
Many hope for a sudden aha!
They want an insight that breaks through the clouds revealing a new
world. This occasionally happens, but it is the long road... it is long
because the odds in your favor are a long shot. Though these
flashpoints come unannounced, their frequency is occasional at best.
There is a short road that
reliably and consistently brings new ideas to the table that will push
business to a new position of measurable scale. Here short means
dramatically less time than the long road.
 The
frequency with which breakthroughs occur on the short road can be
measured in regular, consistent intervals and form the basis of the
project lifecycle s-curve.
Each curve inevitably goes through a
series of changes, first going up in growth, then stabilizing, and
finally dying.
I highlight inevitably and dying because many leaders behave
as if the good thing they've got going will be around forever. It
won't. And the time to start working on the next stage is now so there will be a future curve
to plot your trajectory to. For example, though iPad 3 is about to be
released you can bet your sweet bippy that Apple is working on iPad 4,
5, and 6 as you read this text.
So, where do the breakthroughs come from?
And more importantly how do we ensure that they get traction and live
to see the light of day?
The breakthroughs themselves come from leadership, from those who
invest their time and energy in understanding the future and their
unique niche in it. They are forever asking and answering the question,
What
future is trying to emerge that requires my participation to exist?
The traction for new products and services comes from a team of people
acting in concert to midwife them. This team includes:
All the people in the list above operate in an unpredictable world,
their environment of market conditions. They cannot control destiny any
more than you can. But, if you can get them to work together,
they have a good shot at influencing and actualizing the future. The
first step, of course, is for everyone to have a common understanding
of your mission - that is why articulating your mission is so
important... and articulating it in ways that they get... so they can
get it and spread it.
Breakthroughs are about realizing the visions of leaders,
systematically. And implementation is about coordinating the efforts of
a group of critical people, the people whose behavior will determine
whether or not your next breakthrough gets the attention, interest and
investment it requires to grow and mature in the marketplace.
Upcoming Workshop:
How to Acquire Clients / Value-Based Fees
January 12,
9am-4pm, Washington, DC
Register here: http://sethkahan011212.eventbrite.com/
To create the most powerful learning
experience possible in a single day I zeroed in on the
teachings that were most instrumental in transforming my business. This
one-day power event will nail these two topics:
1. Becoming expert at finding and getting the best clients
2. Raising your rates to be commensurate with the value you provide
You will emerge with a tight, focused
strategy for targeting and acquiring new clients through new, repeat,
and referral business and a clear action plan for raising your fees,
zeroing in on value your clients will gladly pay for, and taking your
practice to the next level. You will also receive copies of
Alan's two books that we will use as texts: How to Acquire Clients
& Value-Based Fees.
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