Are you as versatile as a dinosaur?

I quietly chuckled to myself when I heard this question being asked and I thought, are you kidding dinosaurs are extinct! I mean seriously the concept of a Dinosaur being versatile, it was difficult for me to fathom.

But then I did some discovering!

Much of what we know about dinosaurs is based on what has been discovered by palaeontologists through the study of bones, fossils and their habitat. It’s easy to argue that some of what we know is based on assumptions and computer simulations; the rest, well yes that’s based on science – the study of their bones and behaviours.  But it’s hard to argue with the fact that they existed and they did so for a very long time.

So what can we learn from the dinosaurs?

What we do know is that the majority of Dinosaurs congregated in herds for defence, for migratory purposes, or to provide protection for their young. Fundamentally, dinosaurs were:

• Nurturers
• Foragers
• Protectors

As a species, there were some dinosaurs that were stronger than others, each species represented an important part of the eco-system.

Evolution: “the gradual development of something”.

Having experienced a fall recently, resulting in a fractured ankle; it made me reflect on the question of how versatile am I. Even more importantly, how versatile is my business and what do dinosaurs have to do with it?

Consider this, It was the dinosaur’s herd mentality that allowed them to build an eco-system that ensured each animal played a key role to the pack.  They must have got something right because they did exist successfully for 170 million years because of their versatility and ability to adapt to their changing environment.

Their lack of existence today is not related to their natural evolution to the changing climate and surroundings but due to a cataclysmic event that removed them from the face of the planet.

Business is the same. As owners and principals we build a network of stakeholders around us to support the evolution of our business; internally and externally. Each member of our tribe plays a key role in providing a deliverable to the business.

All businesses need leadership and as the leaders in our business we are the nurturers, foragers and protectors of our teams.  We provide:

• Mentoring – nurturing and coaching individual team members and the team as a whole to be the best they can be.
• Knowledge – we help our teams to seek and forage for experiences; guiding them with knowledge and education so that they can continue to grow.
• Protection – by creating a team (herd) that each person can rely on, you are building an eco-system that they can trust in good times and bad. We protect each other by ensuring the fundamentals and foundations exist but the key is creating a culture that you can live each day within your business.

So yes, it’s not such a bad thing to be as versatile as a dinosaur. As long as you and your business are constantly evolving and maintaining your relevance to your community and environment; your resonance will continue.

Being versatile isn’t about changing everything but it is about constantly adapting your business to the people you work with, the services you deliver, the community you are a part of and pushing boundaries constantly in your business.

Build your business strategy with versatility in mind and you will ensure it’s constant evolution for the future.

I’m feeling very versatile right now, how about you?

I’d love to hear how you are making your business versatile or perhaps you need some help in this space, reach out to me with a comment or inmail me.