How to define an opportunity?
Many people have more to do than they can get done. Translation, you’re spread so thin you can’t be great at anything.
Your best is average when you’re over committed. Therefore, opportunities aren’t simply more to do.
A Definition:
An Opportunity is your best opening to add value to people in ways that best align with who you are and most energize your spirit.
Opportunities are found in your greatest opening to give not your greatest chance to get. I should add, getting is always a component of an opportunity even if getting is simply personal satisfaction.
Prerequisite:
Know “you” before you “do.” You can’t seize an opportunity until you get a handle on who you are. The best way I can think for you to know who you are begins with self-reflection. In addition, embrace your own passions not the passions people want you to have.
Value:
Adding value is providing benefit. The person being served and the person serving determine the meaning of value. For example, a lazy person might define value as you doing work for them that they could do themselves. In reality, that’s minimizing their value. In this case, it’s not an opportunity because it doesn’t add value.
Energy:
Opportunities fuel energy; they don’t drain it. Sure, everyone does things that aren’t that much fun. However, a basic rule of thumb is you are on the right track when your energy is going up. You are most likely on the wrong track when you are consistently drained.
A key:
In order to leverage best opportunities say no to average ones.
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Which part of my definition of opportunity resonates with you?
How do you define opportunity?
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Opportunities fuel energy resonates the most with me. I notice such energy not only with myself but exponentially growing with those I lead as they buy into the opportunity before us. Such energy creates momentum, and that replenishes the drive to seize the opportunity before us.
Thanks Richard, I wish you well as you pursue your opportunities. BEst, Dan
The below paragraph is extremely confusing to me – would you mind explaining it? I have read it several times and I just do not understand what you are meaning:
“Opportunities are found in your greatest opening to give not your greatest chance to get. I should add, getting is always a component of an opportunity even if getting is simply personal satisfaction.”
Thanks!
I interpreted Dan’s paragraph as the best opportunities are when you share of yourself, not when you doing it with an underlying ‘what’s in it for you’ driver …nevertheless, there will always be an intrinsic reward, just gotta look. Might be personal satisfaction, just ‘knowing’, a ‘thanks!’, or even a smile.
Dan, you have a way of writing posts that resonate with something I am grappling with or my state of mind. Then again, maybe I enjoy reading your posts because they resonate with me period! Given my work, Value sticks out for me in your post. Often people will be looking for staff, merely because they are trying to get rid of the donkey work in their function, call it an opportunity and want a bright spark for the role! That is not developing talent, that is demoralising talent. Great post and leads well for me for my theme of the post I have written for next week on my Blog! We need to wake up and focus as there is a tendency these days to get wrapped up in the noise, be busy and yet achieve very little!
We could get into the dialogue whether it is a problem or opportunity, however, that is just the right pair of glasses. I do agree, once a problem is converted to an opportunity, it brings energy to the table.
A couple of coworkers and I were in engaged in a brief ‘whine and cheese’ party Friday morning…usual stuff, weather, parking, miscommunicated messages, blurred our vision did we (props Yoda) and then, once whined, we tossed the issues around and in fact had a very productive planning/scheming session on recognizing the positives that are all around us, even the rainy weather. We did come up with concrete ways to acknowledge the excellent work we get to see and be a part of and spread that word. Huge opportunity, obligation and honor and we got all charged up!
“In order to leverage best opportunities say no to average ones.” That was capper for me Dan…so hard to say ‘no’ and how often do we fail to evaluate the best and average and sub par opportunities and just people please and say yes to most all of them. Dang those mirrors you have round here!
HI Doc,
Thanks for a great story and application. Man you brought a whole new dimension to the idea of opportunity. Way to extend the convo.
The “no” part of the post was actually what I set out to write and ended up with the opportunity part. Who knew?
Best to you and have a great Sunday,
Dan
Doc is a featured contributor on Leadership Freak. Read his bio at: http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/doc
Dear Dan,
The opportunity that energizes spirit and creates value even personal satisfaction resonates with me. I define opportunity as present and future opportunity. And broad outlook often maximises future opportunity. One needs to analyse the impact of grabbing present opportunity on future opportunity. Many a times, we tend to compromise potential opportunity in futrue by grabbing smaller opportunity in present, and that is a blunder mistake people usually do. Winning so many battles can not turn into winning war, Similarly to grab higher opportunity, we need to forgo so many smaller opporuntiy that can hinders success in future.
I also think that opportunity usually exists. It is our capability that either get it or lose it. We need not to look for the opportunity but we need to equip ourselve in such a manner that we should have many option to chose which opportunity we should grab.
Dear Ajay,
Thank you for your comment.
Long-term vs. Short-term can be challenging. The immediate is inviting and well, it is immediate. Perhaps it takes character to have patience as well as wisdom on choosing opportunities.
Interesting how you add capability to opportunity. Another great addition to the convo.
Best to you,
Dan
Ajay is a featured contributor on Leadership Freak. You can read his bio at http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/ajay-gupta
Dear Dan,
I like your interpreting ‘oppotumity which adds value’ and ‘fuels energy’. It’s catching up moments of joy and looking for brigther things in life by striving hard to prove your worthiness.
Adding value for others can become a driving force for you to move ahead with greater confidence and exploring newer ways to spread happiness around. We always look for better future, be it in a professional, family or social field, and should not miss the opportunity to accomplish things for our own satisfaction and look for the welfare of others.
Opportunities are always around. The positive outlook and confidence in us can help to grab these and push our energy towards working hard in the right direction to be a winner.
Dan,
I love your prerequisite of knowing yourself. Understanding your strengths and weaknesses through self-reflection is a great idea. Taking it a step further you can complete an assessment, like StrengthsFinder, to help you in understanding your strengths and how best to work within them.