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Mar 06
2009
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In his book Tribes, marketing guru Seth Godin gives the analogy of Thermostats and Thermometers. The analogy is an apt one, given the importance of temperature control on our tanning beds. A thermometer measures the temperature, a thermostat sets it. But in Seth's hands, it's a business analogy that tells us a lot about leaders and critics, doers and followers.
In business, Seth says, the Thermometer is the person who sits back and tells us what we already know, where we went wrong. The Thermometer whines and complains after something has already been done, or complains that a new idea won't work. The Thermometer measures the temperature, and doesn't do anything else. If hindsight is 20/20, the Thermometer has perfect vision.
You only need one Thermometer in your business, but you need a lot of Thermostats. Or, if you're the only Thermostat, you need fewer Thermometers. In your house or tanning salon, if a thermostat is working properly, you only need one thermometer to tell you that, not seven. In your business, if you're the leader and visionary for the company, you only need one person telling you how things are going, not seven.
Do you have other Thermostats in your company? Do you have an employee who brings you great and even not-so-great ideas? Do they come up with new ways to save money, attract new clients, sell more lotion and package upgrades? Great! Encourage this behavior, and give them a way to shine. Their ideas and energy will grow your business and help you make money.
Or are you or your other employees telling them what won't work, or not even letting them try? Are your other employees downplaying their ideas, or even doing what they can to show how they won't work? This needs to change. A person who drags down ideas, will keep the business running at their competency, at the lowest common denominator. Too many Thermometers will drag the business down. You need more Thermostats in your business and fewer Thermometers.
Think back to when you started your business. You were a Thermostat. You had a vision – "I want to start a tanning salon" – and you probably had detractors. People who said, "That won't work." "Why would people pay for something when they could lay outside for free?" "People can't afford luxury items right now."
If you have more people in your life or business who are telling you why things won't/didn't/couldn't/can't/shouldn't work, stop paying attention. All they're doing is telling you things you already know, or maybe even things you shouldn't be paying attention to. (After all, thermometers are not always accurate.)
But, like a true visionary, you did what you needed to do. You set your goals and pursued them, and you're now running your own business. You were the Thermostat that set the temperature for your business.
So what are you now? And who have you surrounded yourself with? If you're surrounded by Thermometers, maybe you need to start spending more time with Thermostats. Surround yourself with people who are just like you.
Join your Chamber of Commerce or other networking groups in your area. Spend time with other successful business owners and entrepreneurs, people who have set their own temperatures, and see what you can learn from them. You're the sum of the five people you spend the most time with, so make them Thermostats.
In business, Seth says, the Thermometer is the person who sits back and tells us what we already know, where we went wrong. The Thermometer whines and complains after something has already been done, or complains that a new idea won't work. The Thermometer measures the temperature, and doesn't do anything else. If hindsight is 20/20, the Thermometer has perfect vision.
You only need one Thermometer in your business, but you need a lot of Thermostats. Or, if you're the only Thermostat, you need fewer Thermometers. In your house or tanning salon, if a thermostat is working properly, you only need one thermometer to tell you that, not seven. In your business, if you're the leader and visionary for the company, you only need one person telling you how things are going, not seven.
Do you have other Thermostats in your company? Do you have an employee who brings you great and even not-so-great ideas? Do they come up with new ways to save money, attract new clients, sell more lotion and package upgrades? Great! Encourage this behavior, and give them a way to shine. Their ideas and energy will grow your business and help you make money.
Or are you or your other employees telling them what won't work, or not even letting them try? Are your other employees downplaying their ideas, or even doing what they can to show how they won't work? This needs to change. A person who drags down ideas, will keep the business running at their competency, at the lowest common denominator. Too many Thermometers will drag the business down. You need more Thermostats in your business and fewer Thermometers.
Think back to when you started your business. You were a Thermostat. You had a vision – "I want to start a tanning salon" – and you probably had detractors. People who said, "That won't work." "Why would people pay for something when they could lay outside for free?" "People can't afford luxury items right now."
If you have more people in your life or business who are telling you why things won't/didn't/couldn't/can't/shouldn't work, stop paying attention. All they're doing is telling you things you already know, or maybe even things you shouldn't be paying attention to. (After all, thermometers are not always accurate.)
But, like a true visionary, you did what you needed to do. You set your goals and pursued them, and you're now running your own business. You were the Thermostat that set the temperature for your business.
So what are you now? And who have you surrounded yourself with? If you're surrounded by Thermometers, maybe you need to start spending more time with Thermostats. Surround yourself with people who are just like you.
Join your Chamber of Commerce or other networking groups in your area. Spend time with other successful business owners and entrepreneurs, people who have set their own temperatures, and see what you can learn from them. You're the sum of the five people you spend the most time with, so make them Thermostats.
