Opportunity Knocks

It’s a week since the brilliant gdb Re-energise Conference and I’m still buzzing from the whole experience.  I feel very lucky that I was able to mix being a speaker with getting to know others at the event and, at the same time, learn from my fellow speakers.  Epic!

While out walking, I pondered on the fact we all mentioned, in our own different ways, that change brings opportunities.  Although this is definitely true, something was niggling me.

How do you go about finding, recognising and creating these opportunities?  Not everyone is naturally enterprising plus we all get stuck from time to time or maybe lose our way.

So here, fresh from these musings, is my Opportunity Kit.  Designed to help you on your career or business adventures…

1. Your Opportunity O-rings
2. Your Opportunity Meter
3. Your Opportunity Catalyst

[ Me, have a science and engineering background?  How can you possibly tell?!! ]

Opportunity Kit  =  O-rings  +  Meter  +  Catalyst

1. Your Opportunity O-rings

To be Opportunity Ready you first need your three special Opportunity O-rings.

Be Open-minded, Open-hearted and Out-there.

They help you to see change as a source of opportunities; encourage you to be curious of the possibilities; enable you to inspire others to do the same.

Stay Open-minded by purposefully taking different perspectives on challenges.  Remain Open-hearted by approaching other people’s views and ideas with interest and kindness.  Be constantly exploring and learning so you’ll be Out-there; connected and curious.

Now you’re Opportunity Ready, how do you know what an opportunity looks like?

2. Your Opportunity Meter

In her inspiring talk, Cath Bishop used the analogy ‘does it make the boat go faster?’  In other words, is it going to help us achieve our aims?

By knowing at a top level what you are trying to achieve you can then sanity check against it.  The same is true when it comes to opportunities.

What are your aims?  What opportunities do you need to create to achieve them?  Is this really an opportunity you’ve found or a red herring?  Use your Opportunity Meter to help you recognise and create real ones.

You are Opportunity Ready.  Your Opportunity Meter is set.  You have a sense of what a real opportunity looks like.  Now what?

3. Your Opportunity Catalyst

Change and opportunities were at the heart of Brian Sims’ uplifting talk.  What was most impactful was his ability to act upon them.

To make an opportunity a real opportunity you have to act, to stir things up, to move things forward.  You are your own Opportunity Catalyst.  Be confident, be brave and move into action.  That’s when the fun begins!

Opportunity Kit  =  O-rings  +  Meter  +  Catalyst

Always remember your Opportunity Kit and you’ll be finding and creating opportunities everywhere you go 😉