This principle is the corollary of Principle # 6 – Concentration of Force. There are never sufficient resources to do everything you want. You have to make choices about what you CAN’T do so you can focus on what you CAN do.
In military manoeuvres, it is often necessary to “Rob Peter to pay Paul.” This means you take forces from areas of lesser importance or where the threat is not as critical, and transfer them to those areas where the payoff is likely going to be higher. The same applies in business. You have to take resources from areas that are underperforming or of lesser importance, so you can reallocate them to areas of higher likely payoff.
How do you do this? Here are some questions you can ask yourself to determine what you can sacrifice to invest in higher yield areas:
- Are there areas of underperformance or that have not performed well in a long time?
- Are there areas where you’ve invested considerable sums but you haven’t seen the results you hoped for?
- Are there areas where you’ve consistently run up against opposition or obstacles and that would require too much effort and time to reach a reasonable payoff?
- Are there areas where you’re simply focusing on your weaknesses rather than your strengths?
This list isn’t exhaustive, but it gives an idea of the types of things you should be looking for in determining where you should be taking resources in order to put them into areas with greater chances of success.
© 2012 Richard Martin. Reproduction and quotes permitted with full and proper attribution.