I read
books and articles on management, innovation, and execution all the time. The authors I follow are smart and
experienced and I often see potential for applying their ideas. But, to do it effectively, I have to remember
that –

• Not one of them is always right

• Not one of them has all the answers

• Not one of them knows my specific business environment

I
can’t simply take what I’ve read and apply it exactly the same way.

I also can’t take what I may have done in one company and apply it unchanged in another.

Are
the internal systems in our current organization similar to those in the
organization where this concept worked? Are
the culture and values similar? Are the
business models similar?

Are we
attempting to copy one aspect of a successful strategy and not paying attention
to every aspect? How do we know the
practice being applied was the cause of the desired result?

There
is no plug and play.

Before
we can adopt a practice, it must be adapted to our specific situation.

If that’s
not possible – move on to the next idea!