There are certain
management theorists and practitioners that I follow. I read and admire their work and I often see
the potential for applying their concepts to my own situations.  

However, not one
of them is always right. Not one of them
has all the answers. And in most cases,
not one of them is intimately familiar with the environment in which I’m
operating.

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

Before you can adopt a practice, it needs to be adapted to your organization.

This also holds
true for concepts that you may have applied in one company and are now
interested in applying to another. 

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

Are you
attempting to copy one aspect of a successful strategy and not paying attention
to the other aspects? How do you know
the practice you’re copying was really the cause of the desired results?

Apply ideas when
and how they are appropriate to your
environment. There is no plug and play. 

Adapt and adopt. Or, if that’s not possible – move on to the
next idea!

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