Greece is recognised as the birthplace of modern scientific thinking. It was the first place in the world that cast aside religion and looked into science, seeking to understand the underlying mechanisms of the natural world and then manipulate them to produce predictable results.
This pursuit of knowledge and understanding made ancient Greece dominant in its time. A curious mind and a desire to acquire facts, not beliefs, drove ancient Greece to greatness.
Knowledge then travelled from ancient Greece through Rome and later on through Europe; this explains why Europe came to dominate the rest of the world simply because it adopted the same methodology.
It's not just science that made ancient Greece great; it is striving to get predictable results that made it great.
They used science as a vehicle to achieve their goals. First, they studied the causes of various phenomena. Once they knew the reason for things, they could reliably estimate how something would behave and predict the results they would get.
Key Takeaways for Managers in Today's Business Landscape
The manager can learn a lot from the ancient Greeks. The manager strives to get results in the business and fulfil the goals and primary purpose of the company, whether that primary purpose is to make a profit, achieve a particular milestone, overcome a challenge, innovate and create new products, or any other metric.
The manager's primary function is determining whether they get results for the stated purposes.
Some may say, "But you can't just ignore that managing different people is not that straightforward; thus, management wouldn't be as precise as science." Of course, it is a valid point, but still, you can borrow a lot from science to achieve higher success in your management endeavours.
One starts with a stated goal. For example, you aim to launch a brand-new product onto the market and have brainstormed the concept of Wingjucks (made up word). After a period of heavy pushing and much effort, you come to a point where you realise that something is just not working.
You did the homework and some marketing; it all looked good on paper. Additionally, you went out there, discovered the potential market, and gave it a good bang, but it failed to produce the expected results.
Applying the Ancient Greek Approach
Okay, now what? You could pursue a new concept, venture, business, or idea; however, let us take a point of view from the lessons introduced by the ancient Greeks. Based on some of their methodologies, you must separate what you did from what factually happened.
Let us examine all the facts surrounding the situation; let's not wallow in defeat but review carefully. So you go out there and ask your prospects to whom you offered the product to tell why they did not buy it.
Considering that you spent a great deal of time building a database and contacting lots of new clients, but they didn't buy what you offered, understanding why they did not would be more valuable than the time you lost.
From your discovery, you find out that Jerk Chicken Wings have been extensively sold in the area for the past few years, and everybody was familiar with the product, so there was nothing new about wings. Nonetheless, you should have known earlier that wings were trendy when sold in that area, which indicates that some of your hypotheses were valid and that there was, in fact, a great deal of potential in the area.
You then recognise that they were starving for something similar to Jerk Chicken Wings. You redesign your plan to include what is needed and wanted; voila, you hit a winner.
By establishing the correct metrics and studiously assessing the scene, you can estimate if the strategy and all the busy work are aligned to get the expected results. And if things are not aligned, you must have the humility and strength to say, okay, this or that isn't working; let's examine what has happened and find out what went wrong.
When the data changes, we change.
The ancient Greek approach to understanding the world and achieving predictable results can still teach modern managers valuable lessons in adaptation, research, and problem-solving. By embracing these practical and tried methodologies and principles, you can unlock new levels of success and innovation in your organisation.
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