A couple of days ago, I was checking to see if Emily Dickinson ever played any Beethoven on the piano. While there is no evidence that that might have been the case, I did stumble upon a site with this quote from Dickinson, “My business is to sing.”
Hmm…did she mean herself, her business was to sing? And by “sing,” did she mean “write poetry”?
Well, no, not really – but close.
The quote comes from a letter to a sick friend, and in it Dickinson stated,, “My business is to love,” and then she compared her “business” to that of a bird she’d encountered:
“I found a bird, this morning, down - down - on a little bush at the foot of the garden, and wherefore sing, I said, since nobody hears?
One sob in the throat, one flutter of my bosom - "My business is to sing" - and away she rose!”
LOL – I’m going venture into territory here that I generally despise – corporate jargon – because but all of Dickinson’s “my business” stuff reminded me of the “Hedgehog Concept” from the book “Good to Great,” a concept related to the intersection of three circles: 1) what you are deeply passionate about, 2) what you can be the best in the world at, and 3) what best drives your “economic or resource engine.”
The name “hedgehog effect” comes from an ancient Greek parable where a fox is said to know many things, while a hedgehog only knows one big thing - which is to curl up into a ball with its spikes out, representing the idea of focusing on a single, strong core competency rather than trying to do many things moderately well; essentially, the hedgehog's "one big thing" is its defense mechanism, which is highly effective when utilized fully.
I always thought it odd that in professional development seminars I attended, consultants and higher-ups would encourage us to focus on our “hedgehog skills,” and the idea was all based on an animal’s defense mechanism.
I mean, I like the idea of focusing on something you’re passionate about (a la Dickinson), but I cringe at the thought of thinking of one’s passion in terms of defense reactions.
Hmm…did she mean herself, her business was to sing? And by “sing,” did she mean “write poetry”?
Well, no, not really – but close.
The quote comes from a letter to a sick friend, and in it Dickinson stated,, “My business is to love,” and then she compared her “business” to that of a bird she’d encountered:
“I found a bird, this morning, down - down - on a little bush at the foot of the garden, and wherefore sing, I said, since nobody hears?
One sob in the throat, one flutter of my bosom - "My business is to sing" - and away she rose!”
LOL – I’m going venture into territory here that I generally despise – corporate jargon – because but all of Dickinson’s “my business” stuff reminded me of the “Hedgehog Concept” from the book “Good to Great,” a concept related to the intersection of three circles: 1) what you are deeply passionate about, 2) what you can be the best in the world at, and 3) what best drives your “economic or resource engine.”
The name “hedgehog effect” comes from an ancient Greek parable where a fox is said to know many things, while a hedgehog only knows one big thing - which is to curl up into a ball with its spikes out, representing the idea of focusing on a single, strong core competency rather than trying to do many things moderately well; essentially, the hedgehog's "one big thing" is its defense mechanism, which is highly effective when utilized fully.
I always thought it odd that in professional development seminars I attended, consultants and higher-ups would encourage us to focus on our “hedgehog skills,” and the idea was all based on an animal’s defense mechanism.
I mean, I like the idea of focusing on something you’re passionate about (a la Dickinson), but I cringe at the thought of thinking of one’s passion in terms of defense reactions.
| LOL – I apologize for turning corporate, so let me instead highlight another, more literate, comparison – that of Jacob Marley’s rebuke of Ebenezer Scrooge’s outlook on life: “The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!” I think Dickinson would find that comparison a bit more to her liking – and as she said, her business was love. BTW: The complete letter referenced above can be found HERE. |  |
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