Think like a silversmith to improve your strategy.

Postcards from Rethink Central

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Prefer to read? Here’s the transcript:

If you followed me for a long time, you might know that my first degree was in design. In fact,

I studied as an actual silversmith.

It was very exciting. I went to a very fancy art school. Life was good.

I learned something there that has proven to be extremely useful in my strategy career. Because, that is exactly what I am.

I am a strategy coach. My name is Liz Scully.

Let’s talk about this extremely useful thing I learnt.

Which is this:

When you’re beating a piece of metal with a big hammer – which is 90% of silversmithing – when you’re doing that, if you look across the room and

watch a silversmith working, you’re seeing them working on quite a big level.

They’ve got a big heavy hammer. They’ve got a bit of metal. They’re banging the two together, to produce a lovely shape.

But when you ARE the silversmith, you’re working not just at that big macro, outer level, but

you’re also thinking about the actual molecular level of the metal as it comes together.

You’re thinking about how those molecules line up. Because metal goes through something called ‘work hardening’. So you put it in the flame, all the molecules line up in one direction, they’re very soft – ‘soft’ in silversmithing terms – you can hit them with a hammer, and shape them into the shape you want.

Over time, the metal will harden, – ‘work harden’ – into a shape that is difficult and complex. So, over time you’ll see a silversmith quench – heat and quench the metal over and over again.

Knowing this has been really useful for my strategy work.

Because as we’re looking at the big stuff, the stuff that’s going to grow your business, the stuff that’ll make big change, we’re thinking about those big, heavy blows, the things that are really going to move things along.

And we’re also thinking about the molecular level. The smaller stuff that’ll make a big difference supporting that result.

That way of working, macro and micro together –  you’ve also heard me talk about it as a way to deal with overwhelm – is also a way to deal with strategy.

What big things will make a difference?

What are the exact details that will produce that?

You’d never think that would come from hitting a piece of silver with a big heavy hammer but it did and it makes a huge difference to the way I work now.

If you’d like to see some of that in action, come along to one of my Q&As.

We will hammer into shape – I’m stretching a metaphor here – we will hammer into shape one of your questions, we’ll look at the molecular level of things. Come along. I’d love to see you there.

Let’s talk strategy.

Next live call is October 10, 2023 - Noon Eastern / 6pm UK.
Come along to ask your questions about launches, strategies for marketing, Masterminds or whatever you're stuck on in your business.

Add your email below and I'll send you the zoom info for the calls. See you there!

Or come say hello on Instagram here.  I microblog daily.