Good to Great

In his new book, "Outliers", author Malcolm Gladwell claims that the difference between good and great is about 10,000 hours. In studying great musicians, artists, business people and other creative types who practice their trade, he noted that the "great" performers, those who are truly outstanding, have devoted 10,000 hours or more to their endeavors. These are the few who are truly great.

In real terms, that means if you had spent 20 hours a week at your chosen profession or craft for 10 years you would have put in over 10,000 hours, and because of that, you should be a great performer; a truly "world class" performer.

Being "good" at what we do makes us just average, but being "great" requires that we hone our marketing and management skills to a fine edge over a 10,000 hour period; that what we do every day is being done with a surgeon's skill. "Precision Marketing" as I call it means that we understand the problem definition process, understand strategy, tactics and implementation time lines. The great ones know how to get it done and how to get it done right. There is no room in today's brutally competitive environment to miss a note, to play off key or to miss a stroke. The great ones always perform.

For those of us in the entertainment business who have put in this kind of time, how many of us feel we are truly great? How many of us can look at issues and quickly, with precision accuracy, define the issues as well as developing potential solutions?

If you haven't put in your time and spent the 10,000 required hours, what would you do now to become great at what you do?