A few weeks ago, while reading a ‘random’ sales article (I read everything 🙂 ), I came across the phrase ‘Hunters & farmers’ and remembered it being mentioned casually while going through Etiquette school a while back. For some reason it picked my interest and as we all do in the 21st century, I pulled out my laptop and typed the phrase ‘hunters & farmers’ – Wow! I was impressed by the number of articles on my screen and knew it was going to be a loooong day. How come I never heard this concept, despite how well-known it seemed to be? Oh well, I was now going to be in the ‘know’ so I spent a couple of hours just enjoying what others had to say…
It wasn’t until later on in the day I found myself asking me the question – what do you know about hunters & farmers? I scribbled down my thoughts:
- A hunter gets quick results – just think about it, a hunter can go out today, kill the animal and on that same day cook the animal for dinner. The farmer on the other hand requires time as there is a season to till, plant, nurture and harvest before getting the result of his work
- A hunter would typically use several bullets (I hope hunting is still legal) to get one animal while the farmer plants one seed and gets lots of fruit as a result of the seed... typically the input of the farmer generates multiple output while the input of the hunter generates a singular output.
- In terms of continuity, the hunter always has to be present for food to be guaranteed for his/her family while the seeds sown by the farmer continuously generate harvest to sustain their family (as long as they tend the farmland) which infers the farmer has a lasting legacy that outlives him/her.
It was at point 3 that I rested my pen, it resonated with the thoughts that had filled my head for some time – the whole concept of being contemplative and thinking about the eternal or lasting consequences of our actions. Isn’t it true that today’s society puts so much pressure on getting results 'now' at the expense of building systems and strategies that outlive us. Many of us have been sucked in to the desire to gratify ourselves rather than spare a thought for how our actions affect those closest and dearest to us.
Don’t get me wrong, I am a sales person at heart and I can say the hunter outlook is highly beneficial as stuff gets done but perhaps there is a need to balance our quest for achievement with a desire to build & fuel relationships which leave a legacy and endear people to us.
Those with the Farmer instinct look out for others and ensure their success is spread out. I would like to sign off on this random chat today by leaving you with just one thought – ‘how can I balance my hunter instincts with farmer tendencies to draw more people into my world?
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
"Farming is a profession of hope."
- Brian Brett
