Counterfeits

I got involved recently in a discussion with a friend about imitation of Management Gurus. Tom Peters is the best Management Guru as far as I am concerned and there are some poor imitations who are just that – imitations.

Tom Peters has worked for over 25 years to establish his reputation as the worlds leading Management Guru - he is no 'overnight flash in the pan.' It has been hard work with a lot of metaphorical blood, sweat and tears!

I prefer to listen to or read the original person but sad to say there are those who make a living and something of a reputation by copying the original. I guess that is sadly true in all walks of life.

Of course we all know there are very few genuinely original thinkers. Indeed most progress has come about in our development by building on the ideas of others and I have no problem with that. We all do it.

What really annoys me is when someone’s original work is not only copied but the person copying it does so blatantly without even crediting the originator of that work.

I am reading a wonderful book at the moment called Searching Issues by Nicky Gumbel and Nicky uses a wonderful analogy to illustrate the difference between the New Age Movement and Christianity.

I suggest we can use this example in the world of business, management or indeed any walk of life when discussing counterfeits. My opinion is we should try to be ourselves whilst of course learning from the people we admire most and even take 'bits of them' for yourself - but always remain your own person and make your own unique mark on the world.

Anyway .. Enough of my ramblings ..This is what Nicky says in the book …I hope you like it;

The way to spot a counterfeit is to know the real thing really well. Caryl Matrisciana uses a helpful analogy

‘Mum’s been working at the bank for over a year’ my friend Chris told me ‘and she’s been getting the most amazing education.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘She’s been learning all about money.’

‘I guess she’d have to know about money if she’s going to work in a bank’ I laughed.

Chris smiled. ‘I mean she’s really learning about money. They are teaching her to know the colour of each bill, the size of it, even the way its water marked. They are showing her the details of the inks and papers.’

‘How do they teach her?’

‘Well they just keep having her handle it. They point out all the various things they want her to remember. But they figure the more she works with money, feels it, counts it, and stacks it, the more familiar it’ll be to her.’

‘That makes sense I suppose. But what’s the point?’

‘Here’s the point. Yesterday they blindfolded her. They slipped a couple of counterfeit bills in her stack of money. She picked them out by touch.’

‘So she’s studying counterfeit money too then?’

'No … that’s just it. The people at the bank know that a person doesn’t need to study the counterfeits.’

‘I see. But it seems as if they’re going to a lot of trouble. Doesn’t it?’

‘Not really. The bank knows that the counterfeits are getting better and better, more and more sophisticated. And it’s been proved a thousand times over that if a bank teller knows the real money extremely well, he can’t be fooled by the counterfeit.’