Mindware - the most dangerous of all the “wares”

You’ve probably heard of the common "wares" we deal with every day—software, hardware, even firmware. But have you ever heard of Mindware? It’s the set of mental tools, rules, knowledge, and procedures that a person uses for problem-solving and decision-making.

Now, let’s borrow that definition and extend it to the groups of people that form our businesses and organizations. When we do, this collective Mindware becomes the very underpinning of a company's operational capacity.

Here's an idea that many overlook, yet its validity has remained unchallenged: to truly understand a business and how it works, you must first understand the Mindware it operates on.

Just like software or hardware, Mindware operates on a specific set of rules and instructions. These rules can come from official policies and procedures, but when those aren't present, they often come from the good old-fashioned excuse: "We’ve always done it that way."

In any organization, there comes a time for a "Hardware Refresh" or a "Software Refresh" when technology reaches its end of life. But what about the company's thinking? Where is the "Mindware Refresh"? You won’t find that as a line item on any budget.

This is the unfortunate situation many business owners find themselves in, often without even knowing Mindware exists. And it is for this exact reason that Mindware is the most dangerous of all the "wares."

Salesmen will always pitch that ransomware or malware could bankrupt you. I’m here to say that outdated Mindware will bankrupt you. Just like a virus exposes weak points in a system’s architecture, a company's Mindware reveals exactly where the business will fail when tested. Time is the only remaining variable in that equation.

The real question isn't if you need a Mindware Refresh, but when.

Waiting for a crisis to reveal your company's outdated thinking is a strategy for failure. The most resilient organizations are proactive. They challenge the invisible rules and assumptions that govern their daily operations before those rules become liabilities.

So, where do you start? It begins with a simple question.

Here is your call to action: Go to your team and ask them, "What is something we only do because 'that's how we've always done it'?"

Listen to the answers. The process, policy, or procedure that follows is the starting point for your first Mindware Refresh. It’s the first step in protecting your business from the one threat that no software can stop. Don't let your greatest liability be the one you can't see.

-Josh