Fundamentalist

In my books a fundamentalist is a person who is sure to know it all and stops listening to rational arguments.

I meet two types of fundamentalist very frequently.

The first type is the person who tells me ‘My business is totally different’. I get this type of comment on and off during my seminars when my seminar participants are confronted with a new type of knowledge. Obviously, I cannot argue that; every industry has its particular environment. However, I am more concerned that people who say this, typicall,y think they know it all and STOP LISTENING, i.e. being a fundamentalist. The contrary is actually closer to the truth. It is always worthwhile to listen and absorb information. More often than not, there is something to be picked up from ‘the other side’. To give you an example. I just finished a seminar that also included a module about risk management. The participants were from different industries and had also different function e.g. frontline, support staff. They were quite amazed how much they could learn from somebody who is neither a specialist in their industry nor has a similar type of job.

The other type of fundamentalist looks at something and says ‘I don’t need this’. Older people often say ‘I don’t need this anymore’. I recall a conversation with a business friend of mine and we were talking about new phones and apps. I shared with him my experience that first there is a bit of ‘playing around ’with the new apps. And all of a sudden you find some nifty, very useful apps. My comment that he can’t judge if he needs it or not without, at least, checking it out, did not find his acceptance. He is still my very good friend but a fundamentalist.