Opportunity as defined by Princeton.edu is “a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances; a chance for advancement, progress or profit; a favorable circumstance or occasion.” Let’s examine Brian Lara again. Numerous opportunities came his way. Opportunity number one was that his family paid attention to what the 10th child of their 11 children did. His father and sister noticed he was good at cricket. Opportunity number two, they enrolled him in the Harvard Coaching Clinic at the age of six; resulting in a very early education in batting techniques. Number three he attended Fatima College, a very good school in which he had to balance his studies and cricket. He learned time management and dedication.
Opportunity number four, after completing his studies he moved in with fellow Trinidadian test player Michael Carew. Opportunity number five, Michael’s dad was Joey Carew. Who was Joey Carew? He was a former West Indies player and Test selector. Carew organized a job for Brian Lara with Angostura Bitters. Opportunity number six, the CEO of Angostura was Clive Cook. Number seven, Clive Cook wanted to hire Lara, so that he could have financial security and focus on professional cricket. Carew advised Lara to remain in Trinidad and accept the offer instead of playing league cricket in England. What did those opportunities have in common? They gave Brian Lara more time to focus and practice his cricket skills. Would Lara have received so many opportunities had he not worked hard on his abilities? No. He may have gotten a few, but none leading to his eventual success.
The third element that is a factor in our success is “arbitrary advantage” as Gladwell calls it. I believe that Lara’s arbitrary advantage was being born in 1969. Why? The West Indies cricket team dominated the cricket landscape in the 1970’s and 1980’s. It was perfect timing because the power of the Team and its players (Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Vivian Richards, Sir Frank Worrell, Clive Lloyd, Gordon Greenidge) served as role models for Lara to follow. The significance and effect of having role models should never be under-estimated. Being around during this time of cricketing success and being able to see, examine and learn from these players were bonuses.
Brian Lara is an international celebrity. I am currently in India (have been for many months), and the locals would ask me, “Which country?” Initially I answered, “Trinidad.” They would then say, “Canada?” The name Trinidad flew over their heads, so I instead would say, “West Indies.” An entirely new world opened up and continues to open up because of that. Why, because when I say West Indies, their immediate reply is, “Brian Lara?!” with big smiles on their faces. We then begin to communicate and trade cricket stories; by means of broken English, broken Hindi and many hand signals. A barrier that previously existed is now removed. Who would ever think a West Indian cricketer from such a small country could so greatly affect the life and experience of a Caribbean-born architect thousands of miles away?
How does this relate to the architecture profession in this current slump? All I have done here is applied Malcolm Gladwell’s theory on Outliers to Brian Lara’s career to point out that success is not a random act. The three main points offered here – ability, opportunity, and random chance (2 out of 3 ain’t bad) – offers us an explanation and solution to making it in the profession and especially in these tough economic times.
Almost everyone has some sort of ability. We have control over improving our abilities by the amount of time and effort we spend honing our skills, continually educating ourselves and applying that education. You (and your family) can determine when and how you get your 10,000 hours in. What about the opportunity? Putting in those 10,000 hours prepares you for the opportunities when they come, and they do. Architecture Caribbean is here to facilitate your 10,000 hours, opportunities, and maybe even the possibility of arbitrary advantage. The onus is on you to grab it! It is what makes the difference between having 2 jobs to choose from, versus 15 jobs to choose from; between having a job and having a career.
Start putting in your 10,000 hours and prepare yourself for opportunities. Architecture Caribbean is a platform for you (architects, engineers, visual artists, students). The site is yours, not ours. It was created for YOU. Make use of the opportunities presented to you, it is the way to success.
