Behaviors that unite
By Howard Coleman
If you have been following our “Reinvention” based series of articles here in Industrial Supply, I surely have been trying to drive home the point that the competitive landscape could not be more different than what is was just a short time ago.
The accelerated pace demands that companies move from occasional improvement projects to a continuous reinvention process. In short, we’ve entered an era where continuous turbulence demands continuous reinvention.
It seems to me, therefore, that another important question would be: “What does this mean for the way we strategize”? What tools and approaches should we be using?
So, I’ve decided to break-down my comments into two separate articles:
Part 1: “Behaviors That Unite” – I’ll discuss the mindsets required to be successful in any reinvention effort.
Part 2 – “A Deliberate vs. Emergent Strategy?” is planned for a future Online Exclusive.
Part 1: Behaviors That Unite
Successful individuals and companies tend to have a commonality to their success — behaviors that unite them regardless of the industry or culture they operate in or even the country in which they reside. They are things that allow them to thrive consistently over the long run.
They are a display, a sense, of perspective, an ability to be perceptive, a constant hunger to pioneer, and a constant persistence.
Perspective. With time and experience comes a sense of perspective, an understanding that the world does not revolve around oneself or the company. This allows one to become more empathetic, generous, and invest in relationships – relationships for the long run.
A sense of perspective also brings with it the realization that life and career will bring a tangle of good and bad, ups and downs. To succeed, one needs to grimace and march on, while not losing all sense of proportion.
Perspective is also important to companies, so they see where they fit in their eco-systems and can determine both who to partner with but also to visualize their category broadly enough to see opportunities and threats outside a narrow slice of geography, time, or market.
Perceptiveness. The dictionary defines someone who is perceptive as one who is “very good at noticing and understanding things that many people do not notice”. This can be about how one deals with people, seeing a niche or hiccup in a process that many may miss, or be self-aware of one’s weaknesses and attitudes. For instance, our data informs us, but insight and wisdom are extracted by the perceptive.
Perception means being close to our customers and market trends and paying attention to the little signals. It’s a combination of “emotional quotient” (EQ) and an increased sensitivity to the finer shade of things. Our perception, and their power and precision, will be what drives profitable results.
Pioneering. Long lasting firms innovate, invent and are idea driven. They do not let their roots tie them down, but rather use the roots to “feed their wings to fly to the future”. These innovations can be across a range of company’s systems; from supply chain to logistics, to customer service – and beyond; like re-thinking their business. So, there are many forms of pioneering.
Persistence. Part of persistence is continued practice….of a craft, a skill, an art. In all of my recent articles on the topic of the need for frequent “reinvention,” I’ve emphasized the need to “build a habit.” A lot of that is persistence; recognizing that it is in the “doing,” the improvements, the reinvention and repair – that forges us in the furnace of industry and life.
A Deliberate versus Emergent Strategy
In Part 2 of this series, I’ll attempt to answer what tools and approach should we use. In a world of constant disruption, which “school of strategy” is more useful today - which works the best today?
As a starter, consider this:
Deliberate Strategy. Emphasizes careful planning before taking action. It’s built on the idea that the most important decisions are made before a single step is taken. Once these decisions are made, implementation becomes a separate process of pure execution. Little to no adjustments may be allowed. For decades now, this approach worked well, providing a clear roadmap for stability and growth in a predictable environment. But today’s environment is anything but stable – and what about adaptation?
Emergent Strategy. Instead of mapping out every step in advance, it emphasizes trying, learning, and adapting along the way. Here, strategy emerges over time as plans collide with – and accommodate – the ever-changing reality. Emergent Strategy doesn’t view strategy as a rigid plan, rather it creates an agile process that allows for “continuous reinvention.”
So you see, there is a lot to evaluate – what strategy is most appropriate?
Howard W. Coleman is principal at MCA Associates, a management consulting firm since 1986. He works with wholesale distribution and manufacturing companies that are seeking and committed to operational excellence. MCA Associates may be contacted at 203-906-7268, or by email at howard_coleman@hotmail.com.
INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The September/October issue of Industrial Supply magazine features an in-depth cover story about Rotator Products. Plus, we're featuring articles by contributing writers Dr. Bharani Nagarathnam and Frank Hurtte, as well as interviews with numerous product and distribution industry experts.
