Explode Your Box!!

There has been a lot written and said recently about thinking outside the box, thinking outside the lines, and expanding your horizons. Steve Coats and Tim Heuer wrote a very good book titled “There is No Box” with compelling ideas about why and how companies and their executives need to think differently.

Marketers know that the way to bring attention to a product or service is to stand out from the crowd, do something differently, and deliver a compelling message in a unique way. During a recession when others are pulling back one line of thought is to increase investment in advertising. In many cases not only will you stand out from the crowd but you may be able to buy market share more economically than in times of economic growth. Unfortunately in many companies it does not happen. Opportunities are lost.

Why is it so hard to change?

My hunch is that each of us has a box we carry with us. For some of us the box is bigger than others. When times are rough, such as in this recession, human nature is to go where we are safe. Go hide in our box. Maintain the status quo. Ride it out until things get better.

We are missing a big opportunity. It is time to explode the box. It is time to explode your box and think creatively about the future.

When I was in the Navy we regularly prepared for our job by participating in “war games.” The crew of the submarine would simulate a situation where we would attack the enemy, accomplish our mission and hopefully live to fight another day. We learned a lot about our decision-making ability as a team, about the way we communicated with each other under stress, and about what tactics work and which ones didn’t. Our payoff was the confidence that we would know what to do if and when we ever needed to play the game for real. So why can’t we do this in business? Rather than retreat to our box lets explode the box!

What are the “givens” in your business?

The givens are the absolutes, the critical assumptions that if upset would be game changing. How would you compete if your givens suddenly changed?

What if you lost the patent protection on your best product? What if your best product received a failing grade in Consumer Reports? What if your competitor lowered the price on their product by 50%? What if your competitor figured out how to reach your customer in a new, cost effective way that made your current sales force obsolete?

These examples ask what would you do if your competitor moved first. Another way to look at the exercise is to ask what game changing moves can and should you consider to put your competitor on the defensive and build a sustainable advantage?

How do you get started?

The first rule is to perform the exercise proactively, before you need to in real life. That way you can make mistakes and learn from them. The second rule is to take the exercise seriously, consider performing it off site with few distractions (i.e. leave the Blackberry at the door). Gather your team together and ask yourself what you would do if a game changing event occurred to you and your business? How would you respond? How would you make lemonade out of lemons?

In this day when so many are running scared explode your box, change the rules of the game and have fun!

Until next time – All the best!

RolandB

This article was first published in the Inside Indiana e-newsletter December 15, 2009.

Do it with passion!

I was having lunch with a friend of mine last week. She and her team had written an article documenting a clinical trial we had sponsored. We succeeded in getting the piece published in a reputable peer reviewed journal. The response was positive and one of the authors was invited to present the paper at the annual meeting of a key doctor group. Both events have generated considerable press coverage. All-in-all a very successful project.

We were talking about things we did right. At one point she said many people in her office were impressed by the passion I had for the project. She said it was contagious. They performed better which got others to perform better.

I paused, smiled and thanked her for the comment. Afterward I got to thinking our project succeeded where others had not been as successful. If having a positive attitude was one small piece in its overall success I’ll take it.

I choose to wake up on most days and be excited about what I’m doing. I also like to work with others that feel the same way. Unfortunately there are lots of people out there that don’t feel the same way. I recently came across an article that summarized a survey of over 7,500 employees and interviews with 40 HR and line managers on employee engagement. The report found that 19% of those interviewed are completely disengaged, and 13% are disillusioned and at risk for becoming disengaged. A disengaged employee is an energy “taker” who uses energy and takes motivation down with them. If these statistics are correct and you have a team of 6 members there is a good chance that 2 of them may be dragging you and your team down.

Surround yourself with “Tiggers”
So what do you do? Mindy Grossman, Chief Executive of HSN Inc. was profiled in an article in the NY Times recently. In the article she said
“There are a number of things that are really important to me. One … is that you only hire Tiggers. You don’t hire Eeyores. It doesn’t mean they have to be loud, but I need energy-givers and I have to get a feeling that this person is going to be able to inspire people. Are they going to be optimistic about where they’re going? Are they going to attract people who are like that?”

Unfortunately most of the time we may not get to choose the members or our team. We make the best with what we have.

Make a difference
We do choose every day how we look at challenges and how we treat others. If we treat each other with respect, if we have passion about what we are doing and what our team can achieve my feeling is that the energy spreads. We create “Tiggers” around us.

Leadership begins with you. You choose how you will be perceived by your team. Are you concentrating on the positive? Are you shooting for the stars?

Do everything with passion! You may be surprised with what your team will come up with.

Until next time – all the best!

RolandB




Image: Tigger photo