Irresistible forces account for a lot of our success and
lack of success. That isn't obvious if you read annual
reports and business stories. Most leaders take credit for
any success and blame problems on those pesky forces.
That's harmful because it encourages bad habits that make
dealing with irresistible forces much less successful.
"Throw Me a Towel" --The Cover-Up Stall
It isn't unusual for apparent failures or setbacks to
receive the so-called mushroom treatment (put it in a dark
place). Yet unexpected problems and successes contain the
seeds of opportunity to build from the power of
irresistible forces. Too many organizations treat these
circumstances as though something shameful has just
happened, which would be better off left alone and not
talked about.
In the late 1990s, European consumers grew ever more
concerned about the safety of new American foods produced
through genetic engineering techniques, provoking a
widespread backlash against these products. Monsanto had
been a leader in the development of these new technologies.
In the interests of retaining competitive advantages, the
company had kept its work as secret as possible. The
company even kept the use of its products a secret from
consumers in many cases in the United States.
Obviously, Monsanto hoped that concerns about the safety of
these products would just go away if they kept a low
profile. The opposite result seemed to have occurred, as
the secrecy was interpreted by some as meaning that the
company having something dangerous to hide from consumers.
"Let's Take a Chance" --The Underestimation Stall
Organizations sometimes should take on the most extreme
irresistible forces because their great volatility can
provide competitive insulation, as long as a uniquely
dependable method is applied for dealing with the
volatility. Ignore or underestimate that volatility, and
you will be toast.
Be sure you can handle more than the volatility you take
on. Only a handful of companies specialize in putting out
petroleum fires at well heads. In case you have not run
into this business before, the best way to extinguish such
a fire is to walk into the middle of the inferno carrying
explosives and then to detonate them. This explosion uses
up the oxygen that the fire needs, and the fire often goes
out. If not, another explosion may do the trick.
When the Kuwait oil fields were set aflame by the
retreating Iraqi armies, these companies had little to be
concerned about from new firefighting entrants. Few people
had the skill and courage to take on that irresistible
force. This same challenging opportunity could easily have
proven disastrous for others who were less capable.
These stalls occur and persist in enterprises because human
psychology often fosters a knee-jerk response to
irresistible forces. By becoming a stallbuster, you'll
learn to use irresistible forces to create exponential
growth and success for yourself and your enterprise.
Copyright 2008 Donald W. Mitchell, All Rights Reserved
----------------------------------------------------
Donald Mitchell is chairman of Mitchell and Company, a
strategy and financial consulting firm in Weston, MA. He is
coauthor of seven books including Adventures of an
Optimist, The Irresistible Growth Enterprise, and The
Ultimate Competitive Advantage. You can find free tips for
accomplishing 20 times more by registering at:
====> http://www.2000percentsolution.com .
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