New Perspectives through Deframing & Stretching
FIGHTING
In business the ability to fight is a respectable and needed characteristic.
However when people or companies fight for a too long period this can lead to too many unwanted and painful blows, lack of energy, narrowing horizons, a negative spiral and eroding results.
Too many companies end up in round 10 of a heavy boxing match. In this phase both compliments and whipping will not effect results anymore.
More important: what will do the job?
PERSPECTIVE
Rationalizing and optimizing is in principle always needed. But can we expect at all times from our employees, who, at least most of them, deploy themselves intensively, to accept a perspective of downsizing for a period of 2 to 4 years because of negative market developments and increased competition intensity?
Are we not able to create and develop a more inspiring perspective for ourselves instead of “simply” accept disappointing market developments and just act “in line” with that?
THE RIVER
Can we compare ourselves with a “steersman” of a rowing boat putting their rowers strongly to work to move forward against the current on a river which water-level is decreasing structurally?
Next to that our boat gets relatively too heavy resulting in one or two rowers having to leave the boat. While the remaining rowers have to work even harder, business leaders could see their solid economical policy confirmed by a jammed (competitive) boat…. However a policy without any new inspiring perspectives.
WHAT COULD DO THE JOB?
One way could be a redefinition and a synergistic stretching of the concept called the market. Most of the markets are defined with the purpose to frame, simplify or secure our activities. Subsequently many companies use the same and predictable segmentation in a strictly defined market.
What could happen if we deframe, innovate and horizontally, vertically and diagonally deepen, broaden or even transcend our market definition? Probably a different market “description”, different segmentation and many new inspiring perspectives.
What could be the new right strategies to manage all this new perspectives?
Which competences and business methods could be used to generate business effectively and in which preferred or synergistic directions to convert these new perspectives into results?
This is genuinely not easy. Maybe we need a more creative and structured process.
It is never too early, but in most of the cases rather late…
http://www.intelligenthq.com/opinion/can-companies-survive-corporate-boxing-matches-non-worse-for-we