Business

The Art of Doing

I’ve been looking at a lot of businesses lately and watching with interest as they adapt (or don’t) to today’s business world.

Some are managing the transfer (Coca Cola, Ford, Four Seasons), while others seem to be struggling (BP, Nissan, Nestle). And these are the big boys that should be able to provide the budgets to create a successful strategy – yet as BP, Nissan and Nestle show, that’s not always the case.

So why are companies still struggling to adapt?

Having both worked at and for large corporations, the answer doesn’t always boil down to poor decision-making by the strategy team; it can have more to do with immovability and a “not quite ready yet” mindset from the decision-makers at the top.

Which is why more companies need to start learning the Art of Doing.

The Art of Doing

One thing that’s clear with any company (or at least any one that wants to be successful and stay ahead of the game) is the want for change. This could be a change in the way you do business; a change in the people that run things; a change in corporate culture; or a myriad of other compartments.

But there’s a big difference between want and making happen.

Both Ford and Nissan wanted to run a successful social media campaign for their latest products; but only Ford really made it happen. Nissan had great early success, for sure, but early success doesn’t guarantee long-term returns – something the negative reaction to the second half of Nissan’s Cube campaign shows only too well.

So how do you switch from want to do?

Make sure your ship is watertight. When you plan something, there are always going to be uncertainties. How you plan for these uncertainties defines your success. Being fluid enough to react to ad-hoc needs is key.
Question interventions. The businesses that are making the successful switch from existing to future are doing so because they have teams that believe in what they’re trying to do. Often those in more expensive suits will question your wisdom; make sure you have answers and questions of your own.
Finite or infinite. A great plan knows that to achieve and measure success, you have to have timelines and guide points. You need to know where you need to be by a certain time, and if you’re not, do you cut the cord or take one last stab at the target?

Get Motion Sickness

In late 2008, the Big Three motor companies – Ford, General Motors and Chrysler – saw their fortunes dip massively as the U.S. economy took a nosedive. As the recession bit, it looked like all three were seriously in danger of going out of business.

It was only a huge financial bail-out that saw GM and Chrysler survive. But Ford didn’t ask for a bail-out; instead, it got motion sickness.

Believing in the company’s new products and the ability to distance itself from the other two strugglers, Ford’s approach to changing things up inside and outside (the strong use of social media and consumer marketers) saw them enjoy a massive turnaround in fortune.

Make motion sickness happen for you:

Ignore the safety harness and take the direction you need to take, no matter how sharp the turn.
Use the accelerator more. Slow and steady might win the race but competition won’t always wait for you to come in.
Ride the dirt track. Just because the same road has always worked before doesn’t mean it always will. Get off the tarmac and onto the mud if you need to.

Every company wants to do. Only the good ones know the art of doing, though. Where does yours fall?

photo credit: otherthings

Walls and Windows

The Berlin Wall was constructed for one simple reason; to divide East and West Germany.

Built shortly after the Second World War, it was a symbol to separate cultures between Western Europe and what was known as the Eastern Bloc.

Walls are solid objects, defined by their ability to separate two factions. They’re built to maintain the status quo.

Windows, on the other hand, allow us to see the world around us and gain wisdom from it.

Business could do with less walls, more windows.

Why Being Obvious Can Be Original Too

Sometimes we look for the smartest ideas and the way-out-there jumping off points to tell a story. We look for the abstract to make people think that our products must be worth knowing, since they can’t be told in a simplistic manner.

And yet sometimes being obvious can be original too. Take a look at this picture of a parking lot opposite the Kansas City Library in the U.S. state of Missouri.

If you came across this building in the street, two things would be apparent – it’s a place tied into books. And it’s cool as hell.

Some other things that stand out?

It doesn’t have artsy pretensions, although it’s definitely a work of art.
It doesn’t shout, “Look at me!” but it does grab your attention.
By going with the classic titles it lends itself to timeless quality.

Sometimes we look for the smartest ideas and the way-out-there jumping off points to tell a story. But as this image shows, being obvious can grab someone’s attention in the simplest of ways.

Something more businesses could learn from. No?

photo credit: jonathan_moreau

System Failure

Companies have systems that they need to adhere to.

Without systems, the natives will run amok and sense and sensibility will come crashing down.

Without systems, nothing will be done because we’ll all be headless chickens and the wolves will be circling the coop.

And yet…

Systems saw Wall Street come crashing down. Systems saw auto manufacturers on the brink of destruction. Systems saw oil companies put profits over people.

Systems don’t always work.?

It’s a Communications Business – Why Aren’t You Communicating?

Port-42 I received a message from a friend today.

She told me that the company she works for were removing Instant Messaging (IM) access for all employees as of June 1st, ?due to employee abuse (they currently use IM as their internal communications platform).

What made it funny was that she used MSN Messenger to tell me ? you have to admire the irony.

Yet it then got me thinking. The company she works for is one of Canada?s largest business communication solution providers. They have approximately 6,000 employees and revenue of over $2 billion.

They service some of the most forward-thinking companies in North America today by providing some truly leading edge communication tools. So why so poor at internal communication?

I can see why they?d remove an external instant messaging service. Productivity could be impacted as well as there being security issues. But to not have any kind of internal messaging system apart from email? This doesn?t seem like effective business practice, particularly for one whose core business is in the business communications field.

It?s not as if there aren?t a host of options available.?Yammer is an excellent Twitter-like option that?s ideal for business use. There’s also?Jabber , which I used during my time at FedEx and again this was a great way of instant communication. These are just two ? there are many others offering even more solutions, like?Socialtext for example.

Email is a great tool, but in today?s business place it?s fast being superseded by instant messaging services. Faster response time, multiple users, less compatibility issues with networks ? these are just some of the key benefits of using IM.

For anyone not using some kind of IM service for their business, perhaps it’s about time you start, and look at the benefits. And for my friend?s company?

Perhaps you should communicate with each other as well as you do with your customers.

photo credit:?Victor Bezrukov