Paradigm Coexistence - Reality and Idealism

Have been out of action for a while in the virtual world, as I was kept occupied by brick-and-mortar tasks. Am glad to be back to share some insights. There is a constant vacillation between realism and idealism, a clear instance of the tug-of-war between the "left and right" side of the grey matter.

I had dinner with a very nice gentleman, and we touched on the issue on how can we incorporate best practices into our business model. A fair number of organisations may have legacy issues that make it daunting for them to embark on change. Change is inevitable given the customer-centric environment that we are in today. Task-oriented masters in their desires to enhance performance may be looking up the wrong lamp post. With a well-established body of know-hows that works fine in a developed and transparent market, the trick is how to tweak it successfully for a less forgiving environment that we live in. Perhaps a strategy-focused performance measurement scorecard with a human touch could be the way to go.

Individuals are willing to accept change and we need to understand the motivation for that. It is perhaps heartening to experience first hand of individuals willing to make a call to champion a cause, push the envelope to embrace change, and to take some knocks along the way. We all come out wiser and better from the experience, and also progress towards a new paradigm. With such positive experiences, we ought to take the time to understand the motivation for the change. How can we replicate such successes to future instances? One important consideration to note, is that although the future is by definition uncertain, some traits are less susceptible to change, thus some outcomes in the longer run can be predicted to some degree of accuracy. It is crucial for us to detect such signals, at times weak, and take the cue to take advantage of the available opportunities and avoid the pitfalls.

Examples:

Positive
1. Develop a compelling value proposition with first mover advantage. Resolve the last-mile issue so that the fulfillment to the customers is complete.

2. Leverage on core competencies and relevant technology to create uncontested marketspace.

Negative
1. Hop onto a bandwagon likened to the days of the gold rush two centuries ago, just to make some quick bucks. As barrier is low and ease of entry, it also attracts marginal players, and the end result is a commodity-type environment, and the basis of competing is price. It is inevitable that a shake-out will occur, and all the time and effort came to nought. Remember Bubble Tea!

2. Me-too idea with no or limited differentiation. Customers are empowered with better choices, and the emergence of micro-markets as the result. It is better to establish a niche and offer top-notch service with no peers in that category.

With perserverance and foresight, we can map our path accordingly, and we should take the time to articulate our thoughts before communicating them to the target audeince. With clarity of mind and focus, the team will be up to the task to execute.

Next: How to surface and nip issues at the bud?