Thursday, May 22
Forget what you THINK you know!
Once you think you're at the point that it's time to write it down, build the manual, and document the formula, you're no longer exploring, questioning the status quo.
-- Lou Gerstner, former Chairman of IBM
This kind of thinking is what brought IBM back from the brink of extinction. In fact, Gerstner wrote a book in 2003 titled, Who Says Elephants Can't Dance?
At the same time that people in business are dealing with the most rapidly changing corporate environments, the most demanding customers, and the toughest economic climate in 15 years, it's totally the wrong time to stop and try to create any kind of formula or fall back on "best practices."
In fact, I'd venture to say that best practices are dead.
What works for others will not work for you.
And certainly not in the same way - how could it?
Different company, different people, different everything. The fact is that successful companies blaze a trail using their unique circumstances, people, leaders, and landscape
- and that trail rolls up right behind them! You can't follow. And you shouldn't try.
-- Lou Gerstner, former Chairman of IBM
This kind of thinking is what brought IBM back from the brink of extinction. In fact, Gerstner wrote a book in 2003 titled, Who Says Elephants Can't Dance?
At the same time that people in business are dealing with the most rapidly changing corporate environments, the most demanding customers, and the toughest economic climate in 15 years, it's totally the wrong time to stop and try to create any kind of formula or fall back on "best practices."
In fact, I'd venture to say that best practices are dead.
What works for others will not work for you.
And certainly not in the same way - how could it?
Different company, different people, different everything. The fact is that successful companies blaze a trail using their unique circumstances, people, leaders, and landscape
- and that trail rolls up right behind them! You can't follow. And you shouldn't try.
That's about as crazy as thinking that watching the Dallas Cowboys play football is going to increase your talents and performance in your weekend warrior football game. It won't
work. You don't have their training, resources, skills, strengths, and competitive environment, do you?
And the point is, your job is to make YOUR elephant dance. You can't do that by watching someone else.
work. You don't have their training, resources, skills, strengths, and competitive environment, do you?
And the point is, your job is to make YOUR elephant dance. You can't do that by watching someone else.
