Tag Archives: competitive advantage

Crushing the Competition

Prize for the Winner

Whether your disposition tends toward competitiveness or no, as business organizations we need to outperform others in our industry. To not do so puts all stakeholders at risk–employees, investors, lenders, customers, vendors, etc. But, when a headline like the one above is read, it can cause some to bristle. Why is that? Probably because we have all seen the abusive pursuit of a goal cause collateral damage. And, yet, “crush” seems a little strong…

A conference of HR professionals that concluded in Raleigh today (#12hrmc) carried the above title. One of the speakers made the insightful comment that, while larger companies can boast greater revenues or number of employees, but  “no one can take away a competitive advantage of preferred culture.” This sentiment is great news for managers in organizations that are playing ‘catch up.’ If you find yourself in just such a situation, read on! There’s opportunity to be explored, but it may just require a reinvention of yourself and the structure around you. Innovation will be key to repositioning. Jacqueline Byrd (@creatrixinc) describes the type of innovation required as a combination of creativity and risk taking.

Byrd isolates four key components of creativity: ambiguity, independence, inner-directedness, and uniqueness. Ambiguity describes an employee’s ability to work without clear input. Independence is the competency wherein the individual can work in solitude and make progress. “Tuning in” to your inner voice to find calling is inner-directedness. Differentiation from one’s self and others defines uniqueness.

Risk-taking competencies include: authenticity, resilience, and self-acceptance. Authenticity equates to speaking what is top of mind, yet not necessarily harsh or brash. Believing everything will work out if we but persist is resilience. Those who can see shortcomings and lack of success as “learning” rather than “failure” are masters of self-acceptance.

Organizations that foster creativity and risk-taking, learn how to build innovation systems into their DNA, and celebrate both success and attempts that do not succeed are rare. They usually are very effective in:

  • attracting top talent
  • offering products and services with the “wow” factor, and
  • carving out a competitive advantage that can be sustained

If you work in a culture that resembles this pattern, chances are very good that you are crushing your competition–even if that is not your personality;)

 

Innovation “Stickiness”

“To innovate or not to innovate” is not The Question. We live in a business world (and, increasingly, beyond business) wherein the drive to be competitive means irrelevance lingers for those who do not continuously improve their craft. The Question becomes, “What is your organization doing to make innovation ‘sticky’???”

Management gurus like Jim Andrew of the Boston Consulting Group articulate the value proposition for innovation very nicely. (see: http://ow.ly/9aXoP) Yet, what seems to be lacking in many of the discussions is how to keep positive change going, growing, and gaining acceptance. In an upcoming presentation to HR leaders at the CAI conference, “Crushing Your Competition With Your Culture & Talent,” (http://ow.ly/9aYYl) we will be talking about the stickiness factor as it applies to innovation.

Silk fiber strength = stickiness!

Often, when we are trying to explain a nuance of a challenging problem, we turn to nature. The spider’s web is a great simile for innovation. How is it that a spider can weave an intricate web that catches others, but not itself, in its sticky strands? Scientists have studied these webs and found that the threads that are taut and strong are the stickiest, and the looser ones the pathway by which the spider traverses the web without becoming stuck. If the spider prey encounters, on the other hand, threads that are too sticky (strong), a struggle can break the strand and the prey is liberated. Yet, if the “glue” is only so sticky, a struggle may momentarily free the prey, only to become attached to additional strands that eventually fatigue the struggling prey before the battle is lost.

The concept of sufficient stickiness applies to organizations in this way: if we develop ideas with insufficient “strength,” they lack staying power because they don’t captivate; but ideas that are too strong/rigid break under the pressure of market forces. Balance is key! Whether you have actually read Malcom Gladwell’s Tipping Point or the brothers Heath’s Made to Stick, you have probably observed ideas that come and go versus those that have longer lives. It is incumbent upon us as managers, agents, and advocates of innovation to tell a story of uncommon sense that is founded in a value that can be demonstrated.

What? If our innovation does not lead to a competitive advantage that is unambiguous and precise, then there’s no point. Even if we have something of concrete value, there has to be a uniqueness that tackles an issue in a new way to capture the minds of your intended audience. Differentiated ideas/initiatives that are clearly articulated, finally, must be shared in such a way that the listener is drawn emotionally into the narrative and feels compelled to “get on board.” Resist becoming too enamored with one’s knowledge, however, as the inability to adapt/consider alternate viewpoints can be the hubris that breaks the strands of success!