I like the whole idea of one. Do one thing; do it well. Boil it down to a core essence, the primary fulcrum, and
focus on that relentlessly.
Obsess. Become famous for
it. Own something. I just wish I could act on my
convictions.
Many companies and people are attracted to this notion, but
very few live by it. They
hedge. They diversify. They extend. They unfocus.
They seek multi-dimensionality and typically arrive at
non-dimensionality.
I see so many businesses stuck in this quagmire. Somewhere in history they traded their
single-minded focus for a multi-front campaign. They spend decades honing their core business and
competency, then assume that over the course of 3-4 years they can recreate
that magic in a new category or channel or country. And they usually don’t. They end up with average. And rather than retreating or forging ahead they hold, then they
extend again and again and again until the company is more average than great. Starbucks. Campbell Soup.
Burger King. KFC.
My generation of leadership inherited this mess. Sins of the father and the diversify
movement. We are beholden to Wall
Street to grow …. so we shutter to think what shedding all this revenue would
mean. And truth be told, many of
these ancillary lines can’t even be divested. Who wants to buy PowerAde from Coke? What CEO is willing to admit the
millions poured into these average brands has been a bust? That not just the revenue, but the
asset, needs written off?
Agencies do this too.
Rather than accept that their resources should be leveraged against a
core competency … say creative… they invest bodies and mindshare against
disciplines where they are average at best. The net effect is that clients see them as average. That the weak link breaks the chain.
And we do it as people. Our personal lives are hallmarked by over commitments in the
numerous areas we strive to master.
Husband. Dad. Friend. Brother. Son.
Oh I know this is idealistic. But isn’t that the point? To shoot for the moon and at least hit the ceiling. The construct is focus, simplicity,
subtraction. Uni-tasking... not multi-tasking.
I just wish I could act on my convictions.
How about you?
Preach it !!
ReplyDeleteIt is so much easier to start something than it is to maintain and grow. When pushed for ever-better returns, companies release new products that can provide a temporary boost. Perhaps the new products should be released as temporary, also.
Another reason might be the reality that some executives are starters, and some builders. If the company is led by a starter, he or she needs to have some strong builders ready to step in and take the wheel.
I live to start things. Starting hings keeps me alive. The challenege comes in either building them OR killing them off. Because building doesn't ring my bell, and pride keeps me from killing the off - far too often, the orphaned idea dies a slow expensive death.
The Orphaned Idea...you should write a blog about that.
Delete