Business authors often conjure up the most bizarre management theories and then “prove” them by pointing to current business media darlings like Google, Apple and _____ (who will it be today?).
Book after book and article after article points to what this or that company did to achieve their success – and advises that you and I do what they did to succeed.
The problem is that no one company can stay on top forever. So it’s very tempting for the average author to attempt his 15 minutes of fame by showing how the advice in last year’s bestselling book no longer applies. And unless you listen to HIS brilliant new ideas, your company is doomed as “likely to be a victim of the next market shift. At least you’ll be in good company in the history books.”
Such was the advice of consultant Adam Hartung in a recent Forbes.com article. Hartung advised that you “Stop focusing on your core business. It has become the fast track to oblivion.” He then proves it with stunningly shallow analysis during which he writes off both “Good to Great” by Jim Collins and “In Search of Excellence” by Tom Peters.
His article included gems such as “When markets can shift quickly, focus simply loses its value.” And “If you’re trying to improve your returns with execution, you’re likely to be a victim of the next market shift.”
What does Hartung advocate instead? I had to visit his website to find out. Turns out he advocates his “Phoenix Principle” and something called “Disruptions and White Space.” I’m not going to comment, because I haven’t spent enough time to know what he means.
But astute reader “dave” commented politely that
“…Won’t the time come, if it hasn’t already, that Disruptions and White Space will go the way of ‘the Kraft approach’ or RIM’s ‘app-oplexy’? I seem to recall that ‘In Search of Excellence’ was viewed as the great salvation for business at one time. I assume you don’t believe that there won’t be a successor to the Phoenix Principle?”
“dave’s” comment still awaits a response.
Here’s my thinking on all this:
It’s important to study “Best Practices” because it gives you tactical ideas. But far more important is to study and master “Best Thinking.”
Best practices were best for a company in a particular industry at a particular time. And they were probably the result of careful thought and analysis.
Then 98% of business people go out and thoughtlessly imitate what the model company “did,” forgetting that what they “did” was preceded by clear thinking.
At The Alchemist Entrepreneur™ we focus on clear thinking first, and then on wise practice. As you read through the articles here or go through any of our programs, you’ll start to notice that. My tagline has long been “Clear thinking is your most valuable work.”
Here is the comment I left at Forbes.com below Mr. Hartung’s article:
There are so many problems with this analysis. Where to begin?
1. It is a waste of time to study “best practices” if you haven’t first studied “best thinking.”
A “best practice” that made one company a star, was probably the result of some really good behind the scenes thinking. To imagine that you can imitate the practice without the thinking is not a very mature approach to business or life.
Yet this article, as well as the books it criticizes, focuses on what practices do and don’t “work.”
2. To say “When markets can shift quickly, focus simply loses its value” is plain silly.
“Focus” is not a specific enough concept. Even the author must agree that focus is not an on-or-off switch, but a continuum. At one end would be tunnel vision while on the other would be excessive diversification.
So how can you write an article saying that something as vague as “focus” is either good or bad?
3. This author, like so many others, uses the scare tactic that “Times have changed. What worked yesterday doesn’t work today! Listen to me or you’ll be doomed!”
This, too, is shallow.
Yes, some of the “best practices” that worked in 1975 may no longer work, but the Best Thinking is timeless. What worked for King Solomon works for us.
At The Alchemist Entrepreneur™ http://DovGordon.net we teach Best Thinking first, and best practices second because when you learn to quickly zero in on the key issues and decisions of your business, you have no need to mindlessly imitate today’s business darling.
Dov Gordon
PS – Isn’t it interesting that after a couple of minutes of clicking around on the Forbes billionaire list I came across James Leprino at # 374. How did he make his billions? Cheese. He’s the largest manufacturer of mozzarella cheese in the world. Would the author advise James to start selling sauce or pizzeria tables?
My point: You can always find a company to illustrate one practice or another. So be smart and train yourself in clear thinking. Clear thinking is your most valuable work.
