The Titanic, recessions and even possibly the UK’s recent decision to leave the EU have a lot in common. In both instances, the people in charge made rash decisions that drove major destruction. How can you ensure you always avoid business disaster?
While extreme, these examples can help us understand why 99% of companies are not more successful. Jim Collins, in his recent book, Great by Choice, tells the impressive story of Amundsen versus Scott and their race to be first to the South Pole.
A wonderful analogy – avoiding business disaster
He explains that Amundsen practiced at length, doing an apprenticeship with the Eskimos, learning to ski really well, taking 5 tons of supplies for 3 people- enough to allow for them missing all the depots and over shooting their destination by 100 miles. We learn of his paranoia- to the point where he placed flags across a 20mile distance at each depot and scattered parts of crates along their way like crumbs, to ensure they could not miss them in the driving snow. His paranoia caused him to plan to ensure success- predicting the possible problems and then allowing for them.
Scott’s team, less well advised, took powered sleds that broke in the first few days and ponies that sweated and then died as a result. He took just 1 ton of supplies for 17 people, placing just one flag on each depot. Like many businesses, Scott flew too close to the wind. He arrived at the S Pole 34 days after Amundsen and very sadly died just 11 miles away from a depot.
My advice to you. Paint these two pictures to your leadership team and some of your key staff and ask them to answer this question:
– Are we flying too close to the wind ? or
– Are we planning for success with the same degree of paranoia as Amundsen and the fast growth companies?
For a quick totally objective evaluation of where your business stands today, our Blueprint for Growth evaluation will do the trick.
