Be Different or be dead

October 21, 2013

Why ‘heading west’ makes a really good business plan

Source: Pexels

Why ‘heading west’ makes a really good business plan.

‘Let’s head west’ might not be seen by many to be a sound business plan.

After all, it is a rather a vague goal; a foggy picture of what it will look like when the destination is reached.

That said, I suggest that it is a meaningful outcome to achieve, because it is impossible to see what the eventual outcome looks like when it is declared.

There are too many unpredictable variables impossible to account for up front will come into play once the journey ‘west’ is undertaken.

Economic fluctuations. New competitive moves. Changing customer demands. New disruptive technologies.

All are impossible to define when a business plan strategy is formulated.

And in fact it is unproductive to spend copious amounts of time trying to account for the random and unpredictable events that will hit you upfront when the strategy is being developed.

The best approach is to develop strategy as best as you can based on what you understand and know for certain today.

Get it just about right and start implementing it.

And be open to refining it as you move forward and learn how the execution of the strategy is going.

The execution component will determine the eventual outcome; the strategic destination.

A strategy-in-motion is the only way to achieve the outcome you are destined to achieve.

Be ok with ‘west’ as your direction and pour your energy into execution and you might eventually discover that Vancouver was the place you were destined for all the while.

You just didn’t know it when your journey began.

Cheers,
Roy
Check out my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series

• Posted 10.21.13 at 05:34 am by Roy Osing
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October 7, 2013

Why an amazing business plan is ‘just about right’ and always changing

Source: Unsplash

Why an amazing business plan is ‘just about right’ and always changing.

A good business plan starts out with a specific goal.

“We will grow our revenue by 50% over the next 24 months by serving Pharmacies in Ontario. We will win their business everyday by being the ONLY company that grows THEIR revenue.”

Pretty specific. Growth goal defined. Target customers identified. Unique value proposition claimed.

We’re done, right?

Wrong. It’s just the beginning.

A business plan has to be alive.

Even though it is expressed in specific terms, it should be considered directional in nature, open to unpredictable events that might require it to change.

A good business plan is ‘just about right’ and always ‘in-motion’

If you consider your work done once you have articulated your destination, you are in a precarious and risky position.

Show me your business plan document.

Does it have coffee stains on it? Blood stains from a paper cut?

Notes scribbled all over it? Parts of it highlighted?

If ‘none of the above’ is your answer, your strategy is not in-motion.

And it probably is not advancing the way you expect.

A great business plan is just about right and always on the move.

Cheers,
Roy
Check out my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series

• Posted 10.7.13 at 06:45 am by Roy Osing
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September 9, 2013

Why quick imperfection is right for a winning strategy

Source: Unsplash

Why quick imperfection is right for a winning strategy.

Today, it seems that people and organizations are looking for the Hail Mary play to succeed.

The silver bullet.

The one colossal move that will do it all.

Sorry.

The one-factor success is as rare as the flightless cormorant in the Galápagos Islands.

The secret to success isn’t really a secret at all.

It’s pretty simple really.

Success has less to do with the idea and more to do with what you do to bring the idea to life

Turning the idea into a crude deed.

Blocking and tackling in the trenches where the complications and pain exists.

A brilliant idea is only good when seen in retrospect.

When the results of the idea can be observed and judged as brilliant.

And this is only achieved by flawless execution of the idea.

The brilliant Idea doesn’t exist in the mind where it is judged to be theoretically unique.

Rather, it is proven to be brilliant through blood, sweat and tears.

Want to succeed? Get your plan ’just about right’. Create an imperfect idea and pour your heart and soul into doing something with it.

Ship lots of imperfection, perfectly.

Cheers,
Roy
Check out my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series

• Posted 9.9.13 at 05:06 am by Roy Osing
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August 26, 2013

Why ‘the little things’ that happen make poor customer service

Source: Unsplash

Why ‘the little things’ that happen make poor customer service.

Customer service is all about the little things we notice and get annoyed about

— The dust ball remaining in the corner after the professional cleaners ‘finished’ their job;

— The grease on the steering wheel after they have finished servicing your SUV;

— The soiled seats on the aircraft;

— The lipstick residue on the wine glass;

— The dirty marks on your cupboard door after the hinges have been replaced;

— That the serviceperson didn’t remove their shoes when entering your home;

— The lack of free wifi on the cruise you spent $10,000 on;

— The $1.00 adding error on the restaurant bill;

— The indifferent attitude of the restaurant server.

The reality is that these are the things we do notice.

These are the things that we expect not to happen.

These are the things that indicate the serving organization is not concerned with the details that finish the job completely for us.

These are the things that reflect the culture of the organization and the values of leadership.

“They notice everything” posters should be plastered about the workplace

So if organizations want to create amazing customer experiences, their leaders should monitor every nook and cranny of the organization to pick up on and change “maybe they won’t notice” attitudes and behavior.

Cheers,
Roy
Check out my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series

• Posted 8.26.13 at 06:16 am by Roy Osing
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