The famous Chinese General, Sun Tzu once said “the supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” Fighting is very costly and a direct attack on a competitors market share can be a very costly fight. Once the competition knows you are going to make war they will get ready to fight. So the supreme way to win the competition war is to keep your competitors from recognizing that you are even competing with them. The Swiss watch making industry invented the quartz watch but gave it away, not knowing that it was going to be their biggest competitor and eventually steal their market share. Kodak was the greatest film maker in the world and they invented the digital camera and ignored it, not knowing that it was going to be their biggest competitor and eventually steal their market share.
Having a strategy inside a strategy even works on the inside of a company. Paul Oneil the CEO who engineered the historic turn around of the giant aluminum manufacturer Alcoa, had a strategy inside of a strategy. Paul knew that the poor employee safety record was something everyone from the union and management could agree needed fixing. But what he also knew was that the same new habits that he established for safety could be used to improve communication, processes and products and ignite collaboration across the entire company. (See "the Power of Habit" Charles Duhigg). Even the ancient story of the trojan horse was an example of winning the battle because the enemy didn't see the horse as a threat but as a gift.
If you can differentiate your product or service enough to make it look like a different product than your competitors, then you might be able to avoid a costly fight and go unnoticed as you gain customers and market share. And remember, just like a product life cycle that has a birth, growth to maturity and an end so does a strategy. So, keep your strategy fresh and hidden from competitors but clear to your team.
By: Kevin Minne
InnovationGrowthSystems.com
720-354-0291
Having a strategy inside a strategy even works on the inside of a company. Paul Oneil the CEO who engineered the historic turn around of the giant aluminum manufacturer Alcoa, had a strategy inside of a strategy. Paul knew that the poor employee safety record was something everyone from the union and management could agree needed fixing. But what he also knew was that the same new habits that he established for safety could be used to improve communication, processes and products and ignite collaboration across the entire company. (See "the Power of Habit" Charles Duhigg). Even the ancient story of the trojan horse was an example of winning the battle because the enemy didn't see the horse as a threat but as a gift.
If you can differentiate your product or service enough to make it look like a different product than your competitors, then you might be able to avoid a costly fight and go unnoticed as you gain customers and market share. And remember, just like a product life cycle that has a birth, growth to maturity and an end so does a strategy. So, keep your strategy fresh and hidden from competitors but clear to your team.
By: Kevin Minne
InnovationGrowthSystems.com
720-354-0291
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