He said he just wanted to start the next season with a clean slate. He found that he was falling into a trap of just extending story lines from the first three seasons, and he wanted an opportunity to energize the creativity on the show. So he shook things up and took a chance. The show might bomb, but at least he demonstrated the courage to not settle for the status quo and instead to reach for something new within the framework of the show he created.
Apple’s Forays into the Wilderness
Sometimes we forget that Apple was not always the most admired company in the world, as it was named by Fortune magazine this year. Back in the late 1990’s, Apple was doing everything it could to reduce inventory, get focused, and avoid bankruptcy. So they decided to shake things up with a purpose in mind. They decided to open up Apple retail stores so that customers could see their products up close and get to know them better. They were also able to provide great hands-on training. Gateway Computers had just exited retail stores after having lost a ton of money. Critics said that Apple would regret opening its stores. Well, let’s see. They soon generated a billion dollars a year through those stores, and later generated a billion dollars a quarter. Sometimes it’s worth it to shake things up.
New Ideas Don’t Always Work, but They Do Open Up New Possibilities
Thomas Edison was always shaking things up and oftentimes failing spectacularly, not just in light bulbs but in concrete and phonographs and telephones and on and on. But even in his failures he found some nuance that could be used in combination with other ideas. The same could be said for Walt Disney and GE and virtually every successful person and organization. Be willing to mix things up.
To Be Purposeful, You Have to Have a Purpose
Why does your organization exist? Don’t look at your corporate brochure, just tell me conversationally why your organization exists. What is its purpose? I’ve helped dozens of organizations and groups answer that question for themselves, but I almost never took the time to think about it for my one-person business. Then it dawned on me that no matter how big or small a business is, it has to have a purpose in order to shake things up with a purpose.
On a flight home last week I started doodling around in the back of a book, and I landed on my company’s mission and philosophy. Those words seem so fancy for such a small enterprise, but the impact a company has on other people is not based on the number of employees it has. It is based on the value contributed to the customers.
Here’s The Coughlin Company’s Mission & Philosophy:
- Provide practical processes to propel great performances.
- Embrace simplicity and avoid process creep.
Clarify Your Purpose
In order to shake things up for yourself or your organization, clarify your purpose. Then within that purpose ask yourself, “What can I do or we do to mix up what we’ve been doing and generate new levels of innovation, creativity, and customer value?” Don’t try 20 changes. Just select one or two things you’re going to shake up a bit, and see what possibilities those changes create.
Book Recommendations
I read two wonderful books this month: The Enzo Ferrari Story by Enzo Ferrari, and Inside Steve’s Brain by Leander Kahney. Both of these books talk a great deal about the importance of shaking things up with a purpose in mind at Ferrari and at Apple.
About the Author
Visit Dan at www.thecoughlincompany.com. Dan Coughlin is a business keynote speaker, management consultant, and the author of Accelerate: 20 Practical Lessons to Boost Business Momentum, which made it to #4 on the Barnes & Noble Business Bestseller List. He has been quoted in USA Today, the New York Times, and Investor’s Business Daily. Dan’s clients include Coca-Cola, Toyota, Boeing, Marriott, McDonald’s, AT&T, the American Bar Association, the St. Louis Cardinals, and more than 100 other organizations in over thirty industries. He speaks on entrepreneurial habits, quality, leadership, branding, sales, and innovation.
