Adaptive Strategies Blog

I was reading some medical history over the weekend and came across a couple of interesting tidbits.

• When the stethoscope was invented, many doctors refused to adapt it because it “got between them and their patients.” They liked the tried and true way of putting their ear to the patient’s chest.
• Surgeons often rejected the early use of antiseptics because it slowed them down. It seems that the mark of a “good” surgeon in the early to mid-1800s was how fast they could perform an amputation.

Question: What new tool or technique are you rejecting because it “gets in your way?”

I have a friend who regularly (about once per quarter) holds a team meeting with a single agenda item: Surprise me!

She knows that sooner or later she’s going to be surprised about her business. So she holds these meetings in order to get surprised by her team (and then do something about it) before she gets surprised by her competitors.

The meeting rules are pretty simple. She goes from team member to team member to see if they have something that might surprise her. If they bring up a topic that she’s aware of she simply thanks them and  then goes on to the next person. If someone surprises her (tells her something she doesn’t know about the business) she rewards them with a big bag of M&Ms.

The meeting is good for her — she learns something new — and the meeting is good for her team — they know she values their observations.

All of us have too much to do and, consequently, we often miss changes in the competitive landscape. Take a risk — get surprised by your team. It may be very valuable.

Concepts help active critical thinkers organize their thinking. Sometimes the simplest of concepts work the best.

Reflect on the reality of workers in the healthcare system. I don’t care who you think about – it could be a doctor, a nurse, a technician, or an administrator. These workers are talented and dedicated and eager to do the right thing (most of the time). However, they “live” in the smallest box of a series of nested boxes.

It would be wonderful if the boxes fit in perfect alignment. However, the reality is more like:

Leaders at all levels in the system should be searching for answers to the following questions:

• How will the economy (and its slow recovery) affect the healthcare industry?
• How will your company respond to changes in the industry?
• How will jobs have to change to respond to changes in company strategy?
• Will the leaders and the workers have the skills needed for the job changes?

Most of the workers “in the trenches” simply want to do a good job, feel satisfaction, and have security. It’s up to the leaders in the government, the industry, the hospitals, the companies, etc. to make sure the people actually doing the work know why their jobs have to change.

Think about the turmoil surrounding healthcare; think about nested boxes. This is “creative destruction” at work and the system WILL (eventually) realign itself. What “pinch points” can you forecast as we reflect on the reality of changes to the system? What

Who is your role model? Or, more importantly, who are your role models in these uncertain times?

Wow, just think back to the good old days (the roaring 90s) when all we had to do was pick up another book about Jack Welch and apply “the GE way” to all of our problems.

Who now? Who can we use when things are so uncertain?

How about great explorers? Try Roald Amundsen. He was the Norwegian explorer who was the first to reach the South Pole on December 14, 1911. There was a lot of uncertainty about the terrain and the conditions he and his team would face. So he focused on some things that remained true and important no matter what – weight and warmth. For example, while waiting for the “good” weather he spent time shaving down the sleds and wooden boxes to get them as light as possible. He also spent time tending the sled dogs who would carry him to the pole. Think about your business. What DO you know during these uncertain times? You obviously know you have to keep costs under control. Do you also know that you will need new and better talent? Should you get rid of people to reduce costs or should you take this “downtime” to improve the capabilities of your team? Think like an explorer.

How about great detectives from our fictional past, the heroes of our who-done-its. We’ve all read about Sherlock Holmes but I prefer to think a bit more recent and consider the fictional Nero Wolfe. No action hero here – he’s big and fat. But he certainly sees the clues that others miss and comes up with unique ways to solve the crime. What are the clues that you need to connect to make some sense out of uncertainty? What scenarios could you construct and put into mental competition as you plan for the future. Think like a detective.

How about great scientists? Thomas Edison had great drive and a willingness to experiment and, most importantly, to use failures to rebuild and rerun experiments. He failed in the quest for a light bulb thousands of times as he dealt with uncertain properties of materials and how they would react with electric current. He also thought BIG – the light bulb was part of the electric system he had conceived. Scientists take it for granted that experimentation and failure are part of their daily life. Too many business people hold off until they are sure something is going to work. Maybe you should think like a scientist?

So, here are some of my role models during uncertain times. Who do you look to for guidance and inspiration?

My friend Kay Plantes (see www.Plantescompany.com/blog) and I are working on a new workshop focused on understanding and using business models as a way to grow your business. One of the aspects of any business model is the underlying Profit Model and how it is used to drive strategy. Consider the following:

• Harley Davidson: do they sell a bike or a life style?
• Healthcare: They profit when people are sick. What if they profitted from healthy people?
• Twitter: I know what they do, but what are they selling?
• Panasonic Factory Automation: What if they sold “productivity” instead of equipment?
• Higher Education: They are built on “hours consumed.” What if they billed according to “knowledge in-use?”

Kay and I are interested in your “profit conundrums.” Please add to our list.