Market forces, strategic intent and innovative product designs have all fallen victim to this faceless villain.
We all know the famous stories, the Kodak's of the world and the Horse and Cart, but what of the real moments of truth that lie before us.
How do we find them, challenge them, and re-invent ourselves or our business, particularly in the face of our biggest adversary, admitting we might have been wrong.
The inertia tonic
“If you've never done anything wrong, it's probably because you have never done anything new.” Albert Einstein.
Everything is going great, the bonuses are rolling in and the share price is up. There is a clear plan for the future and we all believe in it. Never, has there been a more dangerous time for an organisation.
Complacency and Inertia are Friends
Wouldn't you know it, these two allies have been working together for years, dining out on previous success stories and getting comfortable with the way things have always been done around here.
Many successful organisations convince themselves that the great victories of the past will be achieved again and again, using the same battle tactics and the same old weaponry from the halcyon days.
Kodak, Blockbuster, Motorola and my grandad's photgraphy studio in the 1970's, where colour just wasn't adopted...
If you think you're just about there, almost at the summit, remember that someone somewhere else has already found a new one, and they are climbing it with perhaps even more gusto, potentially without the same weight in their backpack of history.
Identifying inertia in your organisation
“I think we've been really good at getting this done, but at the end of the day, you can't shrink to greatness”
This can be tough. As an organisation it can be a powerful tool to stick to what you're good at and keep your core capabilities at the forefront of your strategy and actions.
And so there are two types of inertia that can bring an organisation down, or at the very least ensure that it is performing at a sub-optimal level.
Strategic inertia comes right from the top, and stems from a deep seeded complacency based (usually) on a belief that what has worked in the past will always work into the future.
My favourite get out quote from those who have stuffed things up is to call out the "unintended consequences" of a decision that was made.
In other words, we are still telling ourselves we got it right at the time and it's only in hindsight that we could have possible known to do anything different...
In most cases, these consequences are actually known at the time of the decision, they are just ignored.
Operational inertia is an even bigger beast, with sharper teeth and more energy than it's close relative.
This one can bring everything down.
Strategic intent could be bang on, all of the assets and capability might be in place, but if your organisation doesn't have the power to change from within it could lay siege to it's own demise
Inertia is inertia for a reason, how do we change it?
Embrace failure and never, ever be afraid to understand when you were wrong.
Of course, this can be easier said than done with shareholders, stakeholders, mentors, team members and analysts all baring down on the outcomes of your decisions.
However, the greatest leaders and influencer's have the ability to understand their mistakes (if not always admitting them) and work tirelessly towards fixing them.
If you're not one to challenge yourself and your organisation, surround yourself with people who can.
Listen to your customers, remembering that they might not be the same people that you sell your products or services to today.
If complacency reigns and your people can't see the wood for the trees, but you know that things need to change, create a crisis.
Don't be afraid to engage with people from outside of your organisation, industry or field to learn more about how your business could be more effective by adopting principals and strategies from other progressive organisations.
About the Author
Stuart Nielsen
Stu has been transforming financial services business for over 2 decades with his unique style of people leadership and problem-solving acumen. Never afraid to tackle the complex problems in any facet of an organisation, Stu will bring a sense of reality to any problem and leverage the combined energy of your people to create a high performing business.
Capable of working at the strategic end right through to delivery and knowledge transfer, Stu's strength in communication is an asset to any organisation trying to make sense of its self and drive change towards a common purpose.
"Data is great, feedback is awesome, however nothing is real until it is observed"
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