People can have different reasons for setting up businesses. The same applies to small businesses or big corporations. Regardless of whatever reason(s), any business was established, the desire to achieve better result will always play out. Then, again, achieving a better result in most organizations is characterized by increased profitability. Desiring an increased in profitability is an acceptable proclivity for organizations as a result of the services being rendered and paid for. But, the reality is that no organization can achieve increased profitability by desiring or wishing for it alone except by doing things differently. Now, more than ever, the urgent need for CEOs and leaders to inspire everyone to think, plan and do differently is here.
After hearing for the first time from Stephen Haines in 2010 in his San Diego’s office that: “you don’t need to think more, you just need to think differently”, I had a different worldview about thinking. Now, when I see leaders saying, “Oh let’s think more of how to solve this problem, I am quick to tell them not to think more, but rather to think differently. Based on my practice, I have also realized that we do not need to think more (haphazardly) just for thinking sake, we need to think differently with the result in mind – we need to think strategically. The same applies to organizations, to achieve better results, we may not necessarily do so many things for our customers in terms of quantity or following other people’s path just to blend in, but we need to begin to do things differently for the customers. Interestingly, we might just focus on doing one particular thing differently for them in a way that will add the highest value to their lives.
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Unbelievably, and although most organizations are doing the same thing year in year out, using the same business strategy and initiatives that have not worked, and yet they expect to have different and better results (that is impossible). With the stiff competition in the business world, if you keep doing your business the same way you have done it for five years; you will never even achieve the old results that you were used to, but rather below what you have been achieving. That goes to show that to desire improved results in all facets of business operations, we must have a paradigm shift, and that comes by thinking differently (remember the thinking must precede the planning, and the doing – and not the other way round).
The truth is that sometimes, we know why our organization is performing so badly, but we are stuck to the old ways of doing things – and we are not ready to try something new. All organizations that are stuck to the old ways of doing things that have not yielded them better results will end up becoming “Defenders of Decline” instead “Architect of the future”(an example is Apple Inc. Vs. others). Apple succeeded in becoming the “architect of the future” while others are busy defending the decline, little wonder Apple’s slogan is “Think Different”. Every CEO must be an architect of the future or else, he or she will end up defending the decline.
To paint a clearer picture of what thinking differently should mean to organizations, we need to realize that in our various organizations, there are strategies that are not working, marketing initiatives that are not producing the numbers, activities that are not worthwhile and generally things that are not working for the organization. Thinking differently starts when we begin to question the old ways of doing things that have not yielded expected results and begin to push the boundaries and think in new ways that lead to improved results. Thinking differently is akin to committing to make a difference. In order words, organizations that are thinking differently want to make a difference in the lives of their customers and employees. It is this committing to make a difference that brings improved and sustainable results for the shareholders.
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When we begin to think and plan differently, we would realize that there is no just one way of doing things. Of course, it is a red signal to assume there is only one way of doing things. Employees must begin to ask optimal questions to have optimal answers. Questions like: why are we not achieving our desired results? Why are we not having enough customers to patronize our business? Why do our customers complain? Are there things we are not doing well? How can we be different from the competitors? The fact is that when we blend into what others are doing, we may not be able to stand out with a different result. That means we need to be different in all areas of our business (we need to be perceived differently and better) and that is the only time we shall stand out as an organization of choice.
Points to ponder:
• As an organization, do we encourage our people to think differently, to try out new ways of doing things, to approach tasks, issues from a different worldview? Or do we always want them to accept the norm and never to challenge the status quo even when it is obvious to do so?
• Do we believe that better and new results come when we do things differently?
• What have you done differently in your organization in the last month that will make you stand out from the competitors?
Final note:
It is by thinking and doing things differently than our organization can stand out. Real organizational success and growth do not come as a surprise (or by wishful thinking), they come as a result of seeing what others have seen, but thinking differently. With the knowledge of the fact that we cannot solve tomorrow’s problem with today’s thinking, there is a need for all of us to think and do things differently daily – because what brings success today may not tomorrow.
Uju Onwuzulike
About the author:
Uju Onwuzulike is Nigeria’s leading authority on Systems Thinking and Strategic Management. He was a Steve Haines trained strategy and systems thinking expert and a former global partner of Haines Centre for Strategic Management, California, USA. He is the founder and Chief Results Officer of MCL – a strategy and outstanding performance specialist firm. He can be reached on 09091142093 or uju.onwuzulike@mclgroup.net.
