It’s one thing to be ruthlessly consistent and another to be consistently relevant. Aligning people, processes, structure and infrastructure with the wrong focus can be very effective … at leading you to failure.
Stuffing your products with even more features doesn’t make sense if what your customers really want is simple (ever see an 80-year-old struggling with a cell phone?). Cutting people to cut costs can be self-defeating if exceptional service is growing your customer base (think Zappos).
So where does the right focus come from? A well-designed strategic management process. Once you’ve got a handle on the competitive landscape, your internal situation, and the larger societal factors that are impacting your business, you can establish your focus. Then align your people, processes, structure and infrastructure.
First comes focus, then consistency. Now you’re relevant … and winning.
Your thoughts?
Michael
