This week before Christmas, 2005 I had a great lunch. I was in L.A. and I called an old acquaintance to join me for lunch. He’s a great guy, somewhat trapped in an "old-line" American manufacturing company that’s been Locked-in for several years. They’ve not done their shareholders, nor their employees, much good for a decade. Executive turnover hasn’t helped as new leaders just follow worn-out strategies that have eroded their pricing and competitiveness.
"How about some Sushi?" I asked. Now, this buddy was a "meat and potatoes" guy, so my question was intended as a ribbing. I was surprised when he said, "Sure. Whatever you like." "You must be kidding" I said, "since when do you eat so adventurously?" "Over lunch" he said, leading me to wait for a juicy answer.
During the last year, he had taken on a new role helping develop a company strategy. In that role, he had made a half dozen trips to China. "You know" he said to me "I never really understood just how dramatic the globalization changes were going to be to our business until I went to China. They do work entirely differently than us. It’s beyond culture and how smart we versus they are. The Chinese are using resources we ignore, and approaching the opportunities differently. If our company doesn’t change – fundamentally change – we won’t survive another 10 years. The decision, the opportunity, is up to us. If I can get our top management to see what I’ve seen, and we step up to the Challenges, we can get out of our Lock-in and create a future that exceeds everyone’s expectations. But, if we sit doing what we’ve done – well, we’re a gonner."
My friend got outside the box. When he changed roles and entered strategy he Disrupted his thinking about the business. He visited foreign companies, and he saw opportunities for sales, marketing, product development, and manufacturing that he believes obsolete the existing Success Formula and create opportunities for a new one. And, while doing this, he changed himself. His personal Lock-ins to "the way this business is done" for the last 20 years disappeared and he sees a new industry competition developing.
Now he eats Sushi. And he eats all kinds of Chinese food I’ve never had the opportunity. He also eats Indian, or whatever food is served. He got outside the box, he started thinking, and the old barriers fell away as he moved toward a new definition of success
I hope everyone enjoys their Christmas, Hanukah or Kwanzaa meals in joy and peace this year. Whether it’s roast beef, turkey, goose, lamb — or Sushi.