A Strategic Primer - Sure it’s Monday but Don’t Panic
Monday arrives with the usual bang. My lovely dog has eaten one of my slippers. The doorbell is ringing. The media is roaring on about policy problems, business problems, and political problems. As I read my palms begin to sweat. God God how did we amass so many problems over such a short weekend?
Hmmmm. You know what? I think Om has it right. We should just take a break and head for Miami. But for those of us who must deal with the home front, I offer a few words of wisdom. Of course, I disclaim any adverse effects the following words may have …. (sorry the lawyer in me reved up unexpectedly). Hold on to your hat, here goes …
Slogans (no matter how much we love them) do not solve problems. Example? Paul Krugman debunks the myth that biofuels will save the planet. Hmmm … sorry “saving the planet” is also just a slogan. Another example? China’s “peaceful rise”? Heehee. Tell it to the Tibetans
When your competition is ahead of you, just copy them. Just take a look at Amazon (copying Apple), and the mobile phone industry (copying Apple). Brilliiant! But are they copying Apple, or just Apple’s last innovation? Funny, I remember Bill Gates sneering at Apple some years ago. Aren’t you glad you invested in Apple, Bill?
Sometimes it pays just give people what they want (rather than what you want them to want). How about fanasty fishing and $1 million? Apparently this sells … boats. Or, how about Scrabulous? Funny, but Mattel and Hasbro just don’t want to accept that people like to play Scrabulous online. Get over it!!!
Sometimes it pays just to be patient and invest in institutions (the slow moving magic bullet). Wonder why Warren Buffet is so successful? Wonder why the Malaysian legal system is not?
If you want to be a success, do what generates success. Hmmm? Well, just look at Tiger Woods. He is only an average golfer at everything … except those things that bring his score down. Is that an accident?
So now that we have found ways to solve the world’s problems, I have found my back up pair of slippers, and my Tangerine Orange tea is brewing … how about some of Dorie Greenspan’s lemon cream tart?
July 22nd, 2010 at 1:45 pm
For some time, Tiger Woods was one of my heroes. He epitomized fineness. Okay, I am not perfect, in case a heroic public figure is found to be so ruined, it can take the hero out of heroism. All of one has left is “-ism” — idiot, silly, moron. Is he an incredible golfer? Without a doubt he’s. In all likelihood he will always be considered one of the best ever.