Changing the Rules
 by Jeffrey W. Brown

The bestseller, “John Adams” talks about him embarking on “Militia Diplomacy” when he appealed for help from the Netherlands . “He knew he was risking ridicule and enmity and in the event things went sour, disgrace . . . but wise men know that militia sometimes gain victories over regular troops even by departing from the rules”. This quote reminded me of a book that I read years ago called “The Mind of a Strategist”. It was written by a Japanese gentleman who had gotten a PHD. at MIT and headed McKinsey’s Tokyo office. Basically he said that when you are in a game that you’re not going to win because it is dominated by others, you need to try to about change the rules.
At about the same time I was reading “John Adams”, I came across an article entitled “Losing Ground? Why Not Change the Rules?” The author Jeffrey Tobe says, “If you are simply doing things the way they have always been done, you are not prioritizing your energies. Start asking yourself how can I present our buying experience differently than all of the others professing to be in the same business.”
Others have said basically the same thing by using the phrases such as thinking outside of the box, Paradigm shift, etc. Given the economic down turn of the last two years (yes, the recession really started in early 2000), the events of 9/11, and increasing worldwide competition it is truly time to change the rules, think outside the box, have a Paradigm shift have a vision etc.

Wayne Gretzky, one of the great hockey players of our, time was once asked by a reporter, how he always managed to be where the puck is. Gretzky replied, “I am not always where the puck is, I am always where the puck is going to be”. In each of our business we need to understand where the market place is going to be in the months and years ahead and get ourselves there beforehand.

As a small example, some of the nay-sayers have been reinforced by the technology down-turn in regard to their prediction that the internet phenomenon has been grossly over estimated. While on a recent vacation in Key West, I had the wonderful opportunity to splurge on a scuba/snorkel/fishing trip aboard a 55 foot catamaran. The Captain mentioned that he and his wife, who is the mate, live on the boat. As he was taking me around their living quarters he indicated a small room in the back. Imagine my surprise that it was a computer room. I asked why and his response was that 80% of his business comes from the internet! I believe that if anything most business people have under estimated where the internet will be in the not too distant future and for that matter probably have under estimated where it is today.
In our business I have launched Operation Work Smart. I have asked Kevin Franks our Strategic Director who publishes this newsletter to look at every one of our processes to see how we can do it more efficiently. Further we are evaluating some key strategic options to be ahead of our competitors in the months ahead. Meanwhile to keep business going in these slower times and until we have a new strategic direction we are embarking on Operation Blitz, to try and maximize opportunities to present our present service to prospects and to close business.
Are you getting out of your comfort zone and doing an honest assessment of where you are now, where the market place is going to be next year and whether you will get your share of it or are competitors already ahead of you? As Helen Keller said, “The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight but has no vision”.