Good to Great

This summer, we were looking for an inspiration for our upcoming Distributor Days. On the one hand side, we were looking back at great achievements and milestones we have reached over the last five years with our partners in the region (almost doubling the turnover across the region, increase of D2C with the opening of our brand stores, increase of brand awareness etc.), on the other hand side, we knew that we have so much potential in the region and ideas we want to establish, we wanted to give the message that we have done well together, but we can do much more.

So while looking for inspiration we came across "Good to Great" by Jim Collins. The title of the book was capturing our state if mind very well and we have chosen GOOD TO GREAT as our motto for this years distributor days. Before we arrive for the meetings, I've quickly managed to read this book and was glad to see that the content of the book was also 1:1 fitting to our understanding of how we want to grow our companies (BSH Middle East with its partners in the region). I have to admit that I was surprised how this book went under my radar and didn't read it before.

In his previous bestseller, "Built to Last", Jim Collins explored what made great companies great and how they sustained that greatness over time. One point kept nagging him, though — great companies have, for the most part, always been great, while a vast majority of good companies remain just that: good, but not great. What could merely good companies do to become great, to turn long-term weakness into long-term supremacy? Collins and his team of researchers used strict benchmarks to identify a group of eleven elite companies that made the leap from good to great and sustained that greatness for at least fifteen years.

Good to Great is the type of book that you would see on every bookstore's business section. Catchy title, big bold lettering, a giant "#1 BESTSELLER" at the very top to try and sell the book to you. I found out that the book and its author has been subject to a lot of controversy and criticism over the years especially about the criteria’s they have selected and data they backed up their research. I do see some truth in this criticism, but that doesn't change the fact, that the concepts explained in the book are indeed very well explained and overall making perfect sense.

In his research, Jim Collins has found out systematic phases through which any great company goes through and lays out a framework as shown:

The framework has got three main components:

1. Process: From setting up yourselves towards greatness (aka Build Up) to achieving an inflection point that takes you to greatness (aka Breakthrough)
2. Phases: To go from a good company to a great company you need Disciplined People, Disciplined Thought, and Disciplined Action.
3. Flywheel: A quiet and deliberate process of figuring out what needs to be done for best future results and taking those step one by one, pushing the flywheel in a consistent direction (Building Momentum) until it achieves a Breakthrough Point. A company can spend years of consistent effort to get the flywheel up to speed. But once the flywheel is up to speed the company can sustain years of breakthrough performance.

Good is the Enemy of Great

The book is about being great, not merely good. Good is the enemy of great. Many people and companies settle for good because it’s easier. Many companies don’t even try to be great. There’re not striving to be the best in the industry. This opens the door to competitors. Being the best means there is absolutely no room for mediocre thinking. It’s the same in our lives. Few people lead great lives. This is because they’re happy with living a good life.        

There is a lot to cover in this book, but I will not go into further details. If you are curious, I strongly recommend to read the book.