Volcano Effect

We instead of I. 

Our Impact instead of My Impact

Some years ago, I had lunch meeting with a friend. We were chatting about our work life. He works for a big multinational company.

 One day, he told me that he got little funding to drive his impact. And because of that, he wouldn’t could drive impact and wouldn’t hit his KPI.

 It put me in a pause and thought a lot of that statement.

 Did you ever hear about people said "I am just doing my Fxxxing job. I don’t care others and how we all linked".

How is your response to this ?

And the funny thing is that, people use "KPI" as excuse not to do the right things to do.

But..

 Perhaps, it is not wrong too. Some people just have limitation and do not want to come out from the comfort zone. It is not anybody fault, it is just about the limitation, the fixed mindset.

 10 years ago, I had my first business review with Eric Chen, ASUS Vice President (A Great leader who developed ASUS business in Europe). He asked me so many questions, that not all supposed to be my "KPI". I couldn’t answered him lots of questions, and then he told me : "I am asking you all these questions, not to challenge you, but I am exercising your thinking, so that you will find the answer". He asked me as 360 degree things we need to know to build a business. He has taught me to think as I am an Entrepreneur, not just a Sales person in order to hit some bullets of KPI.

 And then my direct manager at that time, who was the Regional Director for SEA, Rex lee, gave me a used book, written by Jack Welch, titled "Winning Strategy".

 Jack Welch described in the opening of his book, how he amazed about a woman who worked in China in 1980s.

 In short, the best part of his book that I like the most, is about Ownership, Passion and Persistence.

1. Ownership

I always treat myself and inform the team, always have ownership, not because to hit some bullets of KPI, but think as we are the business owner of the work we are doing. We, not I. The result will be different.

2. Passion

Passion is like a gasoline, said by Steve Jobs. Indeed, passion is like a gasoline.

Find things that you love, or love what you do. Do it with full of heart.

3. Persistence

Not easily give up.

 I had a story about Persistence. Some of you might ever know this story from media coverage about How ASUS business rise some years ago.

 This story is about building ASUS business in Indonesia since 2009. As ASUS is still very small company and player in Notebook business, not many shops or dealers are willing to sell ASUS notebook at that time. And not much demand too from market. The market share is only 1.5%, which means 11K notebook sold out.

 We went to big players in Jakarta for many times, and they just didn’t buy in our proposal to sell and focus on ASUS notebook. Why on earth that they would like to sell a small brand while they were comfort with the big brand already at that time. No dealers want to put effort to push ASUS brand.

 So, we changed strategy, we went for Geo-expansion. From one city to another one, knocked their doors & heart, dragging a case with full of ASUS notebooks, from one plane to another, from breakfast meeting to dinner meeting. Every day 7 shops are visited. Even during weekend.

 All of them rejected to be our partner at that time. One of them showed off her Rolex watch which was given by other notebook brand and we, as small brand couldn’t afforded to do so. We only could offered product catalogue. Yes, product catalogue, you heard me.

 Often, we back from business trips with nothings. But, we just not stopped there. Every year, we would continue knocking the doors from 8 cities in first year to 12 cities in second year and continue to all majority cities in Indonesia. The rejection didn’t stop us for continuously trying.

 After many visits and also improvement in the process, product, promotion, marketing activities based on their feedbacks, we finally made it from 7 partners focused selling ASUS notebook became thousands partners selling ASUS notebook.

 It is about PERSISTENCE, and just TRY One More Time :)

Okay, let's go back to the "WE impact".

 When we have limited budget, what should we do ? Spread out the funding to each person so everyone has little funding and little authority to show off, or combine into one, with one direction ?

 "We" impact is about collaboration.

 Volcano effect : when you put all efforts together, all bullets together to create big noise, big impact, instead of little ones.

 You can consider spreading out that little funding to each person as river stream here and there. You won't get the big impact.

 But if all collaborate together, make one same direction, one same messaging, one business goal, then you will get Volcano, the big bang.

 The easy way to understand this philosophy is like Sapu Lidi (Broom stick). When we spread out each stick to everyone, you can't really sweep away the dirt with it. But when you combine all the sticks together, you can make impact, clean your house!

 So, when the company has little funding, and spread out to different parts, influence them to create one integrated marketing, instead of each one has different direction. You will amaze that the result will be different.

I called this as Volcano Marketing (putting all resources together and make big bang including in digital, PR, offline events, webinars, partners marketing).

So, It is not about I and My impact, but We and Our impact together .