Whistling Through the Graveyard

"Whistling through the graveyard." I love this phrase and wish I could take credit for coining it.* However, I first heard it while interviewing a services executive about how his business operates and the strategic role of services. When I asked him what would happen if there was not dramatic change to his company's business model due to major competitive challenges, his response was, "Well, for the few of us left, it would be like whistling through the graveyard—the business would be dead, and all that would be left are memories of what might have been."

I share this stark but vivid picture with you as a warning signal for all of us who are currently "doing OK," "have things under control," "are meeting our numbers," and so on. If our focus becomes an obsession of doing things better, driving efficiencies, or fine-tuning our plans, we are vulnerable to competitors (both old and new) who don't know the rules of our schoolyard and don't care. If we don't have an eye out, before we know it, the sand might be removed from our box, tag switches to dodge ball, and recess becomes study hall.

Of course, you should strive to streamline your organization, drive efficiencies, and do more with less. But the lesson is that continuous improvement is the opposite of innovation, and innovation is what drives dramatic, positive change and blocks the competitive threats of organizations that want our business.

So, don't let your milestones become headstones. Dedicate 10 percent of your thinking and your resources to innovation—speculating, scheming, and pondering questions like: "What if we give the product away and really focus on selling services? What would customers do if we send champagne with roses after screwing up a project? How about we focus on making our intellectual property our competitive advantage and outsource everything else?"

If you proactively balance your existing model of efficiency with a portion of innovation, you'll not only keep your organization alive, but whistling a happy tune.

What’s been your experience?

* I can't remember from whom I heard this. If it was you, please contact me, and I'll give you credit for it in a future article.