Who's Saving Whom? 5 flamingos zags to adapt to a changing marketplace

Back in 2009, as the recession was devastating many manufacturers, I happened to visit two of my clients out in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania. They were rollicking along as if there were no constant drumbeat of doom and gloom on TV. Both companies had added to their capacity and product diversity by buying up equipment from competitors who had given up. Both were looking for more creative ways to cut costs while they expanded their offerings. Both were thriving. 

One company, Novelty Manufacturing, produces gardening and lawn-related items; decorative planters, hardware for window boxes, and lawn ornaments. But what really struck me were the flamingos. That's right, those neon pink birds you've seen perched in people's yards, are alive and well. Those flamingos helped the company adapt in tough times. If you visit their website today, those birds are still a featured item.

The owner, Tim Winger (now retired) bought the injection molding equipment from a company, which had shuttered its doors. He was confident this was one item he would not have to compete with China to produce cheaply in the U.S. You see, those flamingos are full of air, sort of like a hard-plastic balloon. That makes them very bulky to ship in giant shipping containers. You can't get enough in the container to make it profitable.

Tim created a new jig to dip two dozen of those birds at a time in the paint to get those cute little black and yellow beaks looking just right -- again saving money and time -- no more hand painting.

So what's my point? Pretty simple. As a friend of mine says, when everyone else is zigging, it's time for you to zag.

Today, in 2018, companies still face challenges and the pressure to change and adapt to new circumstances and competitors. Organizations which don't change fast enough or dig in their heels get left behind. This is true in both the for-profit and nonprofit world. Think Sears. The irony is, Sears began as a catalog company, the equivalent of shopping online today, but didn't move fast enough as customers started leaving brick-and-mortar shopping behind. 

I'm following Tim's lead and zagging as I go. What are you doing to zag and thrive in this economic climate?

Flamingo Zags

1. Consider the major changes in your economic sector over the last 5 years? What are they? How can you take advantage of these trends?
2. What do you need to do to adapt to these trends? What existing products or services to you have which can be reinvented or recycled and transformed for the current conditions?
3. What are others abandoning you can use and adapt to the new trends? Where can you improve on existing products or services?
4. Where are trends heading in the future? How will you innovate? What in your background and experience gives you preparation for the new world?
5. What do you need to learn or change to take advantage of new trends?

For example, for many years, live training was a major income stream for my business. I had developed over 100 programs for clients and international training organizations. As technology advanced and platforms improved, more and more training went online. I adapted a couple of my seminars into webinars and tried them out with folks who were just getting into this business. I took a couple of courses (online) and read about how to adapt to this new medium. I built on my adult-learning knowledge and long experience as an educator, adopting the required new techniques and approaches. I mined my treasure trove of programs and spiffed them up with great graphics following the latest advances in the world of online learning. Today, my webinar business is thriving and has almost completely replaced live seminars. These were my Flamingo Zags.

I said to Tim one day, "I guess the flamingos will save you." "No," he said, "I'm saving the flamingos!"

(c)Rebecca Staton-Reinstein

Read more about this innovative plant owner in Conventional Wisdom: How Today's Leaders Plan, Perform, and Progress Like the Founding Fathers, available now: www.ConventionalWisdomCenter.com

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