Do you think that traditional strengths of organization does turn into weakness? Or do you think it is too incredible to happen? Saving Changes...
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Ruth PearceAttorney, Author, and Coach | Guardian Ad Litem in North Carolina| A Lever Long Enough (ALLE LLC)Durham, Nc, United States
Hi Ram
I think that traditional strengths can often turn into weaknesses. Some organizations, like some people, persist in adopting certain practices and supporting cultural norms even when the evidence is pointing to the fact that they are no longer effective.
For example, the use of performance reviews and traditional bonuses to motivate staff when the latest evidence shows that these are some of the least motivating factors to employees who are looking for purpose and meaning in what they do.
Or look at the demise of retail sales. Traditionally successful companies who "stuck to what they knew", continuing to deliver the same products in the same way as had always been successful in the past are now struggling.
Coca Cola's strength was delivering a range of related products that catered to the US sweet tooth and love of soda. They excelled at creating new flavors, strengths, diet products - essentially something for everyone. Even as tastes were measurably changing, they continued to stick their traditional products and are only now having to catch up with the new preference for water - in all its forms.
Brick & mortar retailers have stalwartly stuck to the model of personal customer service while somewhat scoffing at what Amazon was doing right under their noses.
As Darwin said "It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able to adapt to and to adjust best to the changing environment in which it finds itself".
The greatest strength that organizations can cultivate is the ability to adapt and reinvent themselves, and not to wait until their traditional strengths have become the weaknesses that undermine them.
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1 reply by Ram Narayanan Sastry
Feb 11, 2017 7:17 PM
Ram Narayanan Sastry
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Hi Ruth,
Absolutely agree with you. Unfortunately, organizations take a long time to figure out that their strength is now becoming a treadmill on their necks... By the time they realize it, it is too late. I think this is where the Project Managers within an organization need to be alert and need to keep the pulse of the organization in mind.
Ram Narayanan SastryProduct Analyst| Toshiba Medical Systems CorporationNasushiobara-Shi, Tochigi-Ken, Japan
Feb 11, 2017 3:38 PM
Replying to Ruth Pearce
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Hi Ram
I think that traditional strengths can often turn into weaknesses. Some organizations, like some people, persist in adopting certain practices and supporting cultural norms even when the evidence is pointing to the fact that they are no longer effective.
For example, the use of performance reviews and traditional bonuses to motivate staff when the latest evidence shows that these are some of the least motivating factors to employees who are looking for purpose and meaning in what they do.
Or look at the demise of retail sales. Traditionally successful companies who "stuck to what they knew", continuing to deliver the same products in the same way as had always been successful in the past are now struggling.
Coca Cola's strength was delivering a range of related products that catered to the US sweet tooth and love of soda. They excelled at creating new flavors, strengths, diet products - essentially something for everyone. Even as tastes were measurably changing, they continued to stick their traditional products and are only now having to catch up with the new preference for water - in all its forms.
Brick & mortar retailers have stalwartly stuck to the model of personal customer service while somewhat scoffing at what Amazon was doing right under their noses.
As Darwin said "It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able to adapt to and to adjust best to the changing environment in which it finds itself".
The greatest strength that organizations can cultivate is the ability to adapt and reinvent themselves, and not to wait until their traditional strengths have become the weaknesses that undermine them.
Hi Ruth,
Absolutely agree with you. Unfortunately, organizations take a long time to figure out that their strength is now becoming a treadmill on their necks... By the time they realize it, it is too late. I think this is where the Project Managers within an organization need to be alert and need to keep the pulse of the organization in mind.
Cheers!
Ram Saving Changes...
Satish SharmaCertified SAP S4Hana 1909 Financials Expert| FreelanceNew Delhi, India
Hello Ram,
I read through the article in your link. Very interesting to note agony of being an enterprisingly honest community (Japanese in this context), having done their best to set up engineering processes, devising best practices and applying those knowledge driven practices in use and thus producing excellent industrial outputs, over a lengthy period. Their products are epitome of quality, and I shall not discount their traditio al strength comparing to IT innovations, as they have slghtly different dimensions.
IT innovations and related technological advance are enablers, whereas the manufacturing processes are real physical pocesses, which generates demand for integration, information management and analysis. Robotics, scanners and machine operating softwares are other products which aids, imroves manal handling or carrying out of operations.
In my opinion, both of these are mutually exclusive in principl, though there is a convergence of both with appropriate technological advances.
Yes the manufacturing is the traditional strength of japanese, but they have not got beaten up by somebody but the recession of 2008, which had slowed down the growth in manufacturing and triggered doom for countries dependent on it. There was no clear opponent who devised their loss, as it was oz in case of Sachin.
Having worked with Japanese auto and other manufacturing companies in past projects, I acknowledge the fact that they are slower in adapting to IT, but believe me they better user of it, once they grab it right.
My sincere thanks to you bringing this kind of serious analysis on to tis forum.. Saving Changes...
Ram Narayanan SastryProduct Analyst| Toshiba Medical Systems CorporationNasushiobara-Shi, Tochigi-Ken, Japan
Dear Satish,
Very good observations. There is no doubt that for more than 3 decades, the Japanese have been the gold standard when it comes to manufacturing. But now, they are facing a lot of head winds owning to multiple factors including the recovery after recession, and aging demographic. This is beginning to catch with the Japanese Electronics industry first with the likes of Sharp, Panasonic, Toshiba and even Sony Corporation. Now, slowly the focus is beginning to shift towards the Auto industry, though they are still in a better state than the electronics industry. It is basically in this background, I have tried to examine whether Japanese companies are a bit slow in adapting to the new changing reality and are hence beginning to lose their edge.
But, you are right it is also not about discounting a traditional strength but to augment it with new strengths.
Cheers!
Ram Saving Changes...
Satish SharmaCertified SAP S4Hana 1909 Financials Expert| FreelanceNew Delhi, India
Absolutely great idea to capitalise on to the traditional skills and augmenting it with IT with innovation. Saving Changes...
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