Don't Underestimate Irresistible Forces and Let People Cover Up Their Effects

Irresistible forces account for a lot of organizational success and lack of success. That isn't obvious if you read annual reports and business stories. Most leaders take credit for any success and blame problems on those pesky forces.

That's harmful by encouraging bad habits that make dealing with irresistible forces much less successful.

"Throw Me a Towel" --The Cover-Up Stall

It isn't unusual for apparent failures or setbacks to receive the so-called mushroom treatment (put it in a dark place). Yet any unexpected problems and successes contain the seeds of opportunity to gain by using the power of irresistible forces. Too many organizations treat these circumstances as though something shameful has just happened, which would be better off left alone and not talked about.

In the late 1990s, European consumers grew ever more concerned about the safety of new American foods produced through genetic engineering techniques, provoking a widespread backlash against these products. Monsanto had been a leader in the development of these new technologies.

In the interests of retaining proprietary competitive advantages, the company had kept its work as secret as possible. The company even kept the use of its products a secret from consumers in many cases in the United States.

Obviously, Monsanto hoped that concerns about the safety of these products would just go away if they kept a low profile. The opposite result seemed to have occurred, as the secrecy was interpreted by some as meaning that the company having something dangerous to hide from consumers.

"Let's Take a Chance" --The Underestimation Stall

Organizations sometimes should take on the most extreme irresistible forces because their great volatility can provide competitive insulation, as long as a uniquely dependable method is applied for dealing with the volatility. Ignore or underestimate that volatility, and you will be burnt toast.

Be sure you can handle more than the volatility you take on. Only a handful of companies specialize in putting out petroleum fires at well heads. In case you have not run into this business before, the best way to extinguish such a fire is to walk into the middle of the inferno carrying explosives and then to detonate them. This explosion eliminates the oxygen that the fire needs, and the fire often goes out. If not, another explosion may do the trick.

When the Kuwait oil fields were set aflame by the retreating Iraqi armies, these companies had little to be concerned about from new firefighting entrants. Few people had the skill and courage to take on that dangerous irresistible force. This same challenging opportunity could easily have proven disastrous for others who were less capable.

These stalls occur and persist in enterprises because human psychology often fosters a knee-jerk response to irresistible forces. By becoming a stallbuster, you'll use irresistible forces to create exponential growth and success for yourself and your enterprise.

Copyright 2008 Donald W. Mitchell, All Rights Reserved