Metaphors

Metaphors can give you a clear picture or concept that might help you clarify a concept with yourself.

Metaphors can help you describe an idea to other people, aiding communication.

For instance which picture might be useful to describe your organisation?









Alternatively you might find an animal who's behaviour and place in a jungle hierachy might help you think about a survival strategy.

For instance I thought about the Swift:

The Swift is the only insectivorous bird whose young hatch at intervals, thus ensuring that at least the oldest survives. Eggs, young and adults can survive long periods of chilling. A young swift when leaving the nest may spend the next 2 or three years on the wing. Swifts therefore have learnt to sleep, eat and even mate on the wing. They are able to eat more varieties of animal than any other UK bird. The spine tailed swift is alleged to be the fasted flying bird. (Ref: The complete book of British Birds – RSPB)

You have to admire the swift for its speed, adaptability, survival instinct in hard times, and its stamina. Key features of successful SME businesses?

Changing State

Techniques such as De Bono's thinking hats help you to change state - or even have groups of people change state. This applies the discipline or particular thinking at a particular time when it is needed.

The reality is when you are on your own (as many of us are) how do you then change state?

For instance you may have thought of 100 ideas (you are very good at brainstorming) but which one is the best? How do you play devil's advocate, for instance, and shoot down all the innappropriate ideas.

I find that trying to put myself in someone else's shoes can help. They may be well known to you, or well known in general. In this situation who is the best devil's advocate that you know?



If you try and solve your problem from the perspective of different people, you can get diferent perspectives.

Being Creative

I spend most of my time split between being analytical and getting on with things. I have been accused of being left brained, but I do take some time to think creatively from time to time.

Things that help can be:

Driving (hypnosis?)
Smoking and playing the flute (horrible I know - but I do admire Sherlock Holmes)
Some forms of music.

I don't rely totally on these methods - and have tried quite a lot of "proper creative techniques" such as mind mapping or De Bono's 6 hats

At first I found that they can be tiring - and if you are doing them with other people - very tiring.

The progress on the first day is often not what it could be - as these things require practice.

Done regularly you can become quite adept - and maybe have the ability to use techniques on the hoof as you become fluent.

I hope to showcase some of the techniques I use in the next few weeks to help me create strategy. If there are any requests - please let me know.

Signs of destruction

Can you recognise destruction or potential destruction in a business from talking to them?

Consider this possibility.

Imagine you are the best in your field, and your company has the best technical people.

You have a monopoly - you probably charge too much for your people's services, and you may over engineer your solutions.

If there was a solution available to the market place that could deliver "your" expertise at a cheaper cost or watered down the need for them, what do you think your technical people would say?

If the competitive advantage of your company has been its technical people, who may win through in the short term?

What is Creative Destruction?

Joseph Schumpeter believed that the process of invention to create a new commercial product or service was the key to creating new demand, and new wealth.

Entrepreneurs could start up or growth their businesses by exploiting suitable inventions.

This creation would "freshen" up the market and those companies unable to respond may well have outlived their economic usefulness (Destruction).

Clearly these entrepreneurs are not responding to changes, more making changes and making markets. There is therefore an emphasis on education of the consumers of the new product.

To achieve this takes a special motivation and a special vision.

Who is doing the research and development in the UK

On the face of things the ONS stats for 2004 (released 25/11/05) look quite healthy.

Research and development (within UK business) has grown in employment terms from 137 thousand in 1997 to 163 thousand in 2004. A growth of 26 thousand - a good thing assuming appropriate use of the people.

Of interest is the growth of administrative staff by 10 thousand and the extra 20 thousand scientists and engineers. Technical support staff such as technicians has fallen by 5 thousand.

There is clearly a shift in terms of how R+D is managed. It would be interesting to know whether the adminstrative staff are helping make the markets for the products, or whether there is added paperwork.

Comments?

Time frame for opportunities

If you have a good idea and you think there is a good opportunity within the market place - how long have you got?

This clearly depends on many factors e.g.

how ready are your competition to produce something similar
How long is it until someone produces something better - and replaces your product from the market
how robust are the barriers that you can put in place to slow others down

Possibly the question should be rephrased. Can you research the factors that will determine the time frame you will be allowed for a product? If so - how accurate are the results?

If you are preparing for entry into the market - do you have plans for exit as well?