We are living in a world in which we are constantly encouraged to achieve above-average results. A world where we always have to be faster, more innovative, more creative and simply better than the rest. It is a world where the questions and demands stay the same, but the answers or ways of action are changing. In other words: What brought us „here“ will no longer get us „there“. The solution for this situation is actually quite. If we want to have results we never had before, we need to start doing things we never did before. However, how do we achieve those extraordinary results? Before we can answer this question, let's have a look at the obstacles on the way to success.
When companies encounter problems, we usually see them doing one out of two things. They either intensify their efforts on the same things or reduce their efforts on them. However, we rarely see them doing different things instead. Scientific studies have shown that upon encountering an obstacle only ~5% of people consider doing things in a different way while the remaining 95% continue being trapped in their path and solve nothing. The reason for this is the our blind side or so-called „tunnel-vision“.
If we want to have results we never had before, we need to start doing things we never did before! Because if we do what everybody else is doing, we will get the results everybody else is getting.
One of the most famous examples for the Tunnel Vision is Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft and the most prominent critic of the iPhone in 2007. In a television interview after Steve Jobs‘ presentation, he gave Apple zero chance for the iPhone to gain significant market share. With the price of $500, the iPhone was the most expensive phone in the world (at the time) and since it doesn't have a keyboard it wasn’t good for writing emails and was not appealing to any business customers. Ballmer praised his products, believed in his strategy and was convinced that his prices (just 20% of an iPhone) were unbeatable. History has taught all of us differently.
But why do we fall into the tunnel-vision mode? Brain scientists will tell us that thinking is a high energy activity and costs our body a lot of energy. Therefore, our body goes as often as possible into a "self-protection-mode" to save energy for emergencies or situations in which it is essential to think. That‘s why we tend to think „inside the box“, inside a world with very well defined boundaries. In other words, we think and act our entire work life in defined boundaries. The legal boundary, the technological boundary, the physical boundary and the paradigmatic boundary. In our imagination, this „box“ is incredibly big. Limited, but large. However, the reality often looks different. The limits of our operational box that we either set for ourselves or that are being set by the company we work for, are often far smaller than the maximum possible dimensions of boundaries in reality. These boundaries can change in size depending on the tasks, but they will always remain very small compared to the potential.
These limitations or restrictions result from external factors that we often call „industry standards“ or the „industry norms“. External factors we do not know who defined, but are followed by everyone without being questioned and without paying attention to the fact that the word "norm" is an abbreviation for normal, i.e., ordinary, regular or average! In other words, if we do what everybody else is doing, we will get the results everybody else is getting. This means we will get just „normal“ results. Referring to the beginning of this article, it is expected from our management and superiors, from our friends, sports mates, parents and even from ourselves to achieve extraordinary results. How can we do that?
In order to over achieve our goals, we need to kick ourselves out of our operational box. We need to move from the very small box of our professional field with all the industry norms and standards into the space of creativity where innovation can happen. A place that appears to be without limits. We need to break through the standards and norms that only exist because everyone adheres to them and leave no space for real innovations. Had Steve Jobs not broken his industry norms, our world would be very different today, and there are many more such examples that we encounter every day.
Look at a different thinker like Ingvar Kamprad. In 1943, at the age of 17, he opened a mail-order sales business for consumer goods such as pens, tablecloths, matches, nylon stockings, etc. in a small Swedish village called Agunnaryd. Two years later he began advertising in local newspapers and operating a makeshift mail-order service. He used the local milk van to deliver products to the nearby train station. Another two years later he included furniture in his assortment, produced by local manufacturers in the forests close by. Three years after that he published his first catalogue. No doubt, a growing business. Probably it wouldn‘t be anything very special unless what happened next. One day, Ingvar decided to brake through his operational box and the industry norms of furniture shipping and stationary sales. He decided to sell furniture in pieces for self-assembly collected from a warehouse instead of shipping ready-to-use furniture. If he wouldn’t have done that, then we would all still live in apartments without shelfs named BILLY, side tables called LACK, KLIPPAN couches and all the other IKEA products.
Real innovation, cool ideas and long lasting business growth always happens away from the majority. Outside of all standards and norms. Remember: If you continue doing what everyone else is doing, you do not distinguish yourself and you will probably get „stuck“ sooner or later. It is in your hands to become one of the 5% who shape an innovative path by breaking the industry norms and well-known standards. It is absolutely true that there are many risks involved in breaking out of the boxes and there is no guarantee of success, but what is the alternative? The alternative is standing still, going with the flow, staying mediocre and becoming part of the remaining 95% who work for the innovative 5%.
If you find my tips valuable but still don't know exactly how implementing them, I’m inviting you to write me an email and you will get a training session free of charge - how to take your specific challenge and form together a path to success. My email is: chris@forty-two.digital