Miracle Max On Market Breakthroughs

Successful enterprise building requires seven elements. These are:

1. People, who are the source of the creative ideas which drive the enterprise' s innovations;

2. Financial Resources, to fund the transformation of these ideas into market breakthroughs;

3. A Coherent Business Philosophy, from which the enterprise sets its course;

4. Capable Leadership, in order to properly direct and manage the enterprise;

5. Strategies and Tactics, to focus the enterprise' s strengths and minimize its weaknesses;

6. Marketplace Intelligence, allowing its people to understand the changing forces in the environment which are producing both the windows of opportunity as well as potential dangers, and finally;

Time, for it is only with adequate time that the creative ideas, properly nurtured, directed and implemented, can fully blossom into successful innovations.

Unfortunately today, even when the first three are present, the pressure for immediate bottom-line results frequently culminates in knee-jerk management reactions, that handicap the development of a creative inspiration into a major market success. Time is indeed a precious commodity in today' s rapidly changing and evolving marketplaces. As a senior executive advisor, professional speaker and business owner, I have always been an advocate of taking action, as I frequently meet well intentioned executives, who are reluctant to make decisions. Therefore, delay and procrastination have become their nagging companions. "He who hesitates is lost", a favorite axiom of mine serves as a fitting dictum for strategic and tactical decision making. However, it is possible to misapply this tenet to the unique process of nurturing creative ideas into market breaking innovations. Although the old adage, "time waits for no man" is true and needless delay should not be tolerated, many excellent new ideas have been compromised or even destroyed by a short sighted quest for immediate returns.

The farmer in springtime first plows, then plants, but he does not rise early the following morning hoping to begin the harvest, does he? Of course not. He expects to wait months for his crop, during which time he must repeatedly fertilize and then weed, if he expects a bountiful harvest. It is that frequent fertilizing, "nurturing and encouraging", along with the repeated weeding, "directing and guiding" which cannot be short-cut, if creative ideas are to mature into breakthrough market innovations. However, it is just this waiting which so often bedevils us. Ten years ago the advent of the personal computer industry spawned the euphemism "vaporware". Today most industries sport their own versions of "vaporware", if not in form, then certainly in substance. Creative ideas, many very promising ones, are repeatedly rushed to market before ready. The consequences; unhappy customers, damaged reputations and often diminished long term profits or worse yet, abandonment of what could have been a revolutionary new product or service.

There is a classic line in the movie "The Princess Bride", where Miracle Max is trying to revive the "mostly dead" hero, Wesley. Feeling the pressure from Wesley' s friends to hurry, Miracle Max responds; "You rush a miracle and maybe you get rotten miracle." Well said Max! Too many executives today are wondering why they keep ending up with rotten miracles. Frequently they need look no further than their own myopic quest for instant profits. Growing up in the 50' s and 60' s, when I heard people speaking of long term plans, they were referring to decades. When I began my career in the early 70' s, long term business plans had shrunk to five to ten years. Today, long term is anywhere from one to three years or less. No wonder senior executive focus is so severely constrained by monthly or quarterly results. If creative ideas are not in and of themselves small miracles, then certainly the act of transforming those flashes of insight and even genius, with their potential to suddenly propel an enterprise several years ahead of its competitors, undoubtedly is miracle making in the marketplace. Far too many creative ideas of great promise have resulted in "rotten miracles," due not to the ideas themselves, but rather because they were prematurely transformed into "vaporware" by executives, impatient for immediate results.

In order to consistently succeed at turning creative ideas into breakthrough innovations, they must be tended with diligence and patience like choice grapes in a vineyard, until you are rewarded with a truly fine wine.

Copyright 2005 by John Di Frances

John Di Frances is an internationally recognized organizational legacy expert and professional speaker. www.difrances.com

---

Why You Should Hold One More Meeting

If you are completely happy with where you and your... Read More

Deciding What to Delegate

DECIDING WHAT TO DELEGATE: Once the benefits of delegation are... Read More

The High Cost of Employee Turnover Among Project Managers

Imagine for a moment this scenario from a frustrated Senior... Read More

Recruitment - What Youre Really, Really Looking For

Imagine that you're a sports coach and you need a... Read More

Creativity and Innovation Management in Conservative, Staid Organisations

Conservative and staid organisations generally have a harder time implementing... Read More

Influencing Change - A Guide for Sellers, Coaches, and Supervisors

When people or groups make a decision to purchase something,... Read More

Magnificent Meetings - 5 Tips for Success

Your impact at meetings will determine in a big way... Read More

How to Coach Your Employees - 5 Simple Steps Anyone Can Do!

Want to get more from your people, but you don't... Read More

Competion or Cooperation?

It has been said, there is no better way to... Read More

Parenting Your Employees to Better Performance

Have you ever worked for someone who was such a... Read More

The Punitive Approach to Marginal Performers

MANAGING A MARGINAL PERFORMER: Often a marginal performer, even after... Read More

Know Your Client - The First Rule of Business Coaching

Whilst the very best coaches have undertaken independently accredited training... Read More

Firing Someone Without Resentment

Firing, sacking, letting go or terminating people is unpleasant. There... Read More

What is Six Sigma?

Six Sigma is a highly disciplined process focused on satisfying... Read More

The Leadership Imperative: Making Your Leadership Your Life

Nearly all leaders I've encountered are underachievers. They're getting a... Read More

The Three-Dimensional Communication System

Human communication is always three-dimensional. No spoken or written message... Read More

Take Your Firm to the Next Level

So you did such a good job in 2003 at... Read More

Its All About The Customers, Baby

If you want to ensure a steady stream of customers... Read More

7 Strategies for Sustained Innovation

The need for constant reinvention is a given in today's... Read More

Performance Expectations - 5 Tips and 5 Questions

People want to understand their role - they want to... Read More

Does Your State Like To Keep Your Workers Compensation Secrets Hidden?

Workers compensation secrets are hidden deep within piles and piles... Read More

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Improving Workplace Safety

This article relates to the Safety and Working Environment competency... Read More

Business Knowledge Management

In the last few years a lot has been written... Read More

How to Create a Positive Work Atmosphere

Positive versus Negative WorkplacesWe have all worked in places where... Read More

Turning a Negative Employee Into a Positive Asset

Several years ago, I took over the supervision of a... Read More

Safety Policy Sample Outline

Writing a safety manual is a tough job and most... Read More

Plan for Business Success - 6 Reasons to Succession Plan

Succession Planning provides many valuable assets to your business. Yet... Read More

Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits, Challenges and Solutions

Workplace diversity refers to the variety of differences between people... Read More

Collections Management

How long does it take your customers, clients or patients... Read More

Are You A B.O.S.S. -- Boisterous, Omnipotent, Self Indulgent, Sociopath

Boisterous, Omnipotent, Self- indulgent Sociopath. Avoid the B.O.S.S. syndrome with... Read More

Leadership Styles - the Ten Top Qualities the Best Leaders Show

Top leaders...Are Visionary Top leaders have a very clear understanding... Read More

Argue Your Way To Business Success

"Jack" (not his real name) is a vice president of... Read More

Power of Pinpointing Accountability

I have always said that if I were to write... Read More