The Challenge of Simplicity
Source:Editor's Blog
By James Buchanan
As the features editor here at White Digital Media it is my responsibility to write and/or edit the many case studies we publish each month. The intent of these case studies is to take a look at what makes a particular company successful. What is it about a cheese maker in Canada, a brewery in Oregon, or a large electric utility in Texas that sets them apart from their peers and allows them to continue to prosper, even when similar companies may struggle and sometimes fail?
These case studies are made all the more interesting when one looks at the various industries we cover and the challenges they face. Of recent vintage are the extraordinary issues regarding home mortgage companies and the slackening in the housing bubble. While we all would feel the pinch from a recession if these issues should seep into the economy as a whole, the construction trades and design/build companies have had to deal with the fact that fewer people are building and buying new homes. In many cases, companies have laid off workers, cut back on new purchases of materials and equipment, and are desperately trying to find ways to generate revenue from existing and new sources. These cuts and reactive measures bleed out to the larger community causing measured, but real pain.
However, there are exceptions. This past month I interviewed one contractor that realized three or four years ago that the housing boom could not be sustained in perpetuity. Rather than continue down one road blithely and blindly, he began to pull his people together and discuss how the company could continue to execute on its home development business while also diversifying its work to include other revenue streams. The result is that as the housing market continues its slide, governments are investing more in public works projects and his company is well positioned to get a piece of that very large pie. As others seek cures to their hangovers, he is hiring more employees, looking for ways to bring in more materials, and expects steady growth to continue in the foreseeable future for his company.
It’s easy to say that you want to be proactive and forward thinking. As concepts, they are rather simple to understand. However, developing strategies, laying out plans and executing on them are where the real complexities and challenges lay. Simplicity can be the most complicated and difficult of paths.
So then, as a leader of your company, I would encourage you to ask yourself: Does my company have the skill and tenacity to truly be forward thinking and proactive, or are we walking blithely and blindly forward? Hopefully for you it’s the former, not the latter.
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