Wednesday, September 15, 2010

What Ocean Would You Rather "Swim" In?


What's on my mind this morning is what a difference working with strategically innovative people can make. If other competitors just do what every other competitor does, with little or no creativity, basically giving you the same "solution" as everybody else has, then you what you remain in is a blood red shark-infested ocean of competitors yourself.... just another "vendor" who bids on the "same" things as ever other "vendor" and late in the game too. Oftentimes...too late.

A better and more advantageous approach would be to work with people who can give you a competitive edge using value innovation and strategic thinking that can leap you way ahead of that blood red ocean of "me-too" competitors.  They can work with you to create a whole new "blue ocean" of uncontested market space, making all other competitors irrelevant. Being more innovative, and consultative can also get you in the design-and-build game earlier, where they can even contract you to develop specifications for projects that utilize and let you further leverage your unique approach...even before formal bids come out to competitors. If they come out at all. Some companies can get so unique that have to be sole-sourced.

That's what we've been working on, based on a book and strategic approach that has allowed us to do just that called Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competitors Irrelevant by W. Chan Kim, and Renee Mauborgne. See it in our Amazon.com-powered New World Virtual Bookstore. As someone who also works in clay, I really like their approach to creating a new "value curve" for a business because it is "sculptural".. like shaping clay. 

Here's what I mean: In creating your new value curve, you "eliminate" some things that competitors take for granted, maybe like bidding on projects the same way. You also get creative by "reducing" some things the other less creative competitors take for granted, like the cost of travel and hotels needed to convene physical world collaborative meetings and training sessions. Leveraging a knowledge of e-learning can accomplish that. You also can get creative by "raising" the quality of what you do well above what other competitors typically provide through more advanced instructional design and graphic design skills if you have them. You can also "create" whole now approaches to communications and learning via the introduction "virtual transportation-to-virtual architecture" applications...some even using 3-D...that we are getting excited about.

That's what the authors call their "4 Actions Framework" and what as communications and e-learning consultants, New World Communications has been working with... "walking the walk" ourselves via our own unique product service offerings now ahead of all other competitors ..still just doing stuff in their own "lane" - e.g. web developers who just do web development... who can't teach with no television background, television people who just do television, who still  don't understand how partnering with their now television-producing viewers will rocket them way forward...architects and transportation people...who just do architecture and transportation who still don't understand how new 21st century communications can now rock their world.

What really feels great is the kinds of oceans that people can now choose to swim in... the same 'ole bloody red ocean or a cool blue ocean that can now be created. What ocean would you rather swim in? If blue is also for you, call me and let get together and talk about crafting your own "Blue Ocean Strategy for your business or organization. 425-780-6872


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