One thing that I lament in business more than anything else is that more often than not those most responsible for determining long term strategy and leadership lack an often overlooked quality... the ability to understand causality. The ability to understand causality is a quality rarely talked about in terms of leadership but it is often hidden behind the larger notion that an individual is strategically minded, but I think there is more to it than that. There is a larger ability to understand the domino effect that a change might have, either positive or negative. Its a huge problem when businesses don't think this way.
It took me a long time to recognize the problem but now it screams to me every time I see examples of it. It is not manifest in a lack of planning or cleverness of ideas its shows itself in the short and long term repercussions (both positive and negative) that that action takes. Branding or image campaigns owe their effectiveness to causality but I often wonder how many advertising execs think about it in those terms. More than a simple response/counter response action.
This often takes the case in the simplest of messages. You have to ask yourself: do you think about how small gains could have a potential negative effect on the bigger picture? One of my favorite examples of this has to be the soda machine in the second floor of the building in which we lease an office. I'm not a soda fan but this catches my eye every time I walk by and makes me laugh. In order to save money on electricity the building has put the power in the kitchen on a motion detector, that includes the soda machine.
proof I'm not kidding:
Are you getting the problem yet? What is the brand message? it's not Coke or Pepsi its COLD DRINKS. Here's the irony: if the power is off, the refrigeration is not working, if the refrigeration is not working your get... WARM DRINKS. Were I as an unsuspecting consumer walking by suddenly tempted by the draw of a tasty cold beverage I would plop in my $.50, get the soda of my choice, raise it to my lips, and get the surprise of warm soda. Instantly all credibility is gone I will never trust the cold drinks machine on floor 2 ever again. When your whole brand value is cold drinks and you deliver warm drinks to save a few dollars a month in operational expense you are not thinking big picture.
Think about your business and its brand message; think, is there a policy, campaign, sacred cow, an employee, or other obstacle that gets in the way of your delivering your brand value? How will you resolve it and how will you do it in a way that has a long term positive effect. Food, or should I say WARM DRINKS, for thought.