Are you running your business like an SUV or Ninja Style?
(Cross Post: Originally posted March 25, on the Balihoo Blog)
Recently I was reading an article in Inc Magazine (Saul's House of Cool Ideas - Feb 2010) and came across an interesting quote in a discussion about the state of their workspace:
"There are two theories on safety - there is the SUV model: You wear steel toed boots and helmets and just survive the injury. Or you go naked, and your hyper-aware of your surroundings. That's Ninja style."Now I tend to agree with Jason Fried (37 Signals) in his recent book REWORK where he talks about the overuse of the term 'Rock-stars and Ninjas' when referring to the types of employees a company looks for, however I felt that the above quote is different. It wasn't used in reference to ones super-human ability to kick ass on the job, but about a much more subtle but important trait: hyper-awareness of ones surroundings. To me this is important on many levels in a start-up like Balihoo or any business for that matter. Are you running your business like an SUV or ninja style? What types of things limit your hyper-awareness (ie - the SUV business operating model)?- Too much/many available resources and the need to continually 'fill the tank'
- Size/feeling of invincibility
- Too much 'soundproofing' between you and the outside world
- Too much internal distraction
- Sense of superiority over other 'drivers' (competitors) on the road
On the other hand figuring out how to 'go naked' helps a business be hyper-aware of:
- The subtle changes in your market
- The subtle changes in the types of buyers you are attracting
- The subtle changes in your customers feedback and opinions
- The subtle changes in your teams energy levels
- The subtle changes in company culture and work dynamics
- The subtle changes in revenue/cash-flows and finances in general
Having a heighten sense of your surroundings will make you much more able to react quickly and purposeful. Get naked - go ninja style!
