Manufacturing; Big Boys, Small Boys and Somewhere in-Between
...where to begin-so much to tell.
Refrigeration and piping-build systems in the field and do prep-work back in the shop.
What happens when a company has long understood that its bread-n-butter has comed from building these exact systems and now finds itself, not aware though, that to survive the next 20 years it must think in larger circles to understand its whole and universe?
Many companies have dug into the details, thinking that answers lie in those crevasses but only to find that most details are tactical, at the mid-level management arena and not exactly what you should be considering. Build YOUR executive strategic building!
Sure enough, details are important-yes, very much so, but if you're already arguing the point-you've lost out on the most important point, labeled as "direction"...which is harder to argue. We surely don't want to be working on the wrong details, or plan or component, do we?
Direction is an ambiguous design, plan, picture or ornament.
Make it visible by concentrating on larger pictures and thoughts. Today, start a new habit by taking yourselves out of the details and consider larger components, organisms if you will, as whole parts of a much larger circle than you previously realized, even in your most expansive moments.
Start your processes so that huge circles (business as a whole) come into view. Grow your circles as larger influences begin to come to mind. As your business starts to materialize into other dimensions, here we discover-strategic influences such as "core competencies", leading you out of tactical alienation and stubborness into a new light of sustained and broader thinking.
The Chinese have long done their planning but unlike our planning, which are five to 15 year plans, if that, have founded the 50 year to 100 year plan. Insignificant you say! Not on your watch! Won't solve a thing is your answer...STOP and LISTEN for just this moment for some truth that you too can use for your strategic direction.
First, 100 year plans will align your thinking with real world changes and the direction your business needs to steer to. It would equate to a large ship manuvering in open waters, trying to turn to port (left) or star-board(right) during the next 50 to 30 years. It takes time yes, but if you are not steering right now, you will not get there in time. Time is not stopping for you or I.
The above scenario allows your business mind to think differently. Notice how you're now thinking about customers, who they are and where are they in their plans!
Are you thinking about scalable systems that are changed-out and updated with the least cost to you?
Profit margins are now more aligned to your methods and processes to deliver system value to your customer.
You become aligned with their thinking-how can you help them to grow, profitably?
No more are you thinking of each sale-you are more visionary now and equate business survival to services and what you are as the deliverer of this service to your customer.
Now, we are down to the home stretch. 30 to 10 years is a large span of time, but when calculated as a sale a day to deliver that quality of service out to the right, (graphing) for the next 50 years to even the 100 year mark, we find lines of correlation, which we can quantify with managerial finance equations. This vision originated not from a 5 year thought, but thinking farther out to the right in time, more than ever before.
High level thinking as you know is the savior of business. Encourage your own mind to pull itself up, and go beyond what YOU percieve as normal.
Dare your mind, (take the time-quiet place-walk by the lake) to wonder. Go past the tactical road blocks and into areas you have never explored, nor given your mind the chance to think about.
Discovery: Five year plans are detrimental-Financial equations can be changed- (watchout what you do), business life is not always the tactical speed boat-it may excite you to know that your steerage is massive and cultural at best-these take time to manuver and manuver you must.
China knows where it is going (world manufacturing dominance), do you know where you are going tomorrow?
Till We See You Again-Happy Trails...
Lyle K'ang, MBA
Specialization in Information Management
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