One thing you have to look hard to see in business is companies or employees being original or going against the grain. Why is originality often viewed as a risk instead of an asset? It seems that once we step into our workplace we check our personality and originality at the door. Fear may be one of the reasons why but I don’t believe it’s acting alone. Before we look at another possible reason, let’s dig deeper into this lack of originality. Are we under the impression that business can only be successful if all companies think and act alike? Many companies may differ in product offerings, advertising and price but deep down at its core, most companies are more similar than we would like to believe. When companies are increasing their revenues and increasing shareholder value, it’s hard to argue that another way would be better. The more a company is successful the less chance of it breaking out of the conformity and into originality. However, if a company is still conducting business as usual and yet not being successful, then they are living out the definition of insanity. If we are doing things the same way that everyone else is, why do we think we are going to do it better than them?
When a company is original and unique, they demand attention. A couple of examples of this are Southwest Airlines and Craig’s List, which were highlighted in “Mavericks at Work”. Southwest airlines decided to offer a no frills service which in the end proved that they could operate by keeping fares low and put forth an easy to use service for its customers. Southwest is original in how it interacts with its customer s, by using humor and a more personal approach which offsets the amenities that most all other airlines provide. The key to Southwest’s success was not that it offers the lowest fares but provided an alternative. Southwest Airlines flew more passengers in 2005 than any other airline. This is just one example that proves that originality is an asset. Craig’s list is another example of a company that was original in its business model and continues to be a great success story to this day. Craig’s List is unique in that they don’t take the same approach that traditional companies do. They don’t focus on branding; they spend zero dollars on advertising, they don’t have a logo and they don’t conduct focus groups. However what makes them a great example is that in spite of all this, they have one of the strongest brands for their size company. To most companies this would seem like a big risk or a death sentence. We typically think that throwing money into advertising and branding will gain market share. These two examples show us that traditional business is not the only avenue to success.
The second reason which keeps many companies and employees from being original or going against the grain is that they don’t understand their purpose or what their companies stand for. Author William Taylor states it this way, “What you stand for is as important as what you sell or produce.” Both Southwest Airlines and Craig’s List have not only been intentional about who they are and what they stand for but more importantly, their customers perfectly understand this as well. “A good barometer for finding out if your customers and employees understand what your company stands for is to listen to how they talk about the company.” What they talk about is evidence in what they have experienced firsthand. Companies that are original and willing to go against the grain understand that the rewards to being original far outweigh any perceived risk.
When a company is original and unique, they demand attention. A couple of examples of this are Southwest Airlines and Craig’s List, which were highlighted in “Mavericks at Work”. Southwest airlines decided to offer a no frills service which in the end proved that they could operate by keeping fares low and put forth an easy to use service for its customers. Southwest is original in how it interacts with its customer s, by using humor and a more personal approach which offsets the amenities that most all other airlines provide. The key to Southwest’s success was not that it offers the lowest fares but provided an alternative. Southwest Airlines flew more passengers in 2005 than any other airline. This is just one example that proves that originality is an asset. Craig’s list is another example of a company that was original in its business model and continues to be a great success story to this day. Craig’s List is unique in that they don’t take the same approach that traditional companies do. They don’t focus on branding; they spend zero dollars on advertising, they don’t have a logo and they don’t conduct focus groups. However what makes them a great example is that in spite of all this, they have one of the strongest brands for their size company. To most companies this would seem like a big risk or a death sentence. We typically think that throwing money into advertising and branding will gain market share. These two examples show us that traditional business is not the only avenue to success.
The second reason which keeps many companies and employees from being original or going against the grain is that they don’t understand their purpose or what their companies stand for. Author William Taylor states it this way, “What you stand for is as important as what you sell or produce.” Both Southwest Airlines and Craig’s List have not only been intentional about who they are and what they stand for but more importantly, their customers perfectly understand this as well. “A good barometer for finding out if your customers and employees understand what your company stands for is to listen to how they talk about the company.” What they talk about is evidence in what they have experienced firsthand. Companies that are original and willing to go against the grain understand that the rewards to being original far outweigh any perceived risk.
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