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Business I executive tips
BlackBerry
from Wireless Giant
The Delicate Balance
Of Control, Flexibility
H
ow does one truly get better
results in these tough times
and uncharted
change in your markets, technology
or industry, your challenge is magni-
fied. The faster the rate of
waters?
change, the faster problems
Organizations, like all
appear and grow.
living organisms, have a
Your role as a leader is
lifecycle and undergo very
not to prevent problems or
predictable and repetitive
slow the pace of change.
patterns of behavior as
Instead, focus on your
they grow and develop. At
organization's ability to
each new stage of develop-
recognize and resolve prob-
ment, an organization is
lems. Your ability to work
faced with a unique set of
together as a team and
F. Kevin Browett quickly tackle any and all
challenges.
Columnist
How well or poorly man-
situations, or decide not to,
agement addresses these
is your ultimate competitive
challenges, and leads a healthy transi-
advantage.
tion from one stage to the next, has a
Some of the problems you face
significant impact on the success or
are normal and some are abnormal.
failure of the organization.
Normal problems are those that are
Leading an organization through
expected for a given lifecycle stage.
lifecycle transitions is not easy, or
Abnormal problems are those that are
obvious. The same methods that
not expected (or desirable) in a stage
produce success in one stage can cre-
of the lifecyde. You will never have
ate failure in the next. Fundamental
enough time or resources to address
changes in leadership and man-
all the problems you face; focus on
agement are all required, with an
abnormal problems.
approach that delicately balances the
You can drive your organization
amount of control and flexibility need- faster when you know the road ahead.
ed for each stage. Leaders who fail to
Most of the issues you face are corn-
understand what is needed (and not
mon to all organizations. If you and
needed) can inhibit the development
your management team share a com-
of their companies or plunge them
mon understanding of this knowledge
into premature aging.
before problems arise, it will also help
The challenges that every organi-
you attack the problems, instead of
zation must overcome at each stage
attacking each other.
of development first manifest them-
Prime is the fountain of youth
selves as problems that arise from the
for organizations. One key differ-
growth and success of the company
ence between the lifecycle for human
and from external changes in mar-
beings versus organizations is that
kets, competitors, technology and the
living things inevitably die while
general business and political environ- organizations need not. The "age" of
ment. This simple, unavoidable reality
a company in terms of its lifecycle is
leads to the following five important
not related to its chronological age,
insights about the nature of problems
the number of employees or the size
in organizations.
of its assets. Instead, the lifecycle age
I have found what most executives
is defined by the interrelationship
and managers do not understand:
between flexibility and control.
Problems are normal and desirable.
An organization that is in Prime has
Problems are the natural result of
achieved a balance between control
change. The only place on the lifecycle
and flexibility. A Prime organization
curve where there are no problems is
knows what it is doing, where it is
the place where there is no change,
going and how it will get there. It also
which is death. If you think that good
enjoys both high growth and high
managers are those whose organiza-
profitability.
tions have no problems, think again.
Your reward for successfully resolving
F. Kevin Browett is chief operating officer
the problems that confront you today
of Jewish Renaissance Media, parent com-
is a set of new problems tomorrow
pany of the Detroit Jewish News. He is a
that will be larger and more complex.
former vice president of Kmart Corp. and a
If your company faces a high rate of
past small-business founder and officer.
❑
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1440690
October 9 • 2008
A43