Tag: new

  • Are they tired of your narrative?

    Most individuals, organizations, and companies underperform to their potential. Others miraculously live up to or exceed their potential.

    Why?

    Each tells a story every day and validates it with their actions. Their audience either likes that story (and repeats it) or they don’t.

    Take the example of Wal-Mart. Here’s their mission statement:

    “Wal-Mart’s mission is to help people save money so they can live better.“

    They are the largest retailer in the world. They are the largest private employer in the United States. Why do they continue to grow? Because people understand their mission and like the narrative that Wal-Mart tells. Even when Frontline did their infamous expose`, “Is Wal-Mart Good For America?” all the film did was validate the company’s narrative. Lowest prices, guaranteed.

    People like the narrative, it works for them, and it’s profitable for Wal-Mart. So they keep feeding their narrative with everything they do and their customers keep feeding their cash registers.

    A new product idea or a new narrative?

    When people struggle they tend to swing the pendulum. They drastically change things about themselves or spin their wheels creating a new initiative. Unfortunately, what they are often doing is validating a story that is spinning things further out of control.

    They take the pig that nobody wants, put some different clothes on it, and try to sell it as a different pig. But the world knows its the same stinking pig!

    Take the example of the Big 3 auto makers:

    Through the 1990s and early 2000s they made cars the market didn’t really want but was willing to buy because of brand loyalty. As market share dipped further and they ran out of working capital, a mantra went around that they needed new designs, new models, and they could engineer their way out of the problem. That just validated the story that they made cars people didn’t want.

    Their narrative became outsourcing and layoffs. They hid from their Detroit roots. And when people thought Ford, Chrysler, and GM they thought about out-of-control overhead, plant closings, and unions.

    In truth, they are making the same cars with the same people they always have. (And the same problems.) But they are telling a new story that people like. (and are repeating)

    Are people tired of your product? Are they tired of you? Or are they simply tired of your narrative?

  • New is dangerous, old is noble

    The flood of print has turned reading into a process of gulping rather than savoring.  ~Warren Chappell (1904-1991)

    I find that people have a curious attitude towards new ways of doing things.

    If I were to tell you that part of my job is to remain informed by reading journals on the study of adolescence, magazines to keep up with the latest trends in adolescent culture, network with youth workers around the world to hear what’s going on in the field of youth ministry, and read book after book of youth ministry training materials… you’d likely have a noble attitude towards my lifestyle.

    Wow, Adam McLane is a well-read, well-informed guy.

    But if I were to tell you that I do all of that sitting in front of a computer all day, reading dozens of blog posts, networking with people on Twitter and Facebook, and reading hundreds of pages of stuff every day to find the very best stuff out there.

    Oh, Adam McLane is addicted to the internet. [Make ugly, judgmental face]

    People’s attitudes towards acquiring news information and reading.

    6 hours of sitting and reading a book or digesting the latest newspaper = noble use of time.

    6 hours of sitting and reading online or digesting the latest news online = evil use of time.

    The same could be said of people’s attitudes towards mobile devices.

    6 hours of sitting behind a desk pushing paperwork around = noble use of time.

    6 hours of actively doing stuff in the field with 30-40 minutes of time away from that to send emails or communicating with co-workers = evil use of time.

    The same could be said about interacting with ones friends.

    I either see or call all of my friends nearly every day = noble use of time & energy.

    I connect or exchange messages with all of my friends nearly every day on either Facebook, Twitter, or text messaging = evil use of time & energy.

    What’s the point?

    I find it disturbing that people say, “You need to manage your time online or with your mobile device. You are probably addicted.” But you will never hear someone say, “Pray for Adam, he’s addicted to reading books. Holy cow, he sits and listens to his friends way too much. I think he is addicted. He’s a communication-aholic.”

    I’m not saying that there aren’t times when I’m horribly out-of-balance or that I’m somehow really perfect. (Because I’m actually quite messed up.)

    What I am saying is that people have had negative attitudes towards people who do things in new or innovative ways for as long people have invented stuff.

    Several thousand years ago there were probably people challenging villagers to not use this new thing called a “bridge” too much or you’d get addicted to it and not really appreciate walking around the canyon or wading through the icy river.

    It’s always been this way.

    Old is noble.

    New is dangerous.