Don't forget about Hillary! A key factor behind Lara Croft's success...
We're looking forward to the release of the new Lara Croft movie next year. For those not familar with the game and movies, Lara is an archaeologist-adventurer who ventures into ancient, hazardous tombs and ruins around the world.
Lara is an explorer; out to make new discoveries and find new paths and treasure. She's brave, a risk-taker; living frugally while exploring new terrain, all whilst keeping her wits about her as she battles the enemy and strives to survive.
So who is Hillary?
And what was his role in Lara's success? Hillary, or "Jeeves", was Lara's Butler. Her right-hand person keeping the home-front in order, managing the household and keeping it functioning and operational (and restoring and improving it). With Lara out exploring new frontiers and tackling new challenges, someone had to be looking after, improving and maintaining the home base (or rather, castle).
Why, or how, did Hillary play a key role in Lara's success? Professor Charles O'Reilly and Michael Tushman explored why this is in their research and subsequent book 'Lead and Disrupt. How To Solve The Innovators Dilemma'. Bronwyn Hall, from Workplace Redesign, had the pleasure of meeting Professor O'Reilly during her recent study at Stanford University, and was fortunate to hear him bring this concept to life through his research and real-life case studies...
The Dead Zone, The Risky Zone, The Safe Zone
Organisations seem to make one of three choices. They can continue to play in the 'dead zone' (Bronwyn's words, not O'Reilly's or Tushmans) whereby they solely focus on their core business with no continuous improvement and no investment. Hanging on for dear life, hoping things will improve but not adapting or growing; "trapped by their own successes". Think Sears, Borders, Kodak.
The Risky Zone is the direct opposite, which is what O'Reilly and Tushman refer to as 'explore'. That is, don't worry about home base, but direct your organisations energies, talent and resources solely towards new frontiers, and to explore significant changes in direction. Think Hillary leaving the castle and joining Lara on all her expeditions.
What O'Reilly and Tushman discovered in their extensive research and case studies, was that those organisations who played in the Safe Zone (again, Bron's words) were the ones who succeeded. These organisations were able to (and continue to) successfully navigate new frontiers whilst also looking after their home base. This enabled them to ultimately expand, grow, adapt and evolve their businesses...all because they 'exploited' their existing business (looking after the home front; remaining competitive in their core markets) whilst also 'exploring' new opportunities. O'Reilly and Tushman refer to this as an organisation's ability to be ambidextrous.
A key outcome from their research was highlighting the critical success factors between those organisations who try and succeed at being ambidextrous, and those who try and ultimately fail - and the reasons for both.
Professor O'Reilly shared wonderful stories and examples of companies that successfully manage being ambidextrous. Some are very well known, others not so. Like the company that started off generations ago in coal mines and is now involved in space travel. Or another that was in the camera business and is now (successfully) in everything from advanced technology to makeup. It is this ability to be ambidextrous; to survive these ever-changing, disruptive times that has seen these organisations avoid becoming redundant. There is a very real risk to that these days, with Deloitte noting that only 12% of Fortune 500 companies from 1955 are still in business, with 26% falling off that list in 2016 alone.
We've been fortunate to have worked with organisations and clients over the years that have mastered being ambidextrous...and some who have not. We're watching with interest and hoping to see the latter avoid ending up in the Dead Zone, as their markets evolve and competitors technology advances at an exponential rate - and watching others to see how they reduce their time in the Risky Zone, by getting the balance back with more respect and nurturing of their existing markets, customers and products.
Our question to you!
Which zone are you heading towards, or are in already? By understanding whether you're currently only about 'exploiting' (Hillary on the home front), or all about 'exploring' (Lara venturing out), you can start making some informed choices now about how to successfully combine the both to ensure the success and longevity of your organisation.
Lara's success was dependant on Hillary. And Hillary's future dependant on Lara.
(Tomb Raider (2018) due for release March 2018)
...the research and case studies showed that successful ambidextrous organisations required very different talent, skills, and cultural and employee experiences between their 'exploit' teams, and their 'explore' teams.
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