If you’ve read through my report on The New Product Economy, you know my first tenet is that companies need to be more paranoid. But being paranoid isn’t enough if it is just about fear without action.
Meet a company that is pro-actively paranoid: The Regus Group, Ltd. They were highlighted in a recent HBR blog post because their culture operates knowing that whatever advantage they have today, it will soon disappear. Here is a quote from the post:
“… their Chief Operating Officer explains, at the very moment the company goes after an opportunity, it simultaneously considers what it will take to exit it.”
Brilliant! I’d never heard of a company so cognizant about change that they built it into how they run the business. They anticipate change – they plan for it!
Here is what is so great about this company: they learned from past mistakes. Short story: they provide office space and back in the dot.bomb they almost lost their business. They had to quickly re-group and find a new business model in order to save it. From there, they didn’t assume it was a one-time occurrence. Instead, they assumed any business model would have to change in time. They became appropriately paranoid and did something about it.
This is just as important, may be more so, with any new product you launch. Enjoy your advantage while you can – but plan for when that advantage will wither or disappear.
Here’s to a long life for Regus – and a blueprint for everyone else struggling with maintaining a market advantage.
Image: thanks to inmyshortsleeve.com for a perfect visual!