Make Holes Not Drills - [chrisbrogan.com]

Jack Welch went into leading General Electric with a pretty clear message. He wanted each of the business units to be the Number One or Number Two business, or GE should get rid of it. This worked for a little while, but then he realized a snag: once a business unit hit their stride and made #1 or #2, they didn't really grow in leaps and bounds. The solution?

Jack had the business leaders go back and redefine the markets such that the business units were no longer #1 or #2. Usually, this meant broadening out the mission. Instead of being the #1 lightbulb maker, maybe GE Lighting would re-cast themselves as the #14 Office Environment company. The message, and I'll talk more about it, is this: broaden your view of yourself and the work you do.

In his great book, BUSINESS WRITING AND COMMUNICATION, Ken Davis titles Chapter 2, "Make Holes Not Drills." It relates to an old business story, where a consultant tells a tool company that they're not in the business of making tools; they're in the business of making holes.

Make Holes Not Drills - [chrisbrogan.com]