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Bottom-up

Overview

Bottom-up planners and entrepreneurs jump at the opportunity. The adapt quickly to changes in the market. Often the future is not clear, but the pressure to hang on the past successes, so strong in people, causes us wait too long to change when you need to respond. We admire entrepreneurs who understand that opportunity and go after it. It is harder inside an established firm.

Use a bottom-up approach when your business needs to be more innovative. Rather than waiting for corporate guidance, bring ideas forward. Make it part of your culture - asking your best folks and your youngsters to show you what you should be doing. My experience is most companies want to do that. It's politics that make it difficult.

When products or services' margins hint troubles ahead and innovation is not a strength, very dedicated folks inside your business will work against the grain. They'll try to find new ways to reach your customers. Called change agents or corporate rebels, they have to be shrewd to bring their ideas to market or to get the business model to evolve. This is the hardest process to make succeed. I was twice successful as a change agent and failed once. Gary Hammel described the process in detail in Leading the Revolution. Unfortuantely, Enron was his prime example — there are risks of over-confidence.

To skip ahead, go to the Meetings Chapter on bottom-up and entreprenuers.