I’m in the middle to late stages of marketing planning for several of our clients as well as for our own BrandMill brand for 2010. Throughout the past months and weeks, we’ve had lots of discussions about how to improve business and several times throughout the discourse we get hung up on competitive moves and outside influences such as the economy.
While those subjects are important to a degree – none of us operate on an island or in a vacuum – most brands I come in contact with do not pay enough importance to improving their own products, services, people and processes.
Sure, it’s a lot easier to point your finger at other things that are impacting your performance as opposed to turning it back on you and looking for ways to improve your own brand. We like to blame others and other things and don’t like to admit we’re underperformers due to our own inherent failings.
It’s all Monkey Business!
How many of you run through the same processes over and over again expecting different results? Even if your performance is good compared to others in your market or industry, how do you know high is up?
I contend that in planning stages and execution stages everything should be measured – you should always be looking for ways to improve upon the current status quo even if you beat your goals.
And, processes are key – they should be always under review. No sacred cows!
How about a little demo?
Think for a moment…how long have you been eating bananas? All your life?
How do you open them? From the stem down?
I’ll bet you’ve been eating bananas for a long time and have practically always opened them from the stem down and gotten good results – meaning you’ve enjoyed eating your chosen banana…right?
Well, you’d enjoy them more if you opened them a different way…the right way…the way Monkeys do!
Most monkeys eat bananas by pinching the bottom end of one and not by peeling back from the stem. The pressure a monkey applies from this pinching method creates a tear in the peel and miraculously the fruit is easily displayed and ready to eat.
A few more advantages to peeling your banana the “monkey way” are:
- you do not need a knife
- it reduces the fruit strings so it speeds up the eating process
- and, the stem provides a nice sanitary handle as you eat your banana
Lesson for the day? If it ain’t broke, make sure it ain’t and examine your processes every which way to ensure greater success via flawless execution.
Here’s a great visual demonstration:
