The biggest business conversation that the entrepreneur should be having today is around disruption. The problem is that being disruptive – invading a traditional space and reinventing every part of how it is done and perceived – isn’t as important as being determined in your methodology and focus when it comes to achieving disruption. Uber, the ultimate disruption example, didn’t miraculously appear overnight. It was the determination and foresight of its founder that saw the company completely transform an industry.
Decide to disrupt
If you want to disrupt, you need to make a conscious decision to change the way things are done and the way people engage with a specific market, niche or solution. If you want to disrupt your business model you need to understand exactly what that means and how it will impact on your people, your company and your clients.
Disruption isn’t just about being the next Uber or Airbnb. It’s about improving and changing the way people do things in a fundamental way that means something, that delivers value.
It also has to happen at speed.
You aren’t going to disrupt an industry if you’re still dithering over decisions. Slow isn’t usually associated with disrupt.
The reason why disruption is associated with determination is because it will make you extremely uncomfortable. Changing things and redefining how you work, do business and live, requires that you completely change where you are right now. You need to be open to transforming the way you do business and this process can be both awkward and uncomfortable.
Go to war
Disruption is going to war with industry on behalf of your customers. It’s also the need to look internally and constantly question your market, how you engage with your clients and the solutions you deliver. This is not an economy that allows for the entrepreneur to rest on their laurels – someone will quickly disrupt you. You need to be determined enough to succeed that you can relentlessly reassess your business, your systems and your goals.
This is the challenge that’s affecting the large enterprise today.
These behemoths risk being easily disrupted as they don’t like change. It has left many doors wide open for those entrepreneurs who are open to opportunity, but if they step into these new spaces they are under pressure to remain agile and aware or they run the risk of becoming the next incumbent that’s disrupted.
Change your thinking
As you ponder the relevance and value of disruption, both as a business and as an internal benchmark, there are a few questions you can ask to refine your process and your thinking:
- Do I deliver the same impact on my customers every day? Impact is important – is your product or service still impacting on your clients the way that you (and they) want.
- What questions are clients asking and how is my business answering them?
- Do you need to fundamentally change the way you manage certain systems and solutions to ensure there is value?
- Is my value proposition still meaningful and does it attract the talent I need to drive my business forward?
- Does my operating model still deliver to the scale and efficiency that I need or does it need improvement?
