Sense & Make-Sense
Steve Jobs (former CEO of Apple) quoted legendary ice hockey player, Wayne Gretzky:
“… ‘I skate to where the puck is going to be (not where it is)’, that is what we have always tried to do at Apple.”
“… ‘I skate to where the puck is going to be (not where it is)’, that is what we have always tried to do at Apple.”
The capability to Sense & Make Sense: To be sensitive and detect emerging trends and weak signals that are leading indicators of how the market-space or competitive dynamics are evolving. The extent of the scope of the network with which the corporation operates and the diversity of the markets within that network can increase its opportunity to sense. However, the capability needs to be nurtured in order to overcome tendencies such as the dominant perception coming from the corporate center or to depend only on designated research or development teams. Making-Sense of the multiple signals and idea-fragments requires the ability to ‘connect the dots’, i.e. to make connections between separate pieces of data and insight.
Four key mechanisms can significantly enhance the capability to Sense & Make Sense.
- The ability to harvest idea-fragments globally, without cognitive or selection biases. To organise and effectively interrogate the growing database of idea fragments; with or without the support of AI (Artificial Intelligence). i.e. Crowd-source as ‘Everyone’ is smarter than anyone.
- Access unique external insight; obtain independent data and insight on customers and the market-space, generate new insights, enhance internal beliefs and points of view.
- The propensity to demonstrate the validity of insights and to generate more through rapid, low cost experimentation i.e. Test & Learn.
- The culture to expect and ask colleagues to share deeper thinking. Making it safe (or even celebrated) to share partially formed ideas rather than a culture that makes them feel vulnerable or attacked. i.e. adopting the habit to ask “…..and what else?”.
Accelerating Outcomes AND Enhancing Capabilities