Do you really understand your organizational strengths and weaknesses in order to stand out in the marketplace? In the words of Youngme Moon, “The number of companies who are truly able to achieve competitive separation is depressingly small.”
Only about 3% of individuals and organizations have the ability to think and act differently. It’s because companies tend to define their strengths and weaknesses using the same measurements and standards as their competitors. This leads to homogeneity, not differentiation. When everyone is trying to build on the same strengths and eliminate the same weaknesses, all companies start to look the same.
It’s time to reassess weakness. Your organization’s weaknesses are important clues to your most powerful strengths. In the words of my Pink Goldfish coauthor David Rendall, “What makes us weak can also make us strong.”
I challenge you to take the assessment below and see where your strengths and weaknesses match up.
For example:
•Companies can be seen negatively as small and weak… or positively as quick and responsive.
•Products can be seen negatively as overpriced… or positively as luxurious.
Takeaway – If we truly appreciated our weaknesses, we’d amplify them instead of trying to fix them.