Which organizations strengths are destined to turn

into organizations blind spots?

by Bhavin Gandhi

I have seen many companies, whose employees are so

happy with their current processes and practices that they fail
to see any major market changes. Look at Kodak for
example; even after being the market leader for imaging
solutions, it missed the opportunity to be a part of the digital
revolution in image processing. Obviously, no company
wants to lag behind, but sometimes we become victim of our own success. Following are
some of our organizational strengths that can turn into blind spots very easily.
Business focus: When your company grows in size, you become the victim of your own
success. Instead of thinking about the basic fundamentals of the company, which made
you successful, you are mostly occupied in projects, delivery dates and customers. While
it is not a bad thing to narrow down your focus on the priorities at hand, this narrowed
focus may kill your company's business over time. By focusing your attention repeatedly
on certain (or should I say, same) things, you can seduce yourself into believing that these
are the only things that matter. This approach can prevent your leadership from noticing
new options or opportunities. For example: Sony Diskman, once the largest sold music
listening device, was ill prepared for the digital music revolution, and hence, the
completely new way of listening to music, iPod, dominated the market.
Efficient processes: Whenever we start something new, we always look for the best
alternative available out there. But once we have identified those particular alternatives,
we are more likely to stick with it. Thus, it is natural for an employee to stick with an
already established process. After all, it frees up their time for doing other tasks. But then,
we are ought to develop an organization-wide practice where our employees follow the
same processes, not because they are efficient but because they are well known and
comfortable to follow. If we get too much used to our existing processes, and stop
reexamining the new options, we are ought to blind ourselves with the resistance to
change attitude, later on.
Successful relationships: In order to succeed in any organization, your employees must
build strong relationships with other employees, customers, suppliers, lenders, investors,
etc. But when the business paradigm changes, companies often find that their
relationships have turned into shackles by limiting their flexibility. The need to maintain
existing relationships with past customers can, sometimes, hinder companies in
developing new products or focusing on new markets. This phenomenon doesn't just

Author: Bhavin Gandhi

Contact information: http://BhavinGandhi.com

affect customer-facing employees, sometimes, managers (or leaders) can also find
themselves constrained by their existing relationships with their employees or their
leadership.
These are some of the blind spots that your organization will face, no matter how big or
small it is. Do you know of any other organizational strength that can turn into your blind
spot very easily? If so, please share your ideas with me through your comments. Thanks Bhavin Gandhi
Bhavin Gandhi | July 21, 2015 at 9:00 AM | Tags: 21st century, Business failures, Business
Issues, Business leadership, Innovate or die, Organization's blindspot, Organization's Culture |
Categories: 21st Century, Leadership, Management | URL: http://wp.me/p103Cm-e7

Author: Bhavin Gandhi

Contact information: http://BhavinGandhi.com