Good To Great
Good to Great
Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Other Don’t
“Good to Great” is an exploration into the key factors that have transformed good companies into great companies (Collins, 2001). The book works from empirical data to build a fact based theory while urging the reader to remain impartial and to draw his/her conclusion based on the evidence presented. It identifies the key characteristics unique to 11 companies (Abbott, Circuit City, Fannie Mae, Gillette, Kimberly-Clark, Kroger, Nucor, Philip Morris, Pitney-Bowes, Walgreens, and Wells Fargo) that have transitioned from good to great and sustained greatness for at least 15 years. Collins has broken down the findings of his team into a multi-phased concept that details the entire …show more content…
However, realistically understanding what you can (and cannot) be best at is utterly important. The idea of doing what you like is not new. If you are to understand what you are good at, the idea of understanding what you’re not good at sounds like common sense; but most people (myself included) have not thought about what we are not good at. The Hedgehog concept involves knowing what you’re good at, if it be profitable, and if you are passionate about it. When you can capitalize on a natural talent that you are passionate about, you have a key ingredient to accomplishing greatness. Great companies didn’t attempt various goals in hopes of being successful. Instead, great companies simplified their goal using natural, profitable talent in which they were passionate. In some instances, core values had to be realigned. Also, worth mentioning is great companies didn’t attempt more than they could support. The Hedgehog concept of focusing on a core area with expertise, passion, and the potential to be profitable; rejected attempting more than the company could support. In a familiar saying, they avoided being jacks of all trades and an expert in …show more content…
With the rapidness of technology changes the fear that current systems will soon become obsolete propels many to update systems, often adding new features that go unused. However, what has been revealed through the data researched in from “Good to Great” is that technology did not facilitate greatness. This is a fact I would’ve argued against until now. However, that doesn’t mean technology isn’t a contributing component of success. The key is to making sure the technological change fits into the Hedgehog concept. Adopting all technological fads won’t endure the test of time and is a recipe for familiar. Technology should not be the driving force for change, but rather the fuel to keep it going. Great companies didn’t respond to new technology with a got to have the latest thirst, but rather decided if it fit into their framework and if it did capitalized on how it could propel them toward their goal. Technology shouldn’t be the means to an end or the motivation to change course, technology should be an addition to a plan in process. It should compliment an organization’s core goals; not restructure
Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Other Don’t
“Good to Great” is an exploration into the key factors that have transformed good companies into great companies (Collins, 2001). The book works from empirical data to build a fact based theory while urging the reader to remain impartial and to draw his/her conclusion based on the evidence presented. It identifies the key characteristics unique to 11 companies (Abbott, Circuit City, Fannie Mae, Gillette, Kimberly-Clark, Kroger, Nucor, Philip Morris, Pitney-Bowes, Walgreens, and Wells Fargo) that have transitioned from good to great and sustained greatness for at least 15 years. Collins has broken down the findings of his team into a multi-phased concept that details the entire …show more content…
However, realistically understanding what you can (and cannot) be best at is utterly important. The idea of doing what you like is not new. If you are to understand what you are good at, the idea of understanding what you’re not good at sounds like common sense; but most people (myself included) have not thought about what we are not good at. The Hedgehog concept involves knowing what you’re good at, if it be profitable, and if you are passionate about it. When you can capitalize on a natural talent that you are passionate about, you have a key ingredient to accomplishing greatness. Great companies didn’t attempt various goals in hopes of being successful. Instead, great companies simplified their goal using natural, profitable talent in which they were passionate. In some instances, core values had to be realigned. Also, worth mentioning is great companies didn’t attempt more than they could support. The Hedgehog concept of focusing on a core area with expertise, passion, and the potential to be profitable; rejected attempting more than the company could support. In a familiar saying, they avoided being jacks of all trades and an expert in …show more content…
With the rapidness of technology changes the fear that current systems will soon become obsolete propels many to update systems, often adding new features that go unused. However, what has been revealed through the data researched in from “Good to Great” is that technology did not facilitate greatness. This is a fact I would’ve argued against until now. However, that doesn’t mean technology isn’t a contributing component of success. The key is to making sure the technological change fits into the Hedgehog concept. Adopting all technological fads won’t endure the test of time and is a recipe for familiar. Technology should not be the driving force for change, but rather the fuel to keep it going. Great companies didn’t respond to new technology with a got to have the latest thirst, but rather decided if it fit into their framework and if it did capitalized on how it could propel them toward their goal. Technology shouldn’t be the means to an end or the motivation to change course, technology should be an addition to a plan in process. It should compliment an organization’s core goals; not restructure