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<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">To ensure that creative options, once conceived, transform rapidly into action, I have found you must unblock one or more of seven key barriers to strategic innovation. The vast majority of the most competitive companies of the decade beginning in 1995 achieved their strengths by seeing and choosing a strategic option their competitors would not. The most competitive were able to surmount hurdles that their competitors tripped over. These seven hurdles are as follows:</SPAN></P> <P>1. Failing to <U>observe</U> that our environment has changed and that new opportunites of risks have emerged</P> <P>2. Having observed that the environment has changed, failing to <U>orient</U> ourselves to the implications of this change.</P> <P>3. Having oriented ourselves, we lack a clear <U>aspiration</U> and so are not compelled to take an action that might alter our current course.</P> <P>4. Though we havea&nbsp; clear aspiration, we fail to <U>conceive</U> of a good solution. We are stuck with a few uninspiring options or, yet worse, fall entranced with a good-enough option.</P> <P>5. We have conceived of an exciting, out-of-the-box solution but will not <U>consider</U> it because we ourselves find it unreasonable or because our team or organization view the idea as "crazy."</P> <P>6. We are willing to consider the solution but, after analysis, <U>choose</U> not to adopt it. Our decision is usually based on&nbsp;sound logic (which always rules out innovative ideas)</P> <P>7. Though we choose a strategy, we fail to <U>commit</U> to it. We are unable to convince others of our strategy so we never align our real strategy (what we do) with our intended strategy (what we say we will do).</P>

<P><FONT face=Arial>All great companies - those that consistently outperform their competition - are driven by a clear purpose. Since this is my first post, I thought it wise to do the same. So let me share my purpose.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial>This blog exists to help you outthink your competition. It offers ideas, tools, and challenges that will help you transform your business into a game that you have fun playing and that you can win. It will do this by addressing what I believe are the seven fundamental hurdles to outthinking your competition. </FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial>The reason companies win, is that they create and execute good ideas faster than their competition. As John Boyd, one of the greatest military strategist of modern times and someone you will read much about here, discovered, the two keys to victory are (a) the creativity of your response and (b) the length of your reaction cycle (shorter being better). Execute more creative ideas more quickly and you will expand your lead of over your competition with every turn. </FONT><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=Arial></P></FONT></SPAN>