The revolutionary thinking concept is about challenging your sacred cows and thinking differently. It must have been what Steve Jobs was thinking about at Apple when he rose from the Apple dead in 1997.
Apple was heading rapidly down the toilet, but now 10 years later it’s worth $105 billion, dominates the MP3 market and is now attacking the mobile phone market. Steve must have said to himself that they got where they were by following the rules of business engagement like everyone else – so why not do everything the opposite.?
According to Wired, Steve’s management style is autocratic. So much so that it is the opposite to everything you’ve been taught in business school:
• Be nice to your employees – hell no, whip them into producing their best work.
• Be a sharing caring company when it comes to releasing information – hell no, even employees often don’t know what’s going on, let alone the media.
• Don’t tie your proprietary software to proprietary hardware – hell no, it’s the whole Apple or nothing.
• Encourage outside development – hell no, if anyone wants to play with Apple they have to play by Steve’s rules (and they’re currently falling over themselves to do so).
• Research customers to find out what they want – hell no, give them what they want before they know it themselves.
The strategy has obviously worked – but why? According to Wired it’s because “By exerting unrelenting control over his employees, his image, and even his customers, Jobs exerts unrelenting control over his products and how they’re used. And in a consumer-focused tech industry, the products are what matter.”
That may be true but my take on it is it works for Steve because he is a charismatic visionary who sticks to strategy and has an unrelenting passion for what he does and he doesn’t accept second best.
So before you decide to play Steve’s game, make sure you can inspire people to the extent they thank you for treating them badly.
Philip Dennett
Tags: Apple computer, revolutionary thinking, strategy, technology
May 28, 2008 at 10:28 pm |
The other day I went to an Apple store with my wife because her 4-5 year old G5 was giving her problems. To say that the personnel were helpful would be an understatement and although the mall was pretty slow, a line formed outside the store 15 minutes before it opened. I was so amazed at the store, its level of service and yes, at the Apple products, that before I knew it, I had purchased another Apple computer for home. Unbelievable is all i have to say. I was in the mall again the other day and it was equally busy. I must give credit where credit is due. Where other companies have failed to succeed in the retail end, I believe Apple is succeeding and from what I saw, everyone and I do mean everyone, was happy. I went home and bought more Apple stock. It is merely a matter of time before PC holdouts like me eventually give in to the Mac and convert. I feel like I am cheating on my PC and I feel no guilt!
Steve Jobs deserves his rewards because whatever culture he has ingrained over at Apple, it is resulting in customer loyalty (my wife would never consider anything by Apple) and products that, as you said, give the consumers what they want before they know they wanted or needed it.
Long live Apple!
May 29, 2008 at 1:11 am |
Robert, I have to agree! All of us rejoice when someone from the “dark side” joins the fold!