Karen FitzRitson, ContributorMARTIAL ARTS guru Bruce Lee's philosophy to date is studied and refined by many martial arts experts.
Not having any formal training in this form of self-defence I was watching a documentary one evening whereby Bruce's widow Linda Lee Caldwell stated that the art of Gung Fu was fluid like water, the secret to success is always staying ahead of your opponent by moving around and keeping your body in constant motion. That statement struck a chord in me as I realised this, too, was an analogy all organisations needed to take into consideration in order to survive in this dynamic environment: being fluid and in constant motion.
Let us begin by examining Bruce Lee's definition of Gung Fu:
"The word Gung Fu means 'discipline' and training towards the ultimate reality of the object be it health promotion, mind cultivation or self-protection. There is no distinction to make between the opponent and the self-defence, the opponent is but the other complementary (not opposite) part. There is no conquering, struggling or dominating, and the idea is to 'fit' harmoniously your movement into that of the opponent. When he expands, you contract..."
Organisations need to continuously examine the key economic indicators to guide their strategic decisions. How does the high/low interest rate regime hinder/enhance the growth of your company? How does inflation impact on your business? A stable/volatile foreign exchange regime. A controversial issue to date is the emergence of FINSAC in the mid-1990s. If organisations ten years ago worked "in harmony" with the environment could this have staved off the financial debacle? Without hesitation I say YES, as several financial institutions did survive by adopting a conservatism approach in the management of their businesses. These com-panies adopted a "living in harmony" approach to the economic environment.
Mark Ingebretsen, author of Why Companies Fail, brilliantly highlights that "ignoring the paradigm shifts" is one of the deadly sins organisations often commit and inevitably leads to their demise. Ingebretsen further stated that in order to survive in today's business environment, one has to keep abreast of the "new normals". Five years ago companies such as Desnoes and Geddes aggressively upgraded their plants to meet the future global demands of their product. This investment to date has paid off. Today companies such as the Lascelles Group, Jamaica Broilers and GraceKennedy are also strategically positioning themselves to compete in the global marketplace.
A "new normal" is customer centricity. Many financial institutions today are playing catch up with this concept as they are now cognisant of the financial cost incurred if you lose a customer to the competitor in an environment where you are basically competing in the same products. JMMB needs to be commended for being one of the pioneers in utilising technology to drive the growth and development of their organisation. Companies need to embrace e-commerce to drive efficiency to service their clients. Managers today have to embrace the philosophy of leading from in front. Your customers want to know you.
Bruce Lee stated that when your opponent attacks he is bent on your destruction, therefore he does not anticipate that you have a counter plan. If your defence takes him off guard then this will take him by surprise, "cut his ego by 50 per cent" and neutralise his attack. Therefore, you have psychological advantage on your side.
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ADVANTAGE
Major competitors often play their cards close to their chest because they do not want to give the competitor that psychological advantage to plan a counter-attack. However, one asks when it is too soon/late to reveal the business strategy, and what implications does the timing have to the company? From the investor's viewpoint, the sooner the better because you are in a position to plan.
Ingebresten warns organisations against engaging in battles of attrition as often the resources get tied up fighting "bitter battles and companies end up filing for Chapter 11". He also points out the positives of this relationship by illustrating the Pepsi Cola and Coco Cola example, two companies which thrive on "bitter battles". This lends to the respective organisations stretching their creativity, energy, expanding their market share and constantly forcing them to be innovative. Financial giants such as BNS and NCB also mirror this type of activity, which keeps them on their toes, and both remain financially profitable.
SIZE
Bruce Lee stated "Size is never an indication of muscular power and efficiency. The smaller man usually makes up for his imbalance of power by his great agility, flexibility and speed ...Your object is to attack your opponent at his weakest points ... The bigger they are the harder they fall."
Successful Fortune 500 companies endorse "Think small; be flexible", this is the only way you can move more nimbly and deftly. The organisation now has the advantage to position itself to be the "first mover". Ultimately you are increasing your self-reliance and driving efficiencies to maximise the bottom line.
CONCLUSION
Ancient philosophies of self-defence prove to be very relevant in today's business environment. More Jamaican companies need to embrace the concept of "living in harmony" with their environment, as the opportunities abound. However, to take this quantum leap be deft and agile, think small, keep moving and be flexible to gain that competitive edge, use psychological advantage to become that "first mover".
