Build on Your WeaknessAli Anani

Build on Strength or Weakness?A simple question that may exhibit the “Butterfly Effect”

The prevailing wisdom is to build on your strength

Is to turn the familiar into unfamiliar

Challenge inherited wisdoms and beliefs

Wisdom

Build on your weakness

Creativity

New Wisdom

Challenge

THE STRENGTH OF AN ORGANIZATION

THE WEAKNESS OF AN ORGANIZATION

The Intrinsic GapThe Gap between Strength and Weakness

Gap

THE STRENGTH OF AN ORGANIZATION

THE WEAKNESS OF AN ORGANIZATION

The Intrinsic GapWe tend to Increase the gap- Why?

Gap

THE STRENGTH OF AN ORGANIZATION

THE WEAKNESS OF AN ORGANIZATION

The Intrinsic GapWe tend to Increase the gap- Why?

Gap

As Gerald Nanninga responded to my comment by saying “The studies I have read indicate that it is usually easier to exploit a strength you already have than to try to create a strength where there is a weakness. Therefore, building on weaknesses can be very risky”.

THE STRENGTH OF AN ORGANIZATION

THE WEAKNESS OF AN ORGANIZATION

The Intrinsic GapWe tend to Increase the gap- this is a risky business

Gap

Anani showed in an earlier presentation on slideshare entitled “Business Ideas Inspired by Eggs” that increasing gaps weakens any system

THE STRENGTH OF AN ORGANIZATION

THE WEAKNESS OF AN ORGANIZATION

The Intrinsic GapWe tend to Increase the gap- this is a risky business

Gap

Strengthening the strength while keeping the weakness increases the gap and weakens the system. Remember the it is the weakest point that determines the strength of a system

THE STRENGTH OF AN ORGANIZATION

THE WEAKNESS OF AN ORGANIZATION

The Intrinsic GapWe tend to Increase the gap- in contrast, we should reduce the gap

Gap

We should reduce the gap between strengths and weaknesses to strengthen any organization and not the other way round

The Strength-Weakness QuadrantWhere to start?

The Strength-Weakness QuadrantA Balanced View

The balanced view is achieved by focusing on quadrants 3 and 4

The Strength-Weakness QuadrantA Balanced View

By keeping impacting strengths and dealing with spiraling weaknesses to reduce the gap between them

The Strength-Weakness QuadrantA Balanced View- Support from Charles Prabakar

Prabakar responded to a comment of mine by saying “Hello Ali,Sure, I understand your point of building on weaknesses – provided we do it within the context of our balancing opposite’s principle- which is exactly my point of building a preventive/overcoming strategy on top of one’s weaknesses”.

An Extensible ApproachGreed-Fear Quadrant

An Extensible ApproachGreed-Fear Quadrant

Investors should balance quadrants 3 and 4. However; using the same analogy as before investors should reduce the gap between these two quadrants if they are to invest wisely. Failing to do so will only weaken them.

The Rabbit and the TortoiseThe Tortoise Won Because of the Rabbits’ Weakness in Crossing a Water Pool

Your today’s strength might be redundant tomorrowFeeling of strength might fill you with failure. IBM failed to see the incoming threat because of “Strength Blindness”Organizations fail because of their weaknesses and not strengths

Organizational Adaptability and Capacity

Best of All… Be Creative at the Boundary