Problem Solving
Ah, the tale of Ron Johnson's retail rollercoaster! Picture this: It's 2011, and Apple's stores are the crown jewels of the retail world. Johnson, the mastermind behind these gleaming temples of technology, decides to take his Midas touch to J.C. Penney. With $50 million of his own cash and a hefty dose of confidence, he swoops in as CEO, ready to work his magic. But alas, our hero's journey takes an unexpected turn!
Fast forward 18 months, and Johnson finds himself unceremoniously shown the door. What went wrong? It seems our retail wizard forgot the first rule of business: know thy customer. Johnson, fresh from his Apple triumph, tried to fit a square peg (Apple's hip, tech-savvy clientele) into a round hole (J.C. Penney's value-conscious shoppers). This cautionary tale reminds us that leadership isn't just about past successes – it's about adaptability and understanding. As the saying goes, "Making People and Situations Better" is the essence of leadership. To truly excel, leaders must master a cocktail of skills: developing people, building teams, problem-solving, knowing self, knowing others, and managing both self and relationships.
Now, let's not throw Johnson under the bus entirely. After all, he did lead the world's most successful retail chain at one point. But his J.C. Penney adventure offers a valuable lesson: even the mightiest can stumble when they misread the situation.
Great Problem-Solving Books...and a MacBook not bought in an Apple Store :-)
Enter Morgan Jones, former CIA analyst and problem-solving guru. He wisely notes that how we define a problem shapes how we tackle it. Johnson's misstep? Assuming J.C. Penney's customers were cut from the same cloth as Apple's. He saw the problem as "How do we make J.C. Penney more like Apple?" when perhaps he should have asked, "What do J.C. Penney's customers truly want and need?"
Kent Watanabe reminds us that problem-solving is a competency that every one can develop, it’s not a trait someone has or doesn't. Jones emphasizes the importance of divergent thinking at every stage of the problem-solving process. One can't help but wonder: what if Johnson had approached J.C. Penney with fresh eyes instead of Apple-tinted glasses?
So, dear leaders, here's some food for thought: Do you have a robust process for defining problems and crafting strategies? Remember, in the ever-changing landscape of business, adaptability and understanding are your best friends. After all, you wouldn't use an iPhone to fix a leaky faucet, would you?