The Ingenuity of the Unorthodox
Having traveled extensively nationally and internationally, I’ve seen a ton of ingenuity—especially internationally—a number of things you’d simply never see in the States. This is one of them:
Basic physics says that shouldn’t work. But the creativity to utilize tools in an unorthodox manner is inspiring, stretching well beyond the normal means of operation and meeting a need in an unconventional way.
Business leaders are often wired for this type of ingenuity—creatively wielding their business tools and savvy in response to new problems or opportunities that may arise. But under too much pressure, with deadlines looming, and under-resourced, creativity can take a back seat. It’s the opposite of the ingenuity seen in the example above. Business leaders tend to fall into a few common traps when problem solving and tool use that should be avoided. Let’s take a look…
Hammer Time
Business strategies are tools designed to carry out very specific purposes within particular contexts. Yet often, in the stress-laden moments of decision, leaders unknowingly apply the “Law of the Hammer,” and everything suddenly looks like a nail. In such cases, we serve the tools and miss the entire point and purpose of the strategy. It’s an ineffective approach to problem-solving and craft development.
When the tool determines the opportunity, tool myopia sets in and a sort of tool-directed determinism is the result. We become conditioned to look at things from a singular point of view built on our “special expertise” with the one tool rather than taking a broader, more holistic, or humane perspective.
Whatever’s In Reach
We’ve all done it at some point—using the tools on hand to do a less-than-ideal job when the correct tool was just out of reach. We all have access to a flat blade screwdriver in the garage or storage closet, but since there’s a butter knife in the drawer close by, it’s called into action to tighten the loose handle on the cabinet in the kitchen. Or we’ve needed to open plastic packaging—one reason we have numerous pairs of scissors in the house. But they seem so far away, so our teeth are deemed a suitable substitute.
They may “get the job done,” but they may also damage the object of the work in the process. They work until they don’t work anymore (when the knife slips and gouges the wall or imprecise gnawing causes the contents of the package to spill out all over the floor). Or until what they’re working on is mangled and unrecognizable from all the hammering.
Business leaders can fall into this trap quite easily, settling for “close enough” instead of working to deploy the right tool for the right situation. The result can be shoddy workmanship, inefficiency in the process, or even damage to the product or end user.
Going Off-Label
Most parents, in a moment of honesty, will admit to a tiny spoonful of Benadryl once or twice when the children really need to sleep and mom and dad need a break, right? It’s the available tool, and it often works, but that’s not what it’s meant to do. There are some children on whom it actually has the opposite effect, fueling their “zest for life,” and guaranteeing no one in the house will sleep all night. That’s not the medicine’s fault. The parents implemented an off-label use for the medication, and it did not go well.
In the same way, expecting a single strategy in your business to cover every use case is just not going to work out well. That’s just not what they were made to do, and they may well actually damage rather than serve the mission.
Mastery and Expertise
Mastery is really about being mastered. Expertise is developed when we serve the craft that demands wise and skillful use of our tools. It is about conforming to the craft, not forcing ill-fitting tools into regular practice simply because they’re the ones at our disposal. Pursuing mastery of anything—successful business strategy development and implementation included—is a path that requires sacrifice. It's an investment of time and resources. It means that you will choose not to do other things in order to master it. You must sacrifice for your craft. James Clear wrote that, “We are defined by what we make time to do, not by what we do when we have time.”
The greatest innovations throughout history have come via those practicing their craft regularly, because, as the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. People who choose to practice their craft, putting in continual effort and energy, are the same ones with the knowledge and experience to hone their tools for effectiveness and efficiency. Not only do they understand the tools, but they recognize how they can be improved to make them work better.
#vanlife
I have a little hidden interest in the #vanlife craze that has really spread like wildfire over the last few years. People are customizing all manner of vehicles to act as a mobile home base for all sorts of lifestyles and experiences. Some are creating budget builds just to get out on the road, while others are sparing no expense to get exactly what they need to take all of the comforts of home with them on the road. It’s not a new thing, but its growth in popularity of late has expanded the industry, and a number of companies have stepped in to take advantage of it.
One such company is Storyteller Overland, who has taken the industry by storm. It’s a relatively young company, but their approach to product innovation, understanding and equipping the lifestyle of their customer base, and creating opportunities for others to be a part of the overlanding story has catapulted them into a leadership position.
Founded as a custom Class B camper van manufacturer, they quickly realized their path to success was to become a lifestyle brand. And that they did, building a large community of vanlifers and overlanders who were connecting through the efforts of Storyteller, placing their company right in the midst of all the best conversations.
They almost immediately had a backlog of orders when they launched, because they were already so deeply invested in the community. And their approach to the community, because they knew them so well, was a better-built custom-tailored solution depending on their needs. They launched with a single model of their Mode van, which has already expanded to four models, all of which are completely customizable.
Then, in late 2021, Storyteller deepened that community, adding rentals to their offerings by purchasing GoCamp, a boutique camper van rental service out of Portland. Not long after, in early 2021, Storyteller went global, acquiring the industry leader in adventure vehicle manufacturing, Global X. They continue to cultivate the community, keeping their brand at the center, having just launched the Storyteller Network with the Citizen J Podcast hosted by well-known female adventurer, Jillian Rebekah.
Storyteller has employed a strategy that has served them well and placed them very quickly at the pinnacle of their industry. Under strong leadership, they’ve answered problems in their community through creative innovation and shifted focus as needed to press beyond the normal bounds of operation and meet the needs of their community in an unconventional way.
They are certainly only one of many success stories, and your company may be one of them, as well. If you’ve found yourself struggling and falling a bit short of your goals, consider the pitfalls laid out above to see if you might have fallen into one at some point. Like Storyteller Overland, Changegoat’s tool of choice is conversation—it is core to everything we do. If you’d like to discuss transition and growth strategies, we work with leaders and teams, facilitate retreats and summits, build digital growth strategies, and help you transform stakeholders in meaningful communities. We’d love to start a conversation…
***If you’re looking for conversations that lead to innovation, Changegoat partners with investors, founders, and executives in the moments where leadership matters most. We don’t have a strategy for sale; we’ll help you ask better questions to unlock both personal growth and organizational performance.***
