BOOK SUMMARY 32 Wake
Up or Die
·
Summary written by: Alyssa Burkus
“In the life and death quest for strategic change
businesses have much to learn from war.”
Wake Up or Die, page
131
Big
data is a hot topic these days, which makes Corrine Sandler’s book, Wake
Up or Die, very timely. Using military leadership theories from Sun
Tzu’s The Art of War, Sandler outlines why the use of data as
intelligence in organizations is critical and guides us through the strategies
and tactics for embedding analytics deeply into your organization. You might have
already started down the big data path, but knowing how to use data as
business intelligence for making decisions and changes can give you a powerful
market advantage. Sandler tells us what we need to do in the war-like
battle for market domination.
The
volume of data we generate – 2.5 quintillion bytes of data per day,
according to Sandler – makes this a daunting challenge. But it means the
answers are there if you know how to find them, what to do with the information
you gain, and you have a willingness to make the change needed to use the data
to your advantage.
According
to Sandler, “data needs to be incorporated into business processes with great
care in order to properly lead business operations onto the path of achieving
their individual strategic objectives.”
Let’s
start by talking about why data gives you the competitive advantage you need.
Golden Egg
Use Data Intelligence For World Domination
“. . . it’s all about having superior intelligence and
the wisdom to use this intelligence in a transformational way.”
Wake Up or Die, page
20
Ok, so
maybe your goal isn’t world domination and your industry likely isn’t a
battlefield, but using data and gathering intelligence is critical, as it
allows you to understand the market and your competitors, as well as make
course corrections along the way. Similar to using spies in military
intelligence, business intelligence allows you to get into the minds of your
customers and competitors and create what is needed, well ahead of other
players. As Sun Tzu notes in The Art of War, ‘Being prepared for all
circumstances is what ensures certain victory.’
“. . . insights, defined as penetrating truths that
you never knew existed and which through intuitive understanding and immediate
action allow you to gain a superior advantage.”
Wake Up or Die, page
21
Establishing
channels for gathering business intelligence is not just a matter of setting up
a few Google Alerts, although it can start there. It requires a detailed
implementation plan, from analyzing your current state to tracking against
specific metrics and outcomes.
Once
you have the data, it can allow you to make critical changes if you know how to
use it.
GEM #1
Use Data To Rethink Everything
Wake Up or Die, page
37
Sandler
outlines several models for using business intelligence to rethink how you
compete successfully, and provides great examples, from Kimberly-Clark to the
US Army, of businesses that have made significant operational changes through
the use of market intelligence. The solution isn’t just about pulling data from
various sources, but integrating it into your strategies and project plans
effectively.
Sandler
also notes that a different form of leadership is also needed, one that allows
employees to run with ideas. It requires being open to new possibilities and
allowing employees to change existing approaches in pursuit of new ones if
business intelligence is providing the signals. She encourages leaders
to allow employees to explore opportunities through “blue sky” sessions
and encourage them to rethink the status quo. Using data intelligence
as a springboard for creativity can be a continual source of inspiration.
Once
you have the intelligence and ideas you need though, you still need to take
action.
GEM #2
Intelligence + Decision-Making = Advantage
“Whether it’s business or whether it’s war, you have to
generate better information than your rivals do, analyze that information and
move quickly to turn strategic choices into decisive action.”
Wake Up or Die, page
22
Data,
like ideas, is worthless unless change can be created from it. Knowing how
to analyze your data is one thing, but being able to successfully initiate and
implement change in your organization goes along with it. Sandler emphasizes
the need to build decision-making processes to allow you to take advantage of
new information and create new solutions ahead of your competitors.
Data
can also be used as an early warning system, allowing you to anticipate where
issues occur before they become overwhelming. As Sandler notes,
“a resilient company anticipates crisis and objectively determines what
the consequences might be.” In our world of disruptive change,
resilience is a key competency for survival and success.
I have
increased the use of analytics with my clients over the past few years, and while
I can safely say I have never evoked war terminology in my work, I really
connected with Sandler’s passion for data intelligence, and the higher-level
thinking and outcomes it brings to your work. Wake Up or Die will
help you build the strategies you need to incorporate data intelligence and go
boldly forward to conquer the business world. Harnessing data and using it to
solve problems and set new directions will give you a strong competitive
advantage over your enemies on the corporate battlefield.
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