Thursday, August 10, 2006

New Rules: things are a changin'

by Dale Shumaker
4spirit@gmail.com

New Rules in business.
Fortune magazine recently published an article saying Jack Welch’s Winning rules are becoming old rules. They are being challenged by Fortune (July 24, 2006 issue). Although Welch continues to hold his ground and claims that if applied correctly his rules will work forever.

Fortune says... "we don't buy that."
(You may recall Fortune was the first major magazine that questioned Enron in how they were doing things.) These rules don't work and we need to get away from them.

The rules that made business big in the 90’s are being replaced by new ones as we enter the 2010 era… it appears are we in a major business shift that will stick it heads in line of the radar as we enter the second decade of 2000.

"We must begin by tearing down the old so the we can really open ourselves to something different." Here’s the difference (according to Fortune) :

Old Rules: Big Dogs Own the Street
New Rules: Agile Is Best; Being Big Can Bite You
Until the end of the century Big meant “good” in business. Today is it more important to be flexible and have variability in costs. With the new technologies, changing business models, outsourcing, partnering, alliance opportunities we can convert fixed costs to variable costs.

Old Rules: Be #1 or #2 in Your Market
New Rule: Find a Niche, Create Something New
Coke was big, but people started liking the new energy drinks coming out. "Never mind that energy-drink market was tiny then. We look for niches and see how they grow," says Rodney Sacks, CEO of Hansen Natural Corp. In just 4 years sales quadrupled to $348 million.

Starbucks CEO, Jim Donald, says instead of focusing on being #1 “the company has kept moving, evolving, trying new things."

Old Rule: Shareholders Rule
New Rule: The Customer is King
Every 4 years the average business loses half of its customers and the market is seeing more "stock flipping" attention then the old buy-and-hold ways… especially sticking with a Big Boy Corp.

Companies like Apple and Genentech host dreaming sessions with their customers and heed them more than the Wall Street ideology that plays to hit the numbers. "When everyone is focused on delivering for customers, that makes employees proud. They become a powerful engine," Bain's Co.’s Fred Reichheld.

Old Rule: Be Lean and Mean
New Rule: Look Out, Not In
Six Sigma internal improvement system was a Welch favorite. He touted it almost religiously. But too much focus inside can cause you to lose sight of what is going on outside. Companies tend to get more “inside-ish” the bigger and older they get. The ability to get information on new markets is exploding. "Getting outside is everything... if you're not externally focused in this world, you can really lose your edge." GE's new CEO Jeff Immelt.

Old Rule: Rank Your Players
New Rule: Hire Passionate People
The best are not always the best if they are not committed to the cause. Steve Jobs of Apple looks for people passionate about what they do. Genentech screens out those who seem too preoccupied with titles and options.

Old Rule: Hire Charismatic CEO
New Rule: Hire Courageous CEO
The celebrity CEO needs a spotlight; today's CEO leaders need internal fortitude. Playing for the market is not always the best play. Spending money for long term gain takes more guts today. It won't help you hit the numbers tomorrow but later it will be better. It now is more about taking more courage to do what is right regardless of the dance on the street

Old Rule: Admire My Might
New rule: Admire My Soul
Isdell of Coke says, "I do not agree that the role of the corporation is solely to make money. Our legitimacy in society is a very important part of what we do."

Vision and mission are about soul and they many times have a long term view. People are now buying more and more into soul and it is not as much solely about the dollar. The complete article at:
http://money.cnn.com/2006/07/10/magazines/fortune/rules.fortune/index.htm

Megatrends 2010 says to watch for a major business shift. Expect to see the dawning of Spirituality in business.

“I am doing a new thing” exclaims Isaiah, the Prophet. (Isaiah 43:19)

The old temple is being torn down and being replaced. Barna in Revolution says there is an under-the-radar movement of individual earnest in seeking a true personal, real world application spirituality. This group does not see the answer in current institutions. They are looking for realness, relevance. They are internally driven, internally motivated. These "Revolutionaries," as Barna calls them, want the true grit… prophet-level relationships with God and blood-level relationships with each other. It’s a level of personal commitment not seen so intensely before.
See: http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdate&BarnaUpdateID=201

There’s a return to finding our own soul, getting in line to be in God’s Soul, and living out His Power, love and kindness in our “everyday” lives.

How do we personally find Spiritual relevancy in our lives?

Andrew Murray outlines this method for Spiritual Power from his classic book Prayer Power. Murray said we are the Temple (our bodies) of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor.6:19). Our make up is a parallel to the Temple described in the Old Testament of the Bible... with the outer court, the inner court and the Most Holy Place or as Murray calls it "The Secret Place of the Most High." The Place where the actual Spirit of God, the creator of the universe, the whole universal presence, exists!

...We are now this temple...!

"The Secret Place of the Most High" is in us! Our bodies are the place where all of God's... beyond-definition, unmatchable... Spirit exists. It is up to us to tap it. Murray had a method for tapping into this in....Hints for the Inner Chamber.

1. As you enter the Inner Chamber, focus first on what the Power of Spirit is really about. Take time to think on all the creative, unique, spectacular things the very Spirit of Jesus has done and can do. Think of all the good things which have happened to you that you feel Jesus Spirit was directly involved in making it happen. Look to all the wonderful things that have come into your life. Have a thankful heart of Jesus Spirit who has provided all these for you.

2. Prepare for prayer by contemplating on the Scriptures from the Bible. Prayer... Murray defines as a dialogue....time listening, responding, interacting, asking, listening, reviewing, asking, writing, pondering,etc.... it's interactive.

Start meditation times with The Inspired Scriptures, times going into the very Inner Chamber of where all the power that created the universe made you and will continue bringing miracles into your life. Think on the verses, ideas you get from the Bible about all these areas. Don't take too much time on difficult Bible passages that you don't understand. (Be concerned about them later.)

For this time, read until you find the verse that totally captures your imagination, gives you a spark of faith, makes you want to grab it and run with it.

3. When you feel you have put this faith word in your heart, then turn to praying. Praying again is conversation, knowing the Inner Chamber of God's very own Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus, is taking it all in, and all the thoughts and impressions you get then, are Jesus literally talking to you. Use a note book and begin writing down what you ask Him for... be specific and "definite" as Murray says. Carry this with you, make notes in it daily, date it and note when you see the answer materializing. Some call these prayer journals.

Seeing it before it happens as if it is, has already happened is very powerful. Thanking and being grateful before it happens is also very powerful. It adds an additional dynamic in spirit transaction, transporting thought into reality. This makes prayer, as so many call it, a very exciting time as you read thoughts (from the Bible and inspired literature) and discover relevant applications to life... seeing it happening in your mind's eyes... birthed from the Secret Place of the Most High within your own body... working with you... as part of you... making this happen.

4. As we pray for ourselves, include what others want also. Begin seeing what friends, spouse, others are asking for, to happen for them too. See them as God sees them and pray for the Greatness in their lives as theSpirit of Jesus would want to see in them.

5. Then seal it... know the Inner Chamber controls the world around it and what you have meditated on, see happening through your eyes of faith and vision, see all this as in motion and now happening. Remind yourself through the day, this has been sealed in the Inner Chamber. The very Most High presence of God Himself, outstanding presence of Jesus in you, has taken in this matter. It is sealed, done, on its way. When you leave your quiet meditative times with this fixed in your thoughts the Spirit comes dramatically alive in you. He walks along side us in our lives with an extra set of confidence, boldness accompanying all we do. (Prayer Power by Andrew Murray, Whitaker, 1998, pp. 95-102.)

Murray concluded this thought by reminding us that there is an investment return factor too. Time you spend in quiet confidence, living in God's Inner Chamber, the Spirit of Jesus in you, is directly related to God's working power through you. The more time spent there, the greater the Power of Spirit you will see being enacted in your life. Jesus often spent the whole night in this state, in the very Presence of Spirit of the Universe. These events were always followed by the most astounding happenings the next day.

If you are willing to invest the time,
more of what you Will to be...
will be part of your life.

The life created in the Most Secret Place
will become your life in the world around you.

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