MIRRORS, SIGNAL, MANOEUVRE - Leadership for Competitive Advantage

How Leaders Drive Competitive Advantage

Back in 2014 I wrote an article called “Mirrors, Signal, Manoeuvre” which used the safe driving routine as an analogy for change.

Reflecting on the last year and what is ahead of us, I thought I would use the same analogy to illustrate what you, as a leader, should be doing at this time to find and maintain your organisation’s competitive advantage

Competitive advantage

Every organisation is having to change and adapt at a pace never known before to retain competitive advantage.

When I say every, I mean every organisation.

A competitive advantage refers to the factors that allow an organisation to provide goods and services quicker, better or cheaper than others.

Commercial organisations recognise this as a given. Many other organisations such as non-corporate and government departments and agencies do not see the need for competitive advantage. I have worked in numerous non-corporate and government bodies in which the pervasive mindset is “we are safe”, “we do not have to be concerned”, “we have jobs for life.”

The truth is that if someone else can demonstrate that they can do one or more, if not all, aspects of what you do quicker, better or cheaper, then the over-arching executive or governance body would be prudent to look at the alternative.

Every organisation has to find and maintain their competitive advantage.

Mirrors, signal, manoeuvre

The mirrors, signal, manoeuvre is a safe driving routine used to avoid dangerous or potentially dangerous situations. Changing lanes on a fast-moving highway without checking the mirrors and signalling intent could have fatal implications.

Unfortunately, the routine often gets ignored or used incorrectly. 

This results in many observational drivers on the road being more cautious than they should need to be.

How many times do you see a car driver signal their intent, causing other motorist and motorcyclists to take evasive action, because they know that the driver is most likely going to change lanes immediately without assessing the potential danger?

In a nutshell the routine is

Mirrors – check it is safe

Signal – indicate intent

Manoeuvre – make the change when safe to do so

Just as on the road, in business the routine does not get used resulting in loss of competitive advantage. Let me explain.

Mirrors

You should always be reflecting which means learning from experience. Reflecting is about evaluating decisions that have been made in the past, and garnering insights from the mistakes and successes that have occurred. It surfaces not only your strengths and weakness but those of the team and the organisation.

Note that this part of the routine is in the plural – mirrors. There is not one mirror but many – left door, right door and interior.

When you are looking to make a decision to gain or maintain competitive advantage, you need to look in all your mirrors. You need a holistic picture, seen from many different perspectives, so you can make well-informed decisions.

In addition to looking in the mirrors, good drivers glance over their shoulder to remove the possibility of a blind spot. Good leaders do the same.

A shoulder check confirms that there is nothing sitting in your blind spot that is going to take you by surprise.

Your competitive analysis cannot afford to overlook the entrepreneurial start-up approaching rapidly and undetected and about to overtake you.

Just like the fast-moving motorcyclist can be picked up by the brief shoulder check even if a moment earlier your mirror checks failed to see it.

You need to use all the information you can gather, from all angles, as things change fast.

Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear.

You should start your mirror checks and scans as early as possible to give you sufficient time to make the best decision and take action. The earlier the better.

Signal

With all this information available to you, you can now decide on the action you are going to take.

Signalling your intent informs others of your proposed action. When driving you are informing other drivers of your proposed action so they can respond accordingly.

As a leader you are signalling your intent so that others can provide feedback and ask questions. Their position in relation to you on your road to change, indicates whether you have their support or not.

The key to your signalling as a leader is to explain the “why” of your proposed manoeuvre.

Make sure your timing is right. If you signal too early without a manoeuvre, others may ignore you assuming you were not committed to making the change. If you signal too late, other will not have time to react which could be disastrous.

Never, ever signal without having checked the mirrors. You will just scare the hell out of everyone else.

Manoeuvre

Once you have signalled your intent, follow through. It is time to make the manoeuvre and the change you indicated.

Be bold. Be brave. Do not procrastinate.

This move will position you where you need to be. If you don’t make the move, your competition is more than ready to move into your space.

Procrastination is a killer. Not only does it tell others, both inside and outside the organisation, that you are not committed to the manoeuvre you signalled, but it can result in missed opportunity that you may never get again.

The demise of Kodak in the late 1980s due to the rise of digital photography is well known and documented. What is often unknown, is that Steve Sasson, an engineer at Kodak actually invented the first digital camera.

Kodak was blinded by its success and it was not prepared to shift from protecting its eroding competitive advantage to making radical and revolutionary history. Eastman Kodak filed for bankruptcy in 2012.

Seeing an opportunity and doing something about it are very different things.

It is always key to remember that you can and should be prepared to change direction. Make one manoeuvre at a time, assess the outcome and then look in the mirrors again to determine your next manoeuvre.

Conclusion

Remember to check all of your mirrors and don’t ignore the blind spots.

Following consultation, but not analysis paralysis, signal your intent and commit to it.

Timing is critical.

Make the move.

Repeat the routine – mirrors, signal and manoeuvre.