The Partner Channel Magazine Fall 2016

LEADERSHIP
OUR CENTER OF GRAVITY IN THE
Spin Change
OF
story by BONNIE ROBERTSON
illustration by MATT MASTRUD
Change is inevitable. But we already know that.
Adaptation and agility are the only sustainable ways to manage change. We already know that
as well, and frankly, we are a bit tired of hearing it. Much has been spoken, coached, preached, and
written about the endless ways to adapt and be agile in today’s ever-changing market.
Adaptation and agility can be well-disguised. We might hear it in continual “ideas” that teams and
colleagues ruminate about without much action. Often these endless loops of dialogue and debate
are attempts to deny or derail the reality of the future. We might think we see examples of adaptation when a new
application or function is created only to find that customers respond with less enthusiasm than we anticipated. At
some point we may even question our own sanity when others attempt to “sell us” on the “way of the future”, and
we just don’t see it.
I have witnessed some brilliant examples of adaptation that resulted in growth and sustainability. I have also
witnessed, and participated in, many well-intentioned attempts to adapt to change that were a waste of precious
time and money.
So where do we search for ideas and insights that result in our ability to adapt in a profitable way? We go back
to the center of our purpose. We go back to customer needs. But not just any customers or even all customers are
helpful. We need the insight of “special” customers, and we need to separate their voices from the noise and chatter
of change.
SPECIAL CUSTOMER INSIGHT
Strategically responding to change is not a democratic process. Above the noise of many, we need to tune into the
insight of a few special customers. Wait a second…aren’t all customers special? No, not when it comes to the future
direction of our organizations. True, customers in general are the center of our business. If teams and decision
makers are not believers in customers as the center of gravity, then growth is a short-term glory. However, not all
customers are created equal.
Here are some customers we want to avoid when seeking strategic insight:
THE HORSE TRADERS
They are always looking for a “cheaper” deal. They continually question every invoice. In other words, they may
be willing to pay, eventually, but they don’t really “value” what we have to offer. It may be that what we have to offer
is not what they really need right now. While these customers may provide us some revenue, their only answer to
the future would be free or cheap. They only really value the deal they can make.
18 FALL 2016 | THEPARTNERCHANNEL.COM