Blognote: Amazingly apt, the prescient blogservation appearing below was posted on December 6, 2004. Its message is as crisp now as it was four years ago.
Imagine the furniture industry as a dense forest. All the flora prevails, from the smallest to the largest, trees and shrubs and moss and ivy. It’s all there thriving in a controlled environment, very predictable.
All of a sudden, the environment changes, no matter how, it just does. Say, a big swath of the forest is cut, opening the sky to allow the sun to come it.
Which entities of the furniture industry will survive now: The fit or the fittest? Of course, the fit will prevail. In a maritime metaphor, the swift boats out maneuver the oil tankers!
In furniture, the fit and flexible will survive to anticipate and adapt, pounce-like to the opportunities of change. These companies are ready for the sunlight’s radiating and nourishing power.
In the furniture industry for an insufferable period of time, leadership is driven from the perspective of the rearview mirror of same-ole conferences, meetings and methods.
Short term thinking is projected as vision, in looking backward to see the future.
To move forward, the industry has to be fit to move forward. Right now, smaller retailers and manufacturers are poised to scale up and succeed over the behemoths that always receive the fawning attention.
Where are the fit leaders, willing to climb out of their Hummers and get on the ground to grow?
The industry has to write the book, “Who moved my furniture,” and realize they can’t see the trees for the forest, unless the bright sunlight of change suddenly appears.
Very interesting. Imagining the furniture industry without the Internet is difficult. Thankfully, we have the World Wide Web to mend all of our physical gaps. Only the strongest survive! Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: Alec | January 23, 2009 at 04:39 PM