John raises the (by now) old chestnut of "we must focus on the
customer". Even though he avoids the suggestion that is all there
is, I want to shift the focus.
I suggest that "focus on the customer" is not a particularly good
focus for anything much. What I offer in its place is "focus on the
marketplace". This will ensure that existing customers get their
focus - because they are the part of the marketplace that you have
direct access to - but will widen horizons for a much more strategic
view.
Your customers are only a tiny fraction of the marketplace and do not
necessarily a part of your future marketplace - unless that has been
your major focus.
Michael McMaster : Michael@kbddean.demon.co.uk
book cafe site : http://www.vision-nest.com/BTBookCafe
Intelligence is the underlying organisational principle
of the universe. Heraclitus
--Michael McMaster <Michael@kbddean.demon.co.uk>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>