These Are Not The Slots You're Looking For
When I started in Management Consulting, everyone wanted to do “Strategy” work. Strategy was sexy. It was glamorous. It was something to brag about. Newly minted Analysts and Associates would jostle for pole position to be part of those teams.
And make no mistake, Strategy work was interesting and fun. But, for the most part, that wasn’t what paid the bills. What paid the bills was Operations related work - Procurement, Supply Chain, etc. At least at the firm I was at, at the time (and if you look at the trends since, at many other firms as well).
My point is, that while we focused on going after and doing what we believed to be “sexy” work, the market was telling us “sexy” was something different. And those who listened, tended to prosper.
It’s the same when we think about what we aspire to do. It’s a cliche to say that we can be whatever we want to be. A true statement, in my mind (for the most part), but a cliche nevertheless.
In a business context, we take this to mean that we can shape our businesses and our related offerings in line with the vision that’s in our minds. Another cliche, but also a true statement.
At the same time, as I’ve said, it’s important for us to listen to what the market is telling us as well.
That is, there are many times when we want to occupy a specific role or offer a specific product or be a particular type of player in the market, but the market has other ideas.
It tells us which slots are on offer, where there is a value gap. It tells us which spaces are the most useful and impactful.
There are many times when the market tells us what it wants. So it’s important that we take the time to listen, consider it thoughtfully, and respond accordingly.
Often, what’s on offer to us in the marketplace isn’t what we think is the most sexy or what we might initially want.
But a lot of the time, if we listen, we’d do well to service the slots that are offered, and not try and bully the market into what we want to do.
It may not seem immediately “sexy” to us, but it is to the market.
