Principles learned from the Mars Pathfinder mission.
The third in a series of seven columns highlighting some of the principles from the book, “The Mars Pathfinder Approach to Faster-Better-Cheaper” (Pritchett and Muirhead, 1998)
Deliberately choose to do things differently.
Some of the author’s comments: “Don’t wait for innovation to happen by accident. Make it happen on purpose. You must be willing to abandon your existing approaches. You must actively search for new solutions. Decide to go exploring, and then move on that decision. Experiment. Throw away the rulebook, do things differently, and see what you discover.”
This reminds me of the cliche, “think outside the box.” I started in network marketing in spring 2011. I tried one marketing strategy right away: it made good sense at the time. But it failed. So I moved on.
In fact, in the 16 months or so since then, I’ve used or tried several marketing strategies, including Facebook PPC. I just started a new campaign somewhere else. The one constant in life, the old saying goes, is that there is no constant.
Joining the travel club in spring of 2011 was a bold move on my part, considering the cost. But I could see the potential it offered on both personal and professional levels.
What about your business? Is it stagnant, flat? Even in difficult times we need to keep marketing and changing. As the author says, you also need to throw out the rulebook at times. “Decide to go exploring,” he says. Potentially inject some new life into your business. What, really, do you have to lose? If your current activities aren’t working, what’s the worse that can happen? On the other hand, you may put yourself on a new and profitable path.
Feel free to comment below. I’d love to hear what you have to say.
You can read the second column in this series, “Let limitations guide you to breakthroughs,” here.
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