Are You Disruptive?
So I’m reading this article, “Forget Your Elevator Pitch — What’s Your Dumbwaiter Pitch?” from someone with the Harvard Business Review.
The crux of the article speaks to the need to have a one word pitch (the Dumbwaiter Pitch) at the ready to describe your company as opposed to the traditional elevator pitch, which the author describes as “predictable, often vapid, always bland.”
By contrast the author refers to the Dumbwaiter Pitch as something that “strips an organization right down to its bones, and see how compelling it really is.”
While I won’t get into whether or not I agree with the author (I don’t) I was intrigued immediately by one line in the piece that read…
“Nearly every disruptive business, in fact, has a Dumbwaiter Pitch…”
The word “disruptive” immediately caught my eye.
My title at fmi is chief creative provocateur. A strange title perhaps but one that speaks to my “disruptive” nature… disruptive not in the breaking mom’s china manner, but rather challenging and questioning the accepted norms.
So, my question is… Are you disruptive in a positive way?
Is your business disruptive, in a positive way?
Do you go along with the flow adhering to the “ain’t broke, don’t fix” mantra or do you purposely break something to see if perhaps there’s a better way of doing whatever it is you broke?
6 Comments to Are You Disruptive?
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Well at the risk of link dropping – I hope I’m disruptive in a positive way or I’ll need to change the title of my blog – if only the URL was available – LOL
http://www.TomMartin.typepad.com
But seriously – like the exercise. Really creates a bit of focus for what you do/offer.
Not sure what mine would be… will have to think about that one.
@TomMartin
Steve,
I absolutley believe in being disruptive – and I look to Adam Hartung for expertise in this area. I think you’d love his book, “Create Marketplace Disruption” which has examples of companies that have teams specifically focused on disruption. I think it’s inspiring and bold. You can learn more about Adam here:
http://www.thephoenixprinciple.com/
To be able to define it in one word, I think, would be difficult. But I’m always up for a challenge…
All the best,
@LisaPetrilli
I can see the author’s point. Ries and Trout have always touted the need to own a word in the customer’s mind. But if someone comes up to you and says what do you do and you simply say “awesomeness,” you won’t get very far. It’s just the beginning of the brand messaging sequence.
Jay Ehret – Chief Officer Awesomeness
Hey Tom,
LOL… great point re: your blog title! Yes, I’m pretty sure you have the disruption thing down pat!
Thanks for checking in… Steve O
My cousin recommended this blog and she was totally right keep up the fantastic work!
Thanks to Lisa for the nice mention. What we now know is that companies which choose to be Disruptive have higher rates of return over longer time frames than those which remain comfortably pushing what they’ve always done the way they’ve always done it. Disruption is actually better than “going along” even if it feels uncomfortable compared to social norms.
No organization can be disruptive if it doesn’t allow (actually promote) disruptive contributions from employees, managers and leaders. Only by contributing “outside the lines” can new opportunities be discovered in all aspects of business. To consider, develop and implement new ideas requires an openness for allowing disruptions, and encouraging those around us to bring forward disruptions for discussion and insight.
Forbes mag blog http://bit.ly/daGSIM