Assumptions Anyone?
by:
Rebel Brown
There's an old saying about assumptions. Remember?
Have you ever found yourself disagreeing with someone - wondering how in the heck they could see the situation in their way? Only to find that their perspectives were based on dramatically different assumptions than your own? Now think about the impact of those assumptions on the task at hand.
Social media gives power to our assumptions.
Social media enables all of us to make our assumptions known. We can state them in blog posts, Tweets, FB posts and YouTube videos. If we're viewed as leaders in our fields - our assumptions are often taken as facts by our audiences. Audiences make the assumption that experts check their facts and only state the truth.
Wow, a never-ending circle of assumptions.
How about this for an example?
"I'd say Google is seriously worried about Bing. Of course, for them $3M is a rounding error"
Said Tweet appeared in my stream during the Super Bowl - commenting on Google's ad. My first thought was, "You gotta be kidding me." But then some prominent Tweeps RT'd in agreement.
WOW. That made no sense to me. Why would anyone assume that just because Google bought a Super Bowl ad they were afraid of Bing? Let's see:
1. SuperBowl ads are expensive, so to buy one, Google must be desperate?
2. Google must be desperate about Bing - because it's from Microsoft?
3. Google's ad was really nice - so they must be worried to do something that great?
I'll never know for sure why these folks saw Google in fear. I have a suspicion though. The media has been hyping the battle between Microsoft and Google for all its worth. Audiences listen to that hype, and over time they come to believe that Google is quaking in its boots thanks to Bing. That assumption - fueled by the media, social and public - leads to a conclusion that Google spent $3M to buy Super Bowl ads all because of Bing.
Others didn't share these assumptions. Since Google holds a significant leadership position in the search space, their assumption about the Super Bowl ad was they demonstrated leadership. And had a great advertising team, since Google had the best ad of the Super Bowl. It does seem that $3M is, indeed, a rounding error in Google's marketing budget.
Such is the power of two different assumptions to drive two different pictures of the same exact situation. Now think about how different the resulting two business courses would be - if they were based on those two diverse assumptions.
So what's my point?
Assumptions waste a lot of energy and cost a lot of time and money. We need more facts, more truths and more opinions based on those facts and truth. Let's leave hype and buzz out of the equation as well.
Think what we could do if we focused all that energy, time and money on an insatiable pursuit of the truth?
Its beats being a donkey's cousin, now doesn't it?
About the Author:
http://blog.rebelbrown.com
No. of Times this article has been viewed :
228
Date Published :
Mar 11 2010
Most Recently Published Strategic Management Articles as of
|
|
Jul 29 2010
Business Lessons from a Porcupine
by
Rebel Brown
Sometimes I just love to laugh at the unexpected gems you can find on the internet. Especially the ones that show me a whole new perspective on something.
|
Jul 29 2010
But the Other Guys Have It
by
Rebel Brown
Market leadership is not about being just like everyone else. Market leadership is about being unique. Pointing to a competitive loss and proclaiming that you have to have some brand new competitive whatchamafloppy to win is not a strategy for success.
|
Jul 28 2010
Big Doesn't Mean Slow
by
Rebel Brown
Big companies have a choice. We can let our mass drag us down until eventually, we're nothing but dead weight trying to keep up.
Or, we can use our momentum to create change and market disruption - and stay in the lead.
|
Jul 28 2010
7 Examples of Status Quo Interruptus
by
Rebel Brown
This past week I've seen many instances of Status Quo Interruptus - my name for thinking and actions that break through status quo beliefs to soar into new worlds and discoveries.
|
Jul 25 2010
3 Steps to Avoid Gravity
by
Rebel Brown
Gravity's a given - just like Change. But we get to choose how much Gravity we gather.
|
Jul 25 2010
5 Impeccable Ways to Grow Your Business
by
Rebel Brown
Integrity wins. So be impeccable with your word, even when it means admitting you can't do it all. Customers will respect you for it. And respect is the basis of any great relationship.
|
Jul 18 2010
Who Says We Have to Choose?
by
Rebel Brown
As you create tactical plans, there's often no need to choose between a number of great options. You can stage those options, evolve your plan to match the changing winds of the market - and win all those market opportunities for growth!
|
Jul 18 2010
Blue Birds or Vultures?
by
Rebel Brown
We all have unexpected events fly across our path. The question is - do we see them as blue birds of opportunity, or threatening vultures?
|
Jul 18 2010
Too Many Balls
by
Rebel Brown
Trying to catch all the balls that might contribute to that goal won't propel us to growth. It will just wear us down...
|
Jul 18 2010
We're Stuck
by
Rebel Brown
In a world where skepticism rules, maybe the lesson we all need to learn from Maverick is that it's time we trusted more.
|
Jul 15 2010
Market Value is Not Determined by Wall Street
by
Rebel Brown
For every customer or partner success that we empower, we attain more than just revenue; we capture Market Value.
|
Jul 15 2010
What You Really Need to Know About the Competition
by
Rebel Brown
When it comes right down to it, the only thing that really matters is what our buyers think. Focused customer assessment is the best way to learn the truth about ourselves, our competitors and what we really need to enhance our future success.
|
Jul 15 2010
Independent Minds
by
Rebel Brown
Independent thinking isn't just about thinking differently than everyone else. It also means thinking differently than our normal selves as well.
|
Jul 15 2010
7 Keys to Market Launch Success
by
Rebel Brown
If you want to launch with market momentum that powers revenues - forget the way you've always done it. Step up and think different!
|
Jul 15 2010
When Good Enough…Isn't
by
Rebel Brown
When it comes to the status quo, one phrase defines it and ensures it will continue.
|
|
Search for ebooks on Management & Business