Competence Vs. Greatness
by John R. Sedivy
Competence is a good thing. Or is it?
While reading Seth Godin’s Small Is The New Big I happened upon an interesting concept – competence may not be all that it’s cracked up to be.
It appears that competence comes at the expense of greatness. Sure competence is predictable and predictability is safe. Competence is the safe bet for a safe job, in other words a commodity.
A competent person wakes up at the same time every morning, is at work the same time every day, and quits at the same time – without fail. There is generally a lot of rigidity and routine involved with competence. Nothing bad will happen with competence, however nothing beyond mediocrity will likely occur either. Performance is a straight line.
To many this may sound great – but competence comes at the expense of greatness.
Great individuals on the other hand are all over the place. They do things differently than the rest of the world. They are constantly changing and evolving. They have to change – they become smarter with each passing day and as a result change the way they do things.
Try to get a competent person to change the way they do things, it probably isn’t going to happen – at least not without a fight. Try forcing a great individual to be merely competent and you will likely have an equal fight on your hands.
I had experienced this firsthand when I started encountering more creative type individuals. They were unpredictable, lacked focus, had little regard for authority or structure. This was my initial impression.
Here is my revised impression after having befriended and worked with creative individuals – dynamic, possessed broad horizons, and independent. In other words these great individuals were exciting.
And guess what? At the end of the day the job still gets done. Even without the predictable schedule, routine, or competent individual. Amazing things tend to happen. Completely unexpected. Expectations are not merely met, but exceeded.
This is greatness, not mere competence.
When confronted with the choice which would you rather have – competence or greatness?
-John R. Sedivy of Cape Cod Branding
The Hidden Arrow
by John R. Sedivy
One of the most amazing things about life is how something can be hidden in plain site. I can walk a certain path through town, encountering people and businesses and take note of some aspects yet others remain hidden. Just when I think I know everything about a person, business, or subject, something surprises me!
This isn’t a sinister plot or a purposeful deception, it’s due to ignorance on my part. As I learn more through people, experience, and books I discover new things all the time. In many cases this new found knowledge sheds new light on something I have experienced many times over, and therefore allows me to experience it in a new way.
Take the FedEx logo as an example. Have you ever noticed the arrow embedded within the logo? First take a look at the logo in the upper left hand corner of this article. Next look at Figure 1 below which has the hidden arrow highlighted between the “E” and the “x”.
Figure 1. FedEx Hidden Arrow Exposed
I had learned about this while reading BrandSimple by Allen Adamson. According to the author the embedded image was purposeful in that it conveys “from here to there, the world on time, this confident arrow signals reliability.”
The arrow not only reinforces the brand but also makes the logo stand out from a distance further promoting the brand. Very clever.
That’s the beauty of education – the more I learn, the more I realize there is much that I truly don’t know.
What are you currently missing that is staring you right in the face?
-John R. Sedivy of Cape Cod Branding
Vulnerable Marketing, Chapter 1 – Welcome
by Amy Stevens Adams
(Here is the first chapter of our soon-to-be-released book, “Vulnerable Marketing”. We’d appreciate your thoughts and comments. Enjoy!)
To kick off things, I thought I would take a few minutes and answer some of your questions. You might be thinking that you don’t have any questions – but of course you do. The first is…
What’s It In For Me?
This naturally is the most burning question on the mind of any person or business owner. What you’re hoping is that I can provide you with some new ideas about marketing that you can use to improve your business and, ultimately, improve your life.
It may be that you don’t like to read much, but you want to learn something new. So what I’ve done is keep this book short and pack it with value. There is little risk on your part – a little time spent and you will discover a new way of marketing you–as an individual, your business, your product or service.
In short, if you have a 21st century company, you want 21st century ideas, not your ancestor’s marketing strategy!
So let’s get to it.
What’s Vulnerable Marketing?
Vulnerable Marketing is an idea that Amy and I have talked about, brainstormed about, and put into practice here. It is a culmination of the information we’ve gathered and the evolution we’ve experienced over our lifetimes. It’s a mixture of our diverse academic educations, real-world experiences and relationships that acts as a force multiplier– the whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts. Vulnerable Marketing embodies the principles of decentralized control, open source, and transparency. It’s the anti-hype.
I have heard that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. That perfectly illustrates the drawback to traditional marketing in today’s business environment.
Historical marketing focuses on pushing a message to a target audience, in the hopes that a small percentage of that group will be receptive to its message and act upon it. This type of marketing is characterized by individuals and businesses throwing large sums of money (often millions) into a message and watching to see what, if anything, sticks. The originator of the message was a closed system that maintains a tight level of control – image is everything, often based on a false pretense.
In that marketing environment a lackluster product or service can be masked by a polished front. I—and most of you–have been victimized by this form of false marketing, and we disdain it.
Vulnerable Marketing turns the traditional way of doing business on its ear. By allowing yourself, as an individual or business, to become vulnerable, you portray yourself in truth – as an authentic, sincere brand. In essence you are projecting who and what you are, both strengths and weaknesses, for the world to see.
Vulnerable Marketing is not about spending large sums of money to become something you’re not – it’s about embracing who you are and capitalizing on those strengths.
By using this philosophy of integrity you stand to attract the ideal customer for your brand. And since it’s an ideal match based on honesty, the brand relationship will be long-term rather than a flash in the pan. Like most aspects of quality this brand relationship will take time to develop, but the rewards will be great.
Vulnerable Marketing means giving up control. People love reality, so put that idea to work for you!
Why Vulnerable Marketing?
Personally I am tired of seeing lackluster products, services, and people represent themselves as something they are not. Professional polish with little or no substance. I am guessing you feel the same.
Also, I am guessing what you’re currently doing isn’t working. Or it could use improvement. Regardless of how good you are, you can always improve. Vulnerable Marketing will provide you with some ideas that you can take as they are or improve upon.
Isn’t Vulnerability A Bad Thing?
No. (If you don’t believe me, go watch a chick flick.) If you consistently portray yourself and your business in an honest and open light, then you have nothing to fear. It is those businesses that try to hide their imperfections and mistakes that need to worry about being exposed. Put it all out there! The good and the bad. Expose your own weaknesses. Then, try as they might, the naysayers won’t succeed- you’ve beaten them to the punch, and built credibility. Your good name and prosperity remain intact.
Partner with exceptional people and businesses. In my experience I have found that like attracts like. Individuals and businesses who portray themselves honestly will attract others who do the same. Sure, some false individuals and businesses will appear, as well, but eventually they reveal themselves for what they truly are. With practice it becomes easier to identify the unscrupulous – sometimes in a matter of minutes!
Being vulnerable is not without risk – you will occasionally be burned on your journey. But when you do find the truly honest individuals and businesses you will benefit far more from the experience. These relationships will be deep and profound. Your customers will appreciate your honesty and relate to your imperfections.
Who among us is perfect? No one! So why pretend? You’ll only exile yourself and your business to a sea of lost revenues. Many potential customers may deem your product or service ‘out of their league’. They may aspire to someday be able to use your services or product, but you don’t want someday, you want now! Build a relationship with them based on honesty, based on vulnerability.
Here’s the rub. If you follow traditional methods and put up a shield around yourself, your product or service, you will most likely attract others who are doing the same. Over the long term these relationships fall apart when each side discovers false assumptions or the inability to deliver on promises.
On the other hand, if you dare to be vulnerable, you will attract others who are seeking an open, honest, mutually beneficial business relationship.
What Will I Need To Do?
The tone of this book is designed to be conversational and relaxed.. I want you to breeze through this book, without having to think too hard, yet walk away with some profound thoughts about marketing.
That being said, here are the topics we will discuss:
1. Dare To Be Vulnerable
2. Be Authentic & Sincere
3. Get To Know Your Customer
4. Align Perception With Reality
5. Simplify Your Brand
6. Strive for Consistency & Exclusivity
7. Manage Your Relationships
8. Persistently Drive Your Passion
9. Embrace The Entrepreneurial Culture
10. Immerse Yourself In Customer Communities
11. Create Beauty
12. Think Systematically
13. Take The Next Steps
Each chapter is action-oriented, prompting you to accomplish something that will benefit your marketing efforts. There is no homework here, but rather a gentle nudging that will push you down the right path to connecting with your customers, gaining their trust and insight, and building a better product or service that will set you apart from the competition.
What Are We Waiting For?
I’m glad you asked – Let’s go!
