Professor Kim, joint author of a business strategy
book, Blue Ocean Strategy introduced the
management team to blue ocean possibilities. The
book illustrates what the authors believe is the high
growth and profits an organisation can generate by
creating new demand in an uncontested market
space, or a “blue ocean”, rather than by competing
head-to-head with other suppliers for known
customers in an existing industry which is referred to
in the book as a “red ocean”.
Business unusual is all about changing the way
we do business.
The management team participated in an exercise
in the desert where the participants needed to find
oil and build an oil rig. A lot of creative thinking was
required; and came from some unexpected sources!
The final conference presentation was by Debra
Searle. Debra, together with her husband, entered a
race to row from Barbados to Tenerife in a plywood
rowboat which they had assembled from a kit!
When Debra’s husband had to be rescued at sea,
although in her words, ‘I was scared of deep water,
the dark and sharks’, Debra decided to continue.
After 111 days alone, Debra rowed into Port St
Charles, Barbados. A remarkable feat and example of human endurance
which she uses to
powerfully draw out key
business and personal
lessons. |
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The conference literally
ended on a ‘high’ with a
dinner held in the tallest
building in the world,
the Burj Khalifa, on the
123rd floor. An incredible
experience.
In line with the
‘business unusual’
theme we bring you
some thoughts on blogging from CE Brian Joffe,
Group financial director David Cleasby, head of the
Foodservice business Bernard Berson and head of
Bidvest Commercial Lindsay Ralphs. Here’s what
they have to say …
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From left: David Cleasby, Lindsay Ralphs, Brian Joffe and Bernard Berson in Dubai for the
management conference. |
The great Bidvest blog test…
Readers will be pleased to see that I have not
vanished into the blogosphere and I’m back in print
with my regular Bidvoice message.
As users of the Bidvest intranet know, I was one
of the ‘guinea pigs’ selected for our Group’s first use
of blogging technology. The testing ground was the
management conference in Dubai and the others
under scrutiny were the Bidvest CEs and a number
of our MDs.
We posted thoughts and experiences from Dubai
and received rapid feedback from a growing band
of ‘followers’. I thank everyone for their participation.
Spontaneous input from team members demonstrated the potential of the blogging format and
turned the exercise into a great success.
Why did we do it? While we’re not a technology
company, several of our businesses are innovative
users of new technology.
Bidvest in Australia and New Zealand is a leader
in foodservice ecommerce. In South Africa, Bidvest
Automotive pioneered digital vehicle retailing through
the Call-a-Car online dealership. Recently, the
computerised AutoBid system was adopted by
Burchmore’s, creating a digital vehicle auction floor.
So we’re not averse to new technology and we’re
never afraid to innovate.
In any event, blogging – stripped of the technotrappings
– is a typically Bidvest thing to do.
Before Bidvest was a business, it was an idea.
Given this background, creating a sounding board for
new ideas and accelerating the development of the
good ones seems reasonable; especially if those ideas
develop into new businesses or new ways of doing
things.
For me, that’s what blogging is all about. A blog is a
sounding board; a way of putting some thoughts out
there, generating new thoughts and gauging reaction.
A blog also develops a sense of community, even
a sense of family. In that respect, blogging reminds us
how we started out.
Many Bidvest operations began as a family
business. The owners and managers chatted day
by day with those on the warehouse floor or in the
workshop.
That’s how it should be. Communication should be
horizontal – across, not from up on high.
Admittedly, a senior manager may get the ball
rolling by posting a comment or question, but
after that there is no telling what will happen to the
conversation.
That’s what makes blogging so exciting. You can
reach lots of people, trigger new thoughts and prompt
fresh responses. You can share ideas and get involved
in problem solving.
I’m excited about being able to speak to you in this
new way. Let’s talk!
Brian Joffe |
