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April 3, 2009 (4:01 PM) by G. Michael Maddock
The next time you are marveling at the wonders of Disney, make sure you remember Roy. Turns out, while Walt was dreaming about his Magic Kingdom and making a mouse talk, his brother Roy was actually making sure that Walt’s dreams would come true. Roy was the operational genius — a yin for Walt’s yang.
Turns out companies are a lot like Roy and Walt Disney. They are naturally good at creating new ideas
I believe ideas are easy. Big, beautiful, million-dollar ideas are a dime a dozen. Want to see? I am writing this on a plane. Hmm… Let’s see… Airlines ideas. Why don’t airlines create a loyalty card program? I pay for my miles at the beginning of the year in exchange for some sort of special treatment or perks. Starbucks has created billions in cash flow with this idea. Here’s another: I would gladly scan my credit card at my seat and drink when I want to, not when it is deemed “cart time.” Here’s another: Airlines should sell luggage engineered to fit perfectly into their planes. The airlines get new revenue and quicker boarding because bags are all fitting nicely into place…you get the picture.
Having passion for creating new ideas, it’s no surprise that our firm has grown to be a leader in creating innovations for companies that are the best at operationalizing big ideas.
We find that companies, like people, are usually either good at creating ideas or executing ideas. The trick is to know which describes your company. If you or your company are about operational excellence, but desperate for big ideas, consider importing this kind of thinking via a business partner.
Want proof that we are on the right track here? We believe that venture capitalists are great at innovation because they naturally do business this way. VCs are full of Roy Disneys. So they go looking for companies with great ideas and tune them up. They don’t waste time trying to think up new ideas, they know what they are good at and go do it.
So, is your company a Roy or a Walt? Figure it out and go find a yin for your yang.
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