Let's get 'back to basics'

After things have already gone terribly wrong, very often there is a proclamation that the business should get back to basics.

But what exactly does this mean?

Why is it that going back to basics appears to be the obvious answer to the problem set?

Operational inertia created by increasing levels of complexity, thanks to growth, is usually the catalyst for a back to basics remedy.

The logic is (we can only guess) is that the business ought to prune the layers of erroneous strategic choices that have been added since a historical point in time, when it was more in control of itself...and the market.

The problem with a simple back to basics call is that it's obviously impossible to to accurately recalibrate the complexity dial back to that supposed ideal point that produces an ideal, manageable outcome.

Because of this - a number of questions need to be asked in response to this wildly ambiguous call...

• When exactly was this mystical basics point achieved that the business needs to go back to?
• Why exactly would the output produced at the mystical basics point now magically still be of the same worth in a marketplace that has since moved on?
• What evidence is there that the demand still exists in the marketplace for the back to basics value proposition that is going to now produce the new performance that is required?

It doesn't take a lot - as you can see - to show that a back to basics solution is simply illogical and sadly often the kind of nonsense a leader will offer when they have no idea as to how to navigate a business toward the future.

You cannot successfully unravel the mess of a complex adaptive system. A far more informed approach would be to commit to building the system again, fit-for-purpose for the future.

Take the opportunity to rush out to meet the future. Focus on being relentlessly optimistic and use the pause to affect transformative change before the competition. Commit to hunting down new opportunities and hire fresh, new, energetic talent to enable the journey.