When I was working for an organization, we had a product line that we thought was the best. We featured it in publications and considered ourselves to have a lock on the top quality at least locally, if not further afield. It was one of our signature offerings and we were boastful about it.
But then I had occasion to see the same product offering at another organization, and it had indications that they were poised to do something great — far greater than we could achieve. I sent a position paper about this to our organization’s leadership, outlining what I saw, why it worried me, and steps I thought we should take to protect our position. It went nowhere.
Fast forward a few years, and I now have evidence that my predictions have come true. The competitor now outshines everyone in the area and is still in the initial stages of hitting its stride. It’s a lead lost from inattention — and dare I say hubris.
Had I stayed insulated in my own organization, I would have never known that change was afoot. I could have gone on believing and proclaiming our prominence with the inner confidence that it was true, even when it wasn’t. The situation is a good reminder to me — and I hope to you — that you need to get out of your bubble and benchmark yourself against others. You may decide to stay the course, but at least you’re doing it with a genuine knowledge of the landscape instead of ignorant bliss.
