Amidst a vast retinue of designations that already prevails in corporate circles (albeit with little regard to the actual job profile), here is a fervent plea for a new one to be introduced into the mix. The CSO: Common Sense Officer.
Look no further. There is a huge Blue Ocean opportunity for corporates. Probably even a Green Swan opportunity. Where Common Sense is the next big Competitive Advantage. With deep respect to a certain Michael Porter.
We have seen so many companies fall prey to fancy sounding management fads while ignoring obvious solutions. Missing the wood for the trees. Corporate jargon is like a buzzword bingo where the cherished prize is complete waste of time.
Then there are those Meeting About The Meeting About The Meeting. In the time that it took to align 12 executives schedules for a meeting to solve the crisis, the problem solved itself. If there is anything that defies common sense with a vengeance is the corporate meeting culture. Platforms like WhatsApp, Linked In etc are considering to have default settings for its users that state ” in a meeting “. So that you don’t have to offer any status updates. Status quo will do just fine.
Cubicle Logic is always at loggerheads with Real World Logic. In the real world if something is broken, we fix it. In the corporate land, a committee is formed to discuss the implications of acknowledging its brokenness. Then, you also have the 27 point approval process needed to change one word on the corporate website.
Some of the things you see, ie a collection of bizarre contradictions, you are tempted to call it the Corporate Paradox Zoo. The rallying cry is KISS(Keep It Simple Stupid)- Come see our exotic exhibit: the annual ‘Simplification Initiative‘ that requires 87-page implementation guides. CEO: ” We are establishing a Task Force and going in for a complete de-bureaucratization. Three new departments are being set up and twelve additional forms are being brought in to minitor and implement this”.
These are the settings where your onboarding and orientation include knowing ” How to nod thoughtfully while someone explains why a simple email requires six weeks “. And taking translation classes that will tell you what implementing agile methodology is (read “we realised that we should have talked to our customers”). Where “Leveraging existing capabilities for strategic advantage” simply means “Using what we already have“.
What comes with the territory in corporate environments include corporate bureaucracy, legacy systems, red tape, and mindset issues.
Mindset traps allow smart( really smart at that) people to make dumb decisions. A brand like Apple removing the headphone jack on iPhones – forcing customers to buy expensive accessories, despite clear user inconvenience. Common sense signals that don’t fix what people love. But arrogance finds a way to over ride logic.
We are fixated to past decisions than we would like to admit. And therefore companies love doing the same thing, over and over and over again. Blockbuster(the pioneer in DVD rental business) rejecting Netflix‘s offer of buying them for US$50 Million because they believed that people would always prefer DVD rentals. Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy in 2010.
Corporate Legacy is another Graveyard of Common Sense. Eg Nokia remaining adamant and sticking to hardware dominance while the world was moving towards software-driven smartphones.
If you ask me what is the rarest resource in boardrooms, my resounding response would be common sense. Coca-Cola ignored decades of brand loyalty and market intelligence, only to backtrack within months after its New Coke disaster of 1985. Blind spots created by over complication.
Common sense says(actually shouts) that if you don’t disrupt yourself, someone else will. Look no further than Kodak. It invented the digital camera in 1975 but refused to commercialise it because film was their cash cow. Common sense would have dictated towards pivoting to the future but Kodak wanted to continue its romance with film. Clinging to film showed their corporate inertia9towards innovation) as they took the first step towards writing their own obituary.
Red Tape should be the Red Flag bearers and considered a devout enemy of common sense. The Volkswagen emissions scandal, where internal bureaucracy and a focus on short-term gains overrode common-sense ethical considerations, leading to massive reputational and financial damage. In India, the delays in implementing GST due to excessive red tape and political bureaucracy, could have been streamlined with a common-sense approach to collaboration.
Tata’s launch of the Nano car, which initially failed due to a lack of common-sense marketing (positioning it as a “cheap” car instead of an affordable, innovative solution.
Leadership has a key role in promoting common sense within organisations. Once Satya Nadella took over at Microsoft, he moved it from a know-it-all organisation to a learn-it-all organisation, an organisation that thrives on empathy and common sense rather than cut-throat competition.
Common sense is a powerful ammunition in crisis management. Very evident in Toyota‘s handling of the 2010 recall crisis where it relied on complete transparency and customer safety rather than aim for short-term profits, showcasing common-sense leadership.
Zomato in India focused on addressing key customer concerns through features like live order tracking and instant refunds, simple, logical solutions that have fostered customer loyalty and growth.
So, what is the CTA( Call to Action)?: Building a University of Common Sense. Where employees are trained to think logically, challenge defaults, and prioritize simplicity. This is a Blue Ocean opportunity beating the next best by several nautical miles.
If this is a subject that strikes a chord, I will encourage you to watch the interview in BrandKnew with Martin Lindstrom, author of the seminal book ” Ministry of Common Sense “.