In this post and the next one the follows this one; I have given myself the freedom to move away from approaching the business topics academically. By applying the brainstorming technique of associations, I wanted the reader to understand the insight I want to deliver but without having to be restricted to the paradigm set by literatures.
As I read the characteristics of the small medium sized enterprise which are smallness, flexibility, use bootstraps method to survive and the flat structure, I couldn’t help but imagine of the famous wrestler Rey Mysterio. I know for this post I am supposed to list things that are serious, but creativity and innovation does not come forcefully, you either have it or not like the visionary in the innovation phase that helps to converge the existing innovative ideas that have been independently researched and shelved in R&D settings.
Anyhow Rey Mysterio also known as 619 is 5 feet 6 inches tall (apparently) in height, short but fast. The say a large business have many leverages that are top notch team members, sagacious board member, high thought-out plan and have the currency to promote themselves etc. For a small medium sized firm that is not the case; they have personal passion, going the extra mile and salesman ship to overcome the leverages of the bigger giants. I believe it’s the mindset that makes you feel small or big, if you believe you are small then you limit yourself, but if you believe that you can achieve bigger task despite your smallness then you have the right attitude. As was in the case of Rey Mysterio who had developed his own niche by being small and developing his special move (salesmanship) and with his passion he was able to win matches again two well known international wrestlers Eddie Gurrerro and Brock Lestner. With his agility and the freedom from structural thinking meaning blockers for making decisions which is constantly a problem in larger organization, he was able to outwit the two wrestlers and win his match. The only problem is he should have also looked at the lifecycle models to see what should come next, things that are presented as opportunity may not be there tomorrow especially fame which is directly related to his return on investment. Eddie Gurrerro passed away, which was an external factor that left a sustained crisis to the WWE business and Rey, no more upgraded himself as a small medium sized enterprise suggested:”You need to keep growth in check.”Same old move but much slower. Today Rey is not as popular today, fans have reduced after that awful incident which was further enforced by the catalyst critical incident of the death of Chis Benoit. With the internal factors and the external factors WWE has lost the main thing it used to give to its audience the organization culture, incorporated with inspiration ingrained in the super-ordinate goals of each of the wrestlers to win the next champion belt. This shows how the deaths of the two most important wrestlers have left a ‘sustained crises’ and have made it as ‘learning episode’ to all the participants. What needs to be remembered is not the sore experience but the lesson learnt. With each match these wrestlers had displayed unquestionable fight and enjoyable entertaining business, which is one of the main elements of the critical success factor of an organization that is “built in the voice of the customer.”