I recently watched a NATGEO documentary that told the story of The Battle of Bannockburn on June 24, 1314, a significant Scottish victory in the First War of Scottish Independence and a landmark in Scottish history.
Stirling Castle, a Scots royal fortress, occupied by the English, was under siege by the Scottish army. Edward II of England assembled a formidable force to relieve it. This attempt failed, and his army was defeated in a pitched battle by a smaller army commanded by Robert I, Earl of Bruce of Scotland.
Now the key to this victory was really the preparation made by the Scots. Out manned and outgunned by the formidable English forces made up of regal knights and wealthy landowners, the Scots lured them into battle on their terms – complete with a gauntlet of wooden pikes, muddy terrain, and guerrilla tactics that left the very formal and one-dimensional English forces annihilated.
It made me think of many of the organizations I work with today. There is a price to pay for success. Success causes people and organizations to become lazy, accustomed to easy victories and ill prepared for upcoming trends. I’ve seen this in several cases.
- A large training company that grew fat, dumb, and happy providing two and three-day workshops which were all the rage when companies had large training budgets and outsourced with reckless abandon. Now, with companies scaling back and looking for consulting solutions, this company is floundering – attempting to sell overpriced training to fit what are not training problems.
- A huge, for-profit diploma-mill college that flourished when the bad economy forced laid-off workers to seek further education now struggles to fill classes – even cutting adjunct professor salaries when there are 5 or less students in a class.
- My son’s high school implemented iPads to bolster their standing in the accrediting agency they report to (and justify the outrageous tuition no doubt). They then didn’t know how to handle it when the students hacked past every safeguard the school attempted to place to prevent them from accessing fun apps and social media.
Those are organizational problems. What about with individuals?
- Employees failing to obtain relevant training and certifications figuring their employment is guaranteed – now being replaced with younger, more educated and motivated workers.
- Workers falling into a sense of entitlement and then pushing back when asked to work a little out of their comfort zone.
It’s a scary thought isn’t it? So what can you do to prevent disaster from happening in your world? The key is learning to remain somewhat nimble. The lessons from the Battle of Bannockburn tell us to rely less on convention, and more on foresight and flexibility. Here are some suggestions.
- Know what you’re up against. It’s easy to prepare for challenges you’ve previously experienced. It’s worse when you have a track record of constant success. Have you taken an objective look lately to see what ACTUALLY is, rather than what you’re used to seeing?
- Know what’s coming down the line. Futurists are often branded as touchy-feely dreamers but there is a benefit to projecting future trends. What new economic or demographic possibilities are there? The Federal workforce has long lamented the upcoming “brain drain” in the employee ranks as baby boomers are set to retire. Not that they’ve done anything about it.
- Learn how to be flexible and nimble. Your ability to change course quickly and adapt rapidly is the key to your success. If you’re a student, are you prepared to change your major? If you’re a worker, are you willing to gain a new certification, possibly at your own expense, to remain viable in a looming trend? As an organization, are you able to change course now to prepare for a new or diminishing market? If the answer is no, then be prepared for consequences.
Success is a good thing but should always be followed up quickly by preparation. The English didn’t bother to do this and suffered a great defeat in 1314. That’s ancient history. What are you doing today in order to not repeat it?