I cannot help but draw parallels between corporate-ism and the Art of War. This is one of those corporate anecdotes that happened when one company (Grocers’) went to the other (Lock-makers’) to sell its services and I thought this was best blogged about. Drama of this kind is not unknown in most professional lives.
Grocers vs. Lock-Makers
Grocers move into enemy territory when the gates open and the gongs sound and the grocer team enters in 5 cars, each bigger and better than the other with the chief grocer leading the rest. Lock-makers await them at battleground. Grocers seemed to be particularly pleased with themselves for having “cracked” the lock-makers flaws and needs.
Grocers begin warfare with shooting arrows of current capabilities and clients. (Trying to emphasize the fact that with lock-makers’ 100 yrs of existence, they never diversified into these fronts, not that grocers were doing it, but isn’t corporate world one big farce??)... Lock-makers show an expression of shock at the volumes grocers handle. Grocers score.
1-0
Grocers continue with varied forms of attack, pause for effect on the technologies implemented (though most of it could have very well been in the pen and paper stages!!!), but it drew gasps of ambush from the lock-makers… (Something that they read about being implemented in the far far West, was being done here?? in the land of elephants and snake-charmers??) Grocers score again.
2-0
Now, Lock-makers pull their socks up, and counter attack, saying, they have approached many like the grocers’, and have rejected them due to cost constraints (Definitely, These dinosaurs would be doing business with skeleton-like cost structures – Grocers smirked !!) This is when Grocers’ put down their trump card and declare all that they know about Lock-makers (mostly putting down structure of what-is-where, who-does-what, number-of-who’s, who-could-help-who etc.) Lock-makers surrender, and declare Grocers victorious, for Lock-makers had tapped Grocers doors’ for services and not the other way round.
3-0
Grocers declare Lock-makers as allies and look for future “co-operation” (Read business/cash inflow) and leave jubilantly out of the now-allies’ gates.
Grocers vs. Lock-Makers
Grocers move into enemy territory when the gates open and the gongs sound and the grocer team enters in 5 cars, each bigger and better than the other with the chief grocer leading the rest. Lock-makers await them at battleground. Grocers seemed to be particularly pleased with themselves for having “cracked” the lock-makers flaws and needs.
Grocers begin warfare with shooting arrows of current capabilities and clients. (Trying to emphasize the fact that with lock-makers’ 100 yrs of existence, they never diversified into these fronts, not that grocers were doing it, but isn’t corporate world one big farce??)... Lock-makers show an expression of shock at the volumes grocers handle. Grocers score.
1-0
Grocers continue with varied forms of attack, pause for effect on the technologies implemented (though most of it could have very well been in the pen and paper stages!!!), but it drew gasps of ambush from the lock-makers… (Something that they read about being implemented in the far far West, was being done here?? in the land of elephants and snake-charmers??) Grocers score again.
2-0
Now, Lock-makers pull their socks up, and counter attack, saying, they have approached many like the grocers’, and have rejected them due to cost constraints (Definitely, These dinosaurs would be doing business with skeleton-like cost structures – Grocers smirked !!) This is when Grocers’ put down their trump card and declare all that they know about Lock-makers (mostly putting down structure of what-is-where, who-does-what, number-of-who’s, who-could-help-who etc.) Lock-makers surrender, and declare Grocers victorious, for Lock-makers had tapped Grocers doors’ for services and not the other way round.
3-0
Grocers declare Lock-makers as allies and look for future “co-operation” (Read business/cash inflow) and leave jubilantly out of the now-allies’ gates.
