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A regional sales manager mentions a rumor about a new competitor.
A newspaper article describes devices people implant under their skin to broadcast
their ID and medical data during emergencies. A blog initiated by an aggrieved
customer begins attracting attention. Events like these, unfolding in the remote
regions of your business, often signal hidden opportunities and threats
that can profoundly impact your enterprise. But to seize
those opportunities and parry those threats, you must continually detect, interpret,
and act on distant signals. Put simply, you need good peripheral vision.
Yet less than 20 percent of firms have developed their peripheral vision enough
to stay ahead of rivals. Using a diagnostic "eye exam" to test organizations'
peripheral vision, the authors have developed a process for closing the vigilance
gap and avoiding being blindsided. They offer five steps
for improving peripheral vision: - setting the right
scope
- using multiple methods to scan
- avoiding
common traps to interpret peripheral signals
- knowing
when and how to probe further
- understanding
how to act judiciously to stake out options early
Two
final steps help broaden organizational vision: - establishing
the proper internal organization -- vital for strengthening your external
sensing capabilities
- strengthening leadership
-- essential for fostering sufficient curiosity and widespread sharing of insights
The
book illustrates this powerful metaphor using diverse case studies: how the BBC
dealt with the digital, multimedia challenge, Anheuser-Busch's early response
to the low-carb diet revolution, Mattel's mighty struggles with its Barbie franchise,
major transformations in the funeral industry, and lighting manufacturers' strategies
for addressing the threat and promise of new LED technologies. Packed
with vivid examples and potent tools, this timely book helps you hone your peripheral
vision, see around the corner, and dominate rivals on the business frontier. George
S. Day is the Geoffrey T. Boisi Professor of Marketing and Codirector of the Mack
Center for Technological Innovation at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
Paul J. H. Schoemaker is Research Director of Wharton's Mack Center for Technological
Innovation, and founder and Chairman of Decision Strategies International, Inc. | 
