Hedgehog Concept
13th Apr 2010
Jim Collins relates Good to Great organisations to the notion of a hedgehog and their simplistic defence mechanism of rolling themselves into a ball of spikes. When Collins looked into these organisations he found that consistent simplicity was key to their business success.
Jim Collins explains the simplicity of the Hedgehog through 3 elements that should be considered by organisations (also featured in the top tips section). . .
1. Surround yourself with people who are passionate about what you’re all doing.
You can’t manufacture passion or “motivate” people to feel passionate. You can only discover what ignites your passion and the passions of those around you”.
2. Work with them to agree what you can be best in your world at, and what you can’t.
“A Hedgehog Concept is not a goal to be the best, a strategy to be the best, an intention to be the best, a plan to be the best. It is an understanding of what you can be the best at. The distinction is absolutely crucial”.
3. Work out the single most important measure of your success, and focus on improving your scores.
“The denominator can be quite subtle, sometimes even unobvious. The key is to use the question of the denominator to gain understanding and insight into your economic model”.
View our top tips on moving your organisation from Good to Great here.
Read the Jim Collins ‘Good to Great’ book review here.
If you would like to find out more about the definition behind a particular term/phrase, let us know and drop us a line below and we’ll get back to you with an explanation.
Helen
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