by John Orcutt
May
2016
31
Precision alignment: sticking the landing
Many start-ups and established organizations have figured out how to effectively launch new products and services. However, managing for growth after the launch is another matter entirely. We call that effort “sticking the landing”.
At the core of a “stick” is perfect alignment across elements of the business and organization to (1) offer products that kill the customer’s pain; (2) motivate the customer with the right messaging; (3) sell in ways that the customer wants to buy; and (4) deliver a total experience that creates true delight.
Models of great “sticks”…and misses…are plentiful in sports, aviation, politics, romance and every other aspect of endeavor and life. Great sticks rarely happen by accident. They are the result of meticulous planning, repetitive practice, and precise execution.
Just for fun, take a look at a few video illustrations of sticks. First, with the Olympics on the horizon, check out some superb gymnastics performances and see minds and bodies perfectly aligned with their competitive environment.
Second, consider SpaceX. As a result of early disasters trying to land the Falcon 9 booster on a floating barge, SpaceX discovered that one key to success was to add fins to control alignment across three axes. Now SpaceX has twice successfully landed its Falcon 9 booster on the drone ship. Despite a diagonal descent to a platform rocking in the sea, a landing area of only 150 feet by 250 feet, and a leg span on the booster of 60 feet.
Or, in a more human example of landing a powerful machine on a small, often rolling deck, take in the cockpit view of what it means to align to refuel in mid-air and then execute a perfect landing on an aircraft carrier. Here, alignment dictates a life-or-death outcome.
Whether in business, sports or one’s personal life, it’s often a matter of degrees or even fractions of degrees that determine perfect alignment and success.
Plan. Prepare. Practice. Perform.