“He impaired his vision by holding the object too close. He might see, perhaps, one or two points with unusual clearness, but in so doing he, necessarily, lost sight of the matter as a whole.” – C. Auguste Dupin in The Murders in the Rue Morgue.

In l974 I was recruited out of The Harvard Business School to be a line manager in a large retailing firm. My company dominated the retail market by offering a huge selection of items for customers to choose from. We drove the Mom and Pop stores out of business and grew quickly.

Our buyers and merchandisers became focused on this winning formula of having a huge selection of each category of merchandise we carried. They got more skilled at buying and displaying merchandise.

However, they began “holding the object too close.” They “lost sight of the matter as a whole.” What did they overlook? The big picture of customer satisfaction. Surveys began to show that customers found shopping in our stores to be an uncomfortable experience. We tried to make our stores prettier, cleaner, with wider aisles, etc. But still customer discomfort remained.

Then a competitor got the big picture clear. Customers felt weary in stores like ours from having too many decisions to make. This retailer began to reduce the selection of merchandise and keep only the most popular items. They advertised that their stores were easy to shop in. You can get in and out fast and easy. They began winning market share.

What are the places where you or your company is focusing too closely on the details of maintaining your current approach? Where do you need to back up to see the big picture?

I coach clients to see the big picture by frequently asking them variations of the question, “What really matters here?” Maybe it is not having the largest possible selection of merchandise, well displayed. Maybe it is learning what the customer thinks. Thinking strategically is important in most leadership positions.

Do you have anyone prodding you to think strategically? If not, please consider my Executive Coaching. You can read about it by clicking on a link in the above navigation bar, Executive Coaching Services. Or call me, Bill Murray, at 919-419-9460.