W
hatever you’re going to do, do it well. Sounds obvious. But
deciding precisely what to do — or whether to keep doing it — is
often hard for leaders as they look to distinguish their companies,
stay competitive, and adapt to changing market forces.
Numerous distractions — envy of a rival’s success, the blind pursuit of
growth, underestimating the capabilities and investment needed to enter a new
market space — cause companies to stray from their competitive sweet spots.
Or sometimes organizational entropy sets in, causing even the best-constructed
strategies to decay.
But what causes companies to stay true to their ca lling? W hat counter vailing
forces can leaders call on that will keep them where they need to be to stay
competitive? Our work in service design and customer experience tells us that the
answer can be found in the principles of design thinking.
We ask companies to define themselves in terms of one of nine customer
experience archetypes — value propositions described in terms of the experience
they create for customers. One of those archetypes is the specialist: the company
that chooses to do one thing and do it uniquely well. For these niche players, the
problem of focus is, literally, a question of identity itself.
And by understanding specialists, all leaders can learn tips that will help
them keep to their strategies. To be sure, there are times when even specialists
need to pivot to stay competitive. Sticking to your knitting isn’t smart if you’re
knitting buggy whips in 2020. But far more common are mistakes specialists
inflict on themselves by not deploying the strategies and techniques that can
make specializing so rewarding.
Specialists come in two basic types. The first finds its niche in a particular
product or service. Shouldice, the Canadian hospital that performs hernia
surgeries and nothing else, is a famous example. Less well known may be Lesley
Stowe Fine Foods, which makes just one product: Raincoast Crisps — addictive,
savory–sweet crackers that come in several flavors. The second type of specialist
focuses on a particular group of customers. USAA offers insurance to members
of the U.S. armed forces and their families, winning business and loyalty because
of its deep understanding of its clients’ lives and special insurance needs. GSW,
a marketing agency in Columbus, Ohio, offers a variety of services, including
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