Book: Good to Great: Step-7

Published: 2010 & Pages: 280

10x Step Learning

Step-7
Keep your Facts Straight & Faith Intact

To achieve success, you need to face tough challenges while staying hopeful. Companies that went from good to great always balanced these two things, just like the Stockdale paradox, named after a brave U.S. admiral captured during the Vietnam War. Imagine Admiral Stockdale, locked up in a tough prison, tortured, and not knowing when he’d see his family again. Even in those tough times, he never gave up hope that he’d get back home. He didn’t fool himself with false optimism, unlike some other prisoners who thought they’d be home by Christmas and felt really sad when it didn’t happen. Admiral Stockdale believed in himself while also facing the hard facts of his situation.

Good-to-great companies did the same. They looked at the harsh reality they were in but always believed they could succeed in the end. Whether they were dealing with strong competition or big changes in the rules, these companies faced the challenges directly and stayed hopeful. For example, when Procter & Gamble (P&G) entered the paper-based goods market, two major companies reacted differently. Scott Paper, the leader, felt like they couldn’t compete with P&G, so they tried to do other things where P&G wasn’t a threat.

Meanwhile, Kimberly-Clark saw a chance to prove themselves against the best. They even had a “moment of silence” for P&G in one of their meetings. The result? Two decades later, Kimberly-Clark owned Scott Paper and was ahead of P&G in six out of eight product categories.

کامیابی حاصل کرنے کے لیے مشکلات کا سامنا کرنا اور امید قائم رکھنا ضروری ہے۔ جن کمپنیوں نے خود کو “گڈ ٹو گریٹ” میں بدلا، انہوں نے ہمیشہ ان دونوں باتوں کو متوازن رکھا، جیسے کہ “اسٹاک ڈیل پیراڈوکس” میں کیا گیا، جو کہ ایک بہادر امریکی ایڈمرل جیمز اسٹاک ڈیل کے نام پر رکھا گیا، جو ویتنام جنگ کے دوران قید ہو گئے تھے۔ تصور کریں کہ ایڈمرل اسٹاک ڈیل کو ایک سخت قید خانے میں بند کیا گیا تھا، جہاں انہیں اذیتیں دی گئیں اور یہ یقین نہیں تھا کہ وہ کب اپنے خاندان کو دوبارہ دیکھ پائیں گے۔ ان مشکل حالات کے باوجود، انہوں نے کبھی امید نہیں چھوڑی کہ وہ ایک دن گھر واپس جائیں گے۔ لیکن وہ غلط امیدوں میں نہیں جی رہے تھے، جیسے کہ وہ قیدی جو سمجھتے تھے کہ وہ کرسمس تک گھر پہنچ جائیں گے اور جب ایسا نہیں ہوا تو وہ بہت مایوس ہوئے۔

“گڈ ٹو گریٹ” کمپنیاں بھی اسی طرح کام کرتی تھیں۔ وہ اپنے حالات کی حقیقت کو تسلیم کرتی تھیں لیکن ہمیشہ یہ یقین رکھتی تھیں کہ آخر کار وہ کامیاب ہوں گی۔ چاہے وہ سخت مقابلہ کا سامنا کر رہی ہوں یا قوانین میں بڑی تبدیلیوں کا، ان کمپنیوں نے مشکلات کا براہ راست سامنا کیا اور اپنی امید کو برقرار رکھا۔ مثال کے طور پر، جب پروکٹر اینڈ گیمبل (P&G) نے پیپر بیسڈ مصنوعات کی مارکیٹ میں قدم رکھا تو دو بڑی کمپنیاں مختلف طریقے سے ردعمل دکھا رہی تھیں۔ اسکاٹ پیپر، جو مارکیٹ لیڈر تھا، نے محسوس کیا کہ وہ P&G کا مقابلہ نہیں کر سکتے، اس لیے انہوں نے ایسے شعبوں میں کام کرنے کی کوشش کی جہاں P&G کا اثر کم تھا۔

دوسری طرف، Kimberly-Clark نے اسے ایک موقع کے طور پر دیکھا کہ وہ خود کو بہترین کے سامنے ثابت کریں۔ ایک میٹنگ میں انہوں نے P&G کے لیے “ایک لمحے کی خاموشی” اختیار کی۔ نتیجہ؟ دو دہائیوں بعد Kimberly-Clark نے Scott Paper کو خرید لیا اور آٹھ میں سے چھ پروڈکٹ کیٹگریز میں P&G سے آگے نکل گئی۔

10x Short Questions

1. What does the Stockdale paradox teach us about success?

Success requires facing tough challenges while staying hopeful.

2. Who was Admiral Stockdale, and what did he go through during the Vietnam War?

Admiral Stockdale was a high-ranking officer captured during the Vietnam War and endured torture and uncertainty about seeing his family again.

3. How did Admiral Stockdale handle his challenging situation in the prison?

He faced the harsh reality while never losing hope.

4. What was the approach of good-to-great companies when dealing with tough realities and challenges?

They confronted the challenges directly and maintained their belief in success.

5. What happened when Procter & Gamble (P&G) entered the paper-based goods market?

Two major companies, Scott Paper and Kimberly-Clark, reacted differently to P&G’s entry.

6. How did Scott Paper react to P&G's competition?

They felt they couldn’t compete and tried to do other things.

7. How did Kimberly-Clark respond to the challenge posed by P&G?

They saw it as an opportunity to prove themselves and compete with enthusiasm.

8. What was the outcome of Kimberly-Clark's response to P&G's entry?

Two decades later, Kimberly-Clark owned Scott Paper and outperformed P&G in six out of eight product categories.

9. What lesson can we learn from Admiral Stockdale's approach and the companies' reactions in this paragraph?

Facing difficult situations with a combination of realism and hope can lead to success.

10. Why is it important for companies to confront the challenges they face rather than avoiding them?

Confronting challenges directly allows companies to stay competitive and even excel in the long run.

Check Your Learning
10x MCQs​​

0

Book Summary (Good to Great) Test-7 (QM)

Book Summary (Good to Great) Test-7 (QM)

The number of attempts remaining is 100

1 / 10

1. Who is Admiral Stockdale, and what did he go through during the Vietnam
War?

2 / 10

2. What was the approach of good-to-great companies when dealing with
tough realities and challenges?

3 / 10

3. What lesson can we learn from Admiral Stockdales approach and the
companies reactions in this paragraph?

4 / 10

4. How did Scott Paper react to P Gs competition?

5 / 10

5. Why is it important for companies to confront the challenges they face
rather than avoiding them?

6 / 10

6. What happened when Procter & Gamble (P&G) entered the paper-based
goods market?

7 / 10

7. How did Kimberly-Clark respond to the challenge posed by P& G?

8 / 10

8. What is the key to achieving success, according to the paragraph?

9 / 10

9. What was the outcome of Kimberly-Clarks response to P and G entry?

10 / 10

10. How did Admiral Stockdale handle his challenging situation in the prison?

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0%

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