Essential Intellectual Traits

These are the traits I think will help you develop better thinking.

Intellectual Humility …
Intellectual Courage …
Intellectual Empathy …
Intellectual Autonomy …
Intellectual Integrity …
Intellectual Perseverance …
Confidence in Reason …
Fair-mindedness …"
 
'What do you think?  What would you add?

The Benefits of a Market Orientation is a Competitive Advantage

Why would a company want to pursue a market orientation? What benefit is it to them? 

Werll - being market oriented will lead to superior performance for the business.

Some would argue that having a focus on customers and aiming to satisfy their requirements is a costly exercise. However, the benefits of market orientation have been shown to include financial gains for the organisation, improved customer satisfaction, improved workplace conditions, and superior new product performance.

Competitive Advantage

A strong customer orientation forms the foundation of an organisation’s sustainable competitive advantage. Developing a thorough understanding of all customer groups allows an organisation to develop products and services that are tailored to customer needs and requirements. If an organisation can provide superior value to their customers, there is a greater likelihood of purchase, repeat purchase, and word-of-mouth recommendations. This will lead to a potential increase in sales, market share, and profitability.

For a competitive advantage to eventuate, an organisation must provide value to its customer that is superior to that of its competitors.

If an organisation is going to achieve optimal quality and value for the customers it is essential that every employee in the “chain of production” be committed to working toward this goal. A delay in delivery, a production flaw, a rude credit officer, or an unreturned phone enquiry can all contribute to the customer’s perception of your offering.

If every employee provides a product (goods and services) of optimal value to the next person in the chain of production, then the final product should be of optimal quality. However, the end consumer will notice weak links in this chain.

Check out the previous article as well - Let me know what you think?

Market Orientation is Marketing Orientation

Peter Drucker is thought to be one of the earliest proponents of modern marketing. He suggested that the purpose of the company is to create a customer.

Drucker advocated that organisations should have a guiding philosophy that puts the customer as the focal point of the entire company.

Most companies today would accept that without customers to sell products, services, or ideas to, they would not exist.  Yet over fifty years down the track,  too few actually act on that concept

Theodore Levitt  was one of the first to coin the phrase ‘the marketing concept’. He described it as a customer focus, co-ordinated marketing effort, and profitability. In the same article he argued that ‘market orientation’ could be the key to company success.

Levitt, argued that the marketing concept prescribes that “business success requires being customer oriented rather than-product oriented...”.

Philip Kotler added to these ideas when he discussed what he believed it took for an organisation to be market oriented. He suggested that market orientation includes: a consumer centric philosophy, an integrated marketing focused organisation, adequate market information, strategic orientation and operational efficiency.

To be market oriented means more than just focusing on customer satisfaction, although obviously customers are the main focal point of the company. It also means more than just having marketing personnel or a marketing department. Being market oriented is the responsibility of the entire organisation and will lead to good business practices such as operational efficiency.

Maslow and Self Actualisation

Maslow's self-actualising characteristics

• keen sense of reality - aware of real situations - objective judgement, rather than subjective
• see problems in terms of challenges and situations requiring solutions, rather than see problems as personal complaints or excuses
• need for privacy and comfortable being alone
• reliant on own experiences and judgement - independent - not reliant on culture and environment to form opinions and views
• not susceptible to social pressures - non-conformist
• democratic, fair and non-discriminating - embracing and enjoying all cultures, races and individual styles
• socially compassionate - possessing humanity
• accepting others as they are and not trying to change people
• comfortable with oneself - despite any unconventional tendencies
• a few close intimate friends rather than many surface relationships
• sense of humour directed at oneself or the human condition, rather than at the expense of others
• spontaneous and natural - true to oneself, rather than being how others want
• excited and interested in everything, even ordinary things
• creative, inventive and original
• seek peak experiences that leave a lasting impression

An extension on Maslow

1. Biological and Physiological needs - air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep, etc.

2. Safety needs - protection from elements, security, order, law, limits, stability, etc.

3. Belongingness and Love needs - work group, family, affection, relationships, etc.

4. Esteem needs - self-esteem, achievement, mastery, independence, status, dominance, prestige, managerial responsibility, etc.

5. Cognitive needs - knowledge, meaning, etc.

6. Aesthetic needs - appreciation and search for beauty, balance, form, etc.

7. Self-Actualization needs - realising personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences.

8. Transcendence needs - helping others to achieve self actualization.

The Only Dumb Question Is the Question You Don't Ask

Creativity begins with having questions - asking them and exploring them

Creativity always begins with a question.  Why?  What if?  How? etc The quality of your creativity is determined by the quality of your questions - by the way you frame your approach to circumstances, problems, needs, and opportunities.  A creative approach makes life a questioning process

 Milan Kundera, the Czech novelis says:

 I ask questions.  The stupidity of people comes from having an answer for everything.  The wisdom of the novel comes from having a question for everything.

What is a question?"

A list I have (don't know from where - sorry) says:

A question is an opening to creation.

A question is an unsettled and unsettling issue.

A question is an invitation to creativity.

A question is a beginning of adventure.

A question is seductive foreplay.

A question is a disguised answer.

A question pokes and prods that which has not yet been poked and prodded.

A question is a point of departure.

A question has no end and no beginning.

A question wants a playmate.

Can you add to the this list?