The problem with big

The problem with big is it’s fat and unwieldy. It’s hard to move around, both inside and outside. When a company gets really big, it gets boring. That’s when people jump ship to go start something new, small, exciting.

The standard business model says you have to grow, you have to get big. The problem is, few people actually want that. What we want is to get bigger, not big. People admire Hollywood stars, then in the same breath lament stars’ lack of privacy.

Getting bigger brings realized ambitions, fun, more work and security. Growing to become big takes most of those away, leaving only more work.

The larger problem is the growth model itself, which is basically unsustainable. For most companies getting really big is incompatible with their personal goals. You know that old saying, ‘You can’t please all of the people all of the time,’ well, that’s really the truth.

What you can do is set ambitious goals, meet them, and set new ones, all while keeping your focus on getting just bigger enough, but not too big. There are no books that tell how to do this. You have to become a rule-breaker. Buck the trends. Become a bigger person.

Kelly Hobkirk - teaching marketers how to harness strategy, goals, reality, and purpose to connect and do better work.

 

Kelly Hobkirk has been helping companies succeed in creative ways for nearly 25 years. His work has been featured in Time Magazine, and books by Rockport and Rotovision. Get exclusive articles when you sign up for his monthly newsletter.

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