Strengthening the Commercial Ethos

The Map

The approaches contain immediately recognizable imperatives and principles for businesses that, when taken together, define a viable commercial ethos.

This ethos evolves conceptually and practically through distinctive Stages in the framework. Each Stage is a system of thoughts inside the mind of employees and customers that is ready and waiting to be effectively activated.

Plotting progress on the standard TET diagram reveals a Spiral trajectory of distinct Stages through time.

The Drivers

Progress through the Spiral is primarily driven by competitive pressures. However, there are other forces for greater commerciality: internal, external and situational … Closed see details:

Natural End-Points

The ideal end-point for maximum success is Stage-7, However, it may not be targeted if there are other viable end-points e.g. Stage-2 or Stage-4.

Stage-2: Market circumstances (e.g. government subsidies, an effective monopoly or a stable duopoly) may mean that companies do not need &/or will not choose to progress any further. Customers suffer.

If competition is present, then Stage-4 should be reached to ensure survival. Current literature suggests that many large and admired companies may be having great difficulty in embedding the final three Stages. These demand the company focus more on the market and its customers than on itself. It is radical, but it seems to be more acceptable in relation to new software and communication technologies.

At any Stage of development, a business will select and use elements from any other Stage, even if the full ethos is not institutionalised. Such choice is content, rather than culture or ethos which forms context. Details of what affects commercial choices in regard to profitability is explored and mapped in the next framework.

In constructing this technology, we must go beyond the simple one word imperatives used to illustrate a commercial focus. We must identify a set of important inter-linked principles required for each Stage/Mode. (These are shown next to the trajectory diagram on each webpage.)

The principles describe the enterprise logic:

● the primary challenge (i.e. what is essential but difficult)
● the primary benefit sought by addressing the challenge
● the primary means for handling the challenge.

Then they deal with the environment:

● how to respond to the market
● how to handle related protagonists.

and the ups and the downs of commerce:

● how to ensure profits
● how to deal with failure and downturns.

There is also a danger pressing for a move to the next Stage/Level.

  • If you are ready to start this journey, go now to Stage-1.

Originally posted: July 2009