It surprises no one when I tell them that the Eagles are my all-time favorite band. But, some are surprised when I list a little-known track from the “One of These Nights” album as one of my favorite songs of theirs.
“After the Thrill is Gone” sings about a relationship that has eroded. The haunting lyrics say, in part:
“Same dances in the same old shoes;
(Music & lyrics by Glenn Frey and Don Henley; ©1975)
You get too careful with the steps you choose;
You don’t care about winning…but, you don’t want to lose
After the Thrill is Gone.”
Don Henley once commented, “As exciting as the whole Eagles thing was at times, some of the luster was beginning to wear off. We were combining our personal and professional lives in song.”
Yet, don’t we see the same thing in our respective businesses, too? Haven’t we encountered employees exhibiting this outlook? And, tragically, could this be the path we find ourselves on now?
Something works — so, we keep repeating it to the point that it’s boring, yet we simultaneously become overly cautious because we don’t want to make a mistake that might shift an advantage to our competition.
The words of Don Henley and Glenn Frey describe for me in lyrical poetry what Dr. Clayton Christenson was illuminating in “The Innovator’s Dilemna.” We have something distinctive in our business, career, or life — so, we milk it to extinction. Sure, we know that we should continue to change, grow, and innovate — in fact, that’s what made the original success possible. Yet, we keep dancing the same dance in the same old shoes, carefully choosing our steps until we stop trying to win…we just seek to avoid defeat.
When I was researching iconic performance for my latest book, the first factor that became obvious was that “playing offense” is the initial step for sustained success.
How many times do organizations, departments, and individuals make their plans based upon what their competition is currently doing? You know the answer: much too frequently.
As you may know, I have many, many friends in the music industry. While audiences love when they play their hits, if you’re realistic you can easily imagine that the members of the Oak Ridge Boys can’t get overwhelmingly excited about singing “Elvira” one more time. Diamond Rio has performed “Meet in the Middle” thousands of times — and are probably doing so again somewhere tonight for an enthusiastic audience.
However, the way the Oaks and Diamond Rio — and YOU — keep it exciting is to continue to innovate. You’ll hear new material and fresh takes on older hits when you see them. By keeping themselves engaged and innovating, they keep the audience involved and interested. They make sure the thrill doesn’t depart, so they don’t have to be concerned with happens “after the thrill is gone.”
You and I should take a similar approach…this week!
What fresh take could you employ on an existing approach — and how can you create something new — to maintain and enhance your excitement about what you and your organization delivers for customers?
