about the universe forum commander Shop Now Commanders Circle
Product List FAQs home Links Contact Us

Saturday, January 13, 2007

One of the great myths

There is a great myth of US military history, that somehow we beat the British and won the American Revolutionary War by wearing buckskin, hidding behind rocks and trees, and shooting at the stupid British wearing bright red coats who were standing in a straight line.

Simply not true.

The Americans won the American Revolutionary War by wearing bright blue coats, standing in a straight line, and just plain whipping the British. (Baron von Steuben teaching us how to reload and shoot faster than the British did help.) {Note, at Kings Mountain both sides wore buckskin and hid behind rocks and trees. At Cowpens, Guilford Courthouse, and Yorktown it was the bright blue coats thing.)

There is something comfortable about the rocks and trees myth. Something about winning the war the easy way by some trick or unconventional tactic. The reality is usually different. We did what the British did, and we did it better than the British did it.

The same thing can be found in business. There are more business successes from finding a way to do the conventional thing 1% better than there are of companies that found a whole new way of doing things. I'm all for a whole new way, but until one comes along, doing it 1% better will do.