Why a “Blue Ocean” Strategy? August 31, 2007
Posted by sjubb in Commentary, Ideas and Reflections.trackback
Two colleagues shared with me their reading of Blue Ocean Strategy (Boston: Harvard Business School Press 2005) wherein authors Professors W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne “argue that tomorrow’s leading companies will succeed not by battling competitors, but by creating “blue oceans” of uncontested market space ripe for growth.” For more on this topic go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Ocean_Strategy
That conversation stared me thinking about applying idea to “caring” enterprises attempting to serve the public good — in my case, education. Blue Ocean strategy is the idea of starting anew and outside the current industry currently controlled by a powerful group of self interested (if well-intentioned) institutions–government, text book companies, labor unions, professional organizations, universities, foundations, nonprofits and so on. In order to meet the world’s urgent demand for learning and development we cannot wait for these institutions to make the needed changes for us. By mobilizing ourselves to work in a freer space outside the control of these institutions (though their influence will certainly be felt) I believe that we can leverage (rather than deny as our system does now) what’s true about how and why we learn so that our children develop as full participants in shaping this world and its future.
We can be taught, but not educated. None but ourselves can free our minds.
Comments»
No comments yet — be the first.