Today Apple announced its new iPad. Again this provides a lesson
in decision making. With every Apple decision over the last decade, it
will be criticized by many. The iPod was criticized because it would be
just another music player. iTunes a was criticized because it was just
another music store. The iPhone was criticized by many because Apple
could not compete in the cell phone business. Apple apps were criticized
because their value was not understood. The iPad is just a big iPod -
that will be the criticism - too expensive, limited in media available,
etc. But Steve Jobs, and Apple, can teach everyone valuable lessons in
decision making.
These decisions were single decisions; they were a
decision to go down a new path. Each of these was the launch of a new
product line in a new market space, not just a product. There are two
decision lessons here for businesses. The first is to look at strategic
decisions like this as creating a new path, not just a single decision. A
new path creates opportunities along the way - opportunities to launch
new versions of the product and keep improving it. Apple kept improving
the iPod, iTunes Store, and iPhone along the way, creating $12 billion
in additional revenue. Businesses should approach strategic decisions a
starting a journey on a new path and consider the opportunities it
creates.
The other lesson is bold move decisions. Each of these
new product lines was a bold move decision. Apple has grown because of
bold moves decisions. Too many businesses fail to even consider bold
move decisions, let alone have the courage to make them. To be
successful in the future, businesses need to make bold move decisions!
These are decision lessons that can also be used in personal decisions.
Decide to create and entirely new path for your life, instead of just
making individual decisions. Make bold move decisions that can reshape
you life.
So look at the Apple iPad not just as a new product but
as decision making lessons as well. Over its history, Apple also
provided decision lessons in bad decision making, such as with the
Newton. Steve Jobs learned from his good and bad strategic decisions and
now is putting that experience to work. We can all learn from him too.
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