The 7 P's: Enabling Success (2023)

The 7 P'sis a US Marine Corps & British Army adage for Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance.

Wikipedia Definition: [The 7 Ps are normally referred to as the 7 Ps rather than as an acronym (i.e. PPPPPPP). Educators and trainers in military or civilian situations find it useful to first introduce the phrase "the 7 Ps". When it is explained, the humor and shock of the mild expletive help make the adage memorable. This adage is often used in project planning, or when training for life-or-death situations.]

“We Didn’t Do Anything Wrong, But Somehow, We Lost” Last Speech by Nokia’s CEO

These were the last words of Nokia’s CEO as he closed the press release to announce that the once giant mobile phone business had sold to Microsoft having lost the battle against purpose, planning, product, pertinence, power, perception and people.

This is my extension of the 7 P’s:

#1.Purpose

Understanding the bigger noble goals, the disruptive intent, and the overall goals will give your organization purpose. Once you have purpose, then creating a movement, a culture that will not only engage your employees but also turn your customers into followers, even potentially advocates.

“Is Apple a mobile device maker or do they just Think Different about their customers current AND future needs?”

#2. Planning

Having a plan is not optional. Hope and good intentions are not strategies. Planning takes time not just in terms of writing the plan but also to ensure it is not written in a vacuum. A plan with no engagement is not a plan either. A well thought through plan, tested, stress tested and with the buy in of your team AND CUSTOMERS will represents the best chance of success. Remember a plan needs to have flexibility and the ability to be nimble as circumstances inevitably change along your journey.

“But flexibility should not be confused with “It’s too difficult” or “we don’t normally do it like that” or the “old way was better” - these are the human inhibitors of progress”

#3. Product

Whether your own personal brand, a product, a thing or a service then the product needs to “do what it says on the tin”. A great example is Apple and how their products just work. Open the box, turn them on, connect and use. Easy.

#4. Pertinence

Being relevant and staying that way is key. Look at examples of how companies lost their pertinence to the markets and customers: Yardley of London established in 1770 was one of the largest cosmetic, fragrances and toiletry companies with a very loyal following. So much so, they did not evolve their products to appeal to new generations. By the late 1990’s they went in receivership as their generational following literally had died off.

“Kodak invented the digital camera, yet eventually collapsed as a business because they failed to embrace their own invention and eventually consumer demand for photographic film all but disappeared”

#5. Power

Unless you are a fabled Unicorn and you have investors scrambling around to invest in your next big thing hoping that one day you might make a profit, then profit today is power. Power is the overarching influence and measure of your ability to stay ahead of your competition, in the lead, driving forward, innovating, disrupting, progressing and ultimately winning.

#6. Perception

Law No.4 of the 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing is the Law of Perception and the principle that perception is greater than reality. Marketing is not a battle of products it is a battle of perception.

In America, the leading 3 Japanese cars are Honda, Toyota and Nissan. All are perceived as carmakers. In Japan, it is Toyota, Nissan and Honda. In Japan, Honda means motorcycles, and people do not want to buy a car from a motorcycle company. A perception that exists in the mind is often interpreted as a universal truth. For example, people think that Japanese and European cars are higher quality than American cars. It is the “everybody knows” principle.

“Marketing is a battle of perceptions, not products. Taste tests show that Pepsi tastes better than Coke, but Coke is the leader.”

#7. People

Until such a point that Artificial Intelligence and Robots take over the workplace, then human beings, people remain the most important ingredient to business success. It is well documented how fierce the battle is to attract and retain the best talent in highly competitive industries. Those organizations who don’t get the importance of investing in talent, creating the right culture of trust and making their place, a Great Place to Work then I fear that ultimately they will fall short and fall behind the leaders in their respective fields.

This is my take on the 7 P’s and I believe through a focus on Purpose, Planning, Product, Pertinence, Power, Perception and People you can substantially contribute to your business success no matter if you are just starting out, a start-up or an established business, an entrepreneur, leader or contributor – the responsibility and rewards for business success are mutually inclusive.