Self Tending Mushroom Alert - The United States Congress
Each month, we highlight an entity who chooses to ignore evolving trends, feasting instead on their own propaganda. The United States Congress is honored with the Self Tending Mushroom for following the green fad of the day to the detriment of any real solution and potentially the detriment of businesses everywhere.
The recent Deepwater Horizon disaster highlights the problem that has plagued the US Congress for decades. It is not so much that the politics are convoluted, but that the politicians take their cues from the latest green fads without really going in depth for a true solution.
BP is one of at least five companies involved in the Deepwater Horizon rig and its associated operations, but managed to win all the blame. Anadarko, MOEX, Transocean and Halliburton Energy Services were all involved but are rarely noted among the relentless tantrums of the US Congress on this subject.
When the public is out for BP’s head on a silver platter, Congress is loath to offer any other heads, no matter how fitting. BP is, after all, an easy company to blame, and the only company involved that does not seem to have done the American thing and bought a congressman. Of course, how would congress know what to do if it were not for their favorite bands? Korn and the talented yet equally uninformed Creed, Disturbed, Lady Gaga, and others have promoted to boycott, “the use of BP fuel in their tour bus for all upcoming tour dates.” Never mind that those stations are run by American small business owners and not BP. But perhaps that fuel will be from a more responsible provider such as Exxon... do’h!
BP’s part in the Deepwater Horizon disaster, the future of solar energy, electric cars, and other hot topics, albeit important, have served not to inform the US Congress but to distract them from the real job of developing a real solution that will likely encompass many elements.
The lessons for your business are many. First, do not let the fad of the day distract you from your strategy. Do not blame others to avoid your own faults. One-off publicity opportunities will not sustain your business. Public anger can quickly turn into regulation on your business. Lastly, real solutions are rarely single-element. The best strategies encompass several elements, so be prepared to do your homework and craft a real solution.
Keywords: green, technology, BP, deepwater, horizon, congress, US, self tending mushroom, business, trend, watch, list, 2010, advantage, strategic, competitive
