There is an adage that attack is the best form of defence. I’m very sure it applies when it comes to disruption.

Last blog I asked if disruption disturbs or excites you and your colleagues. I also gave you some ammunition so you could scare your colleagues into action if that is what it takes to get their attention. And I promised to give you something, so you are not seen simply as the bearer of bad news. That something is that attack is the best form of defence. That thinking like a disrupter will mean you can make sense of the potential disruption happening or about to happen in your industry.

Whenever I am approached to help executives think about the risk posed by disruption, I work with friend and colleague Paul Broadfoot who is a disruption strategy specialist. Together we provide the yin and yang for attacking disruption. We help you look at the risk and opportunity it presents by shifting mindsets from thinking like a traditional organisation to thinking like disrupters. We use Paul’s methodologies for identifying disruptive strategies and then apply the risk process to identify the scale of the risk or opportunity.

Makes sense doesn’t it. It’s simply a variation of the process I preach in my influencing program. Normally it is stand in the shoes of those you want to influence and paint them a picture of a positive future. Instead it is stand in the shoes of disrupters and paint yourselves a positive picture of the world ahead. Simples!