Resilience and Creativity

In business school we had to read a case about the Singer Corporation – you know, the sewing machine company? The history of the company reads like a novel. The company was founded by Isaac Singer in the 1800’s and by 1914, one in four households in the world owned a Singer sewing machine. It was renowned for being a machine that was small enough to fit in an average sized home, and it also worked!

To sell these machines around the world, Singer and his partners often encountered drama around their patents, partnering with businesspeople who proved untrustworthy, and figuring out the logistics of how to transport, fabricate and sell these products in foreign lands.  Remember – back then the international transportation networks we now enjoy were not as robust. In Russia, the salespeople had to even accept rabbit pelts as payment in addition to installment payments. 

The company prided itself on providing as much of a reliable product as they did excellent customer service. Since these machines were equivalent to turning a small home into a little factory, there were frequent questions, technical problems and other issues that arose. The salespeople had to stay not only top of mind but continue to prove their value as a resource after the transaction.

It is a lesson in creativity, customer service, and learning to adapt to different approaches and environments. In many ways, it’s a metaphor for life itself. The way we used to do something ten years ago in one place may not work in a new setting. We might have to figure out a new route, or even a new set of people with whom to partner. Some of the people we decide to work with will let us down. 

Resilience is key. 

Creative solutions are necessary.

Let's end this with a quote - we often hear about Martin Luther King saying not, "we have a problem." but, "I have a dream." It reframes our situations in creative and exciting ways, when we think of our current perplexing circumstances in a new light.