The concept of the burning platform is based on the story of an oil worker in the North Sea who wakes up to find his rig on fire. As it burns he realizes that he has only two options; stay on the rig and perish in the fire or jump into the icy waters below where death is highly probable. He chooses the latter, is rescued and survives. The lesson from this parable: taking any action is better than waiting to be engulfed by the flames.
This is the position Apple found itself in back in the late 1990s. The corporation was hemorrhaging cash trying to compete with Microsoft and Dell. Their products were unremarkable. Their strategy was not differentiating.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Five Strategies to Light a Fire Under Your Innovation Program | InnovationManagement
Author:Harvey Briggs
