Usually, CEOs are accused of being overly rosy when it comes to their industry's projected health. That's why it was interesting to hear the comments from the new Chairman/CEO of the company that just bought the bankrupt Chicago Sun Times.
James Tyree predicted that "newspapers have got a good strong 10 years. By then, you'll have to evolve into something else - maybe five years evolve into something else - or you'll just be out of business."
Whoa.
Perhaps if you knew you only had 10 years to live, it would be tragic but perhaps motivating. Knowing your life was limited to a relatively short period of time, how would you live it differently? How would you rethink your career, your family, your financial situation, and your overall life?
Would you go to Hawaii? Would you take that cooking class? Would you get married? Or divorced? Would your life change?
A 10-year window might make you better. It might make you more innovative and dynamic. It might motivate you to do something special.
What if many businesses only had 10 productive years left?
What would companies do differently? How would they rethink their content, their marketing models, their talent, and their entire business plans?
How would attitudes about entertainment, content, and customer service and benefit change?
What ideas that have been sitting on the shelf would go into action? What kinds of risks would be taken?
And could any of these moves benefit companies right now?
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