Working Wednesday: The Exxon Mobil Example

Recently, Exxon Mobil Corporation announced they would be selling their Japanese refining and marketing business to partner TonenGeneral Sekiyu K.K. in a $3.9 billion deal. Exxon Mobil has looked at its overall operations and decided to concentrate on exploration and production, leaving refining to others, though they are publicly saying they are still committed to refining. Said Sherman Glass of Exxon Mobil, "What we continue to do is try to restructure — in some cases invest, in some cases divest and in some cases restructure — to make it a strong group of operations in our downstream (refining)" business." See: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700220299/Exxon-selling-Japan-unit-for-39B-to-cut-refining.html

I thought this is a good example of The Panoramic View. I write about The Panoramic View in my blog, but here is an actual example! The company revisited the largest view of their world ( I think of the Grand Canyon, the ocean, the top of the mountain as analogies), then took a slice of that view which pertains to their business sector, then again took a slice within their sector to be experts of. Of course profit margins, etc. etc. enter in to the decision.

The economy such as it is, Exxon Mobile decided to sell off Japanese refineries. Now in the future, when they evaluate the world economy and their slice again, who knows maybe they will bring refineries back to one of their top priorities. This is what you do. You have a business plan, you act on that plan, re-evaulate it every 3 years or so, and if necessary change it. You have a focus. You make decisions based against that focus. If it doesn't fit, the answer is "no". Stay the course, don't weaken your expertise.

Did you go to the top and look at the great expanse and see the largest view? And when was that? Do you need to market your expertise, not depending upon one source of income, like many small businesses learned the hard way during the Great Recession? Do you need to research additional business sectors to see if you match better now to another sector? Do you know what you want to be an expert of and take actions every day to get there, improve, or stay at the top? How strong are you? Have you kept to your focus?

If you weaken, you could become like water which always flow to the lowest level it can find.
If you stay within your focus, your confidence grows and may be the strongest tool in your toolbox as you build your company.