Lessons Learned from 60s Band The Monkees

By Hank Moore, Corporate Strategist™

The recent death of Davy Jones fostered a fond remembrance of the band The Monkees and a discussion of 1960s cultural influences.  Interestingly enough, many lessons can be learned from The Monkees and can be applied to business success.

After the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, Hollywood responded by putting together a group of actors to play a Beatles type teenage pop group.  The Monkees was primarily a TV sitcom that starred Michael Nesmith, Davy Jones, Mickey Dolenz, and Peter Tork.

The songs were written by Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart, Neil Diamond, Carole King, John Stewart, and other top talents.  The recordings featured studio musicians.  The Monkees acted in the sitcom and lip-synced two songs per episode, one of them done in a new, original format as a music video.

Once The Monkees debuted on NBC-TV, they were an instant hit.  The TV show spawned concert tours and The Monkees had to learn to play the musical instruments.  There were guest shots, product tie-ins, merchandising, and Monkees fan clubs.  All this activity jelled with The Monkees and it became the prototype for other pop acts packaged as big business.

Even though The Monkees lasted only two seasons on NBC-TV, there were recordings and concert tours that outlasted the series.

Now to tie in The Monkees to business lessons, there are four basic kinds of companies:

1. Those that created the original concept.  The people who created the widget then proceed to run the widget manufacturing and distribution enterprise.  The Monkees were a spoof of The Beatles who created the widget.  Yet, The Monkees created the music video component and the laughter-friendly audience acceptance of what was formerly misunderstood.

2. Companies that take someone else’s concepts, perfect them, and deliver them to new and different marketplaces.  The Monkees went into living rooms.  Parents saw them as “sons” when they were more leery of The Rolling Stones, The Animals, The Doors, and other rock groups.  The Monkees reached wider audiences, thus priming the pump for other comparable sitcoms.

3. Companies with a short life in the marketplace.  They are nurtured as assets to be expanded in other directions, flipped to other sellers, or taken to other levels.  Though they only ran two seasons, “The Monkees” has been rerun ever since.  They turned up on cable TV, VHS tapes, and DVD box sets.  Remarketed music sets continued to sell on records, tapes, CDs, and Internet downloads.  The Monkees’ two-year stint in the original market has extended to 45 years in the after-market.

4. Companies that team with others, creating a synergy and diversified holding that individual players could not achieve on their own.  This embodies the most important dynamic of modern business: Collaborations, Partnering, and Joint Venturing. The Monkees led to Michael Nesmith’s video “Elephant Parts” which led to MTV music videos.  Many TV shows (comedies and dramas) have since incorporated music video inserts.  The Monkees money helped bankroll Woodstock and music videos by other artists.

The Monkees were that rare business enterprise that applied to all four categories of business.  Then there are the dynamics of casting the right actors to play the right parts.  Most musical groups came together by happenstance, many playing good music but not possessing charm and charisma.  The same is true for companies.

One often wonders where those people came from, why they cannot work toward common goals. and why they are not team members.  Well-cast entertainment ensembles serve to entertain the audiences.  Well chosen, trained, and nurtured business talent will produce better widgets, run better widget organizations and optimally serve the needs of the widget customers.  They also stand for higher standards of quality and aspire to grow the business as a cohesive team.

7 Levels of the Longevity of Companies –

1. They stick around by default. Some companies are “one hit wonders”. They have limited utility and don’t have what it takes to go the distance.  They live short lives because that’s all they’ve got in them.

2. They are needed for particular niche. They don’t try to be all things to all people.  They have a specialized market.

3. They show promise to develop into a longevity company. They made an effort to justify their niche not just fill it by default.  They take pride in being the best in their area of expertise.  They do business with other quality-oriented companies.

4. They have time-tested products and processes. They are good and plan to get better.

5. They’re willing to do things necessary for growth. Products and processes only represent one-third of a company’s picture.  Growth companies take risks and address the other two-thirds on a regular, systematic basis.

6. They have earned respect by being innovative, having a commitment to continuous quality improvement, looking outward rather than focusing all resources internally, and viewing their products, processes, and people as a holistic organization.

7. They make contributions beyond the bottom line. They understand other reasons for being in business than just the dollars. They make healthy profits while creating the best products, being a learning organization, setting/upholding standards, and continuing to justify leadership position.

Alas, The Monkees are a thoughtful study on better ways to conduct business.

______________________________________________________________

Hank Moore has advised over 5,000 client organizations including public sector agencies, small businesses, non-profit organizations, and 100 of the Fortune 500.  Contact Hank by phone at 713-668-0664, by email at hankmoore4218@sbcglobal.net, or visit his website at www.hankmoore.com.