Intersection #5 of 10 – To create a culture of continuous improvement and innovationmodré sandály na podpatku mads nørgaard taske feinsmecker strømper truhlarstvibilek.cz wiener-bronzen.com saljofa.com sevilenotocekici.com suchemuryesklep.pl red-gricciplac.org modré sandály na podpatku wiener-bronzen.com wiener-bronzen.com tutobon.com saljofa.com sevilenotocekici.com
By Mitch Praver (a.k.a. The CEO Magician (www.theceomagician.com)

There is real magic in a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. For successful businesses as well as for world-class magic acts, continuous improvement and innovation are factors a) to achieve success, b) for competitive differentiation, c) to refine routines to make them more impactful and engaging, and d) to adapt to changing audience tastes and expectations to remain relevant.

Back when Professor Hoffman’s seminal book about modern magic, appropriately titled “Modern Magic”, came out, its table of contents teased exciting chapters on magic using brass boxes to hold money, magic with snuff boxes. About 50 years later when Harlan Tarbell wrote what many consider to be the definitive book on magic, the Tarbell Course, there were full chapters on magic less relevant or totally irrelevant now (or at least politically incorrect): cigarette magic Oriental magic, magic with top hats, thimble magic, seance magic, and foulard magic.

Fifty years from now, it is quite possible that what is considered relevant today will not be considered relevant. And, the inverse is also true. Nobody would have thought 50 years ago – even 10 years ago – that today we’d be doing magic today using smart phones for passcode divinations, iPads for billiard ball productions, black art for overhead TV cameras in close-up magic, word reveals through Wiki tests and Google searches, etc.

Maybe it’s a stretch, but it is conceivable that 50 years from now, the following magic items we magicians use today will not be considered relevant:

a) Rabbit magic: concerns about animal welfare,
b) Dove magic: dander has been known to cause lung diseases in magicians,
c) Coinage and bill magic: decline in coinage and bill circulation in shift to cashless payments,
d) Traditional misogynistic stage approaches to pretending to harm women, mutilate, make them disappear or turn them into animals,
e) Top hat magic: its association with social status has diminished over time, and is now more commonly seen as a symbol of a bygone era,
f) Walking cane magic: once considered fashionable accessories, particularly among the upper class. The use of canes as fashion accessories declined as societal norms changed, and they are now primarily used as functional aids for mobility,
g) Silk foulard magic: Silk foulards have been used in various magic tricks in the early 20th century but less and less now,
h) Cigarette magic: the decline in smoking rates and increased awareness of health risks associated with tobacco use, the use of cigarettes in magic tricks has become less common,
i) Newspaper magic: significant declines in circulation due to competition from online media and news apps, and perhaps magazine magic, too, and
j) Phone book mentalism: significant decline in circulation due to shift from landlines to mobile phones and to online directories and apps.

Magicians who push themselves to improve and innovate are much more likely to: 1) sustain a competitive edge, 2) streamline and/or eliminate inefficiencies, 3) seek out new knowledge and acquire new skills, 4) actively listen to customer feedback to improve service, 5) stimulate creatively and think outside the box, and 6) adapt to changes in the marketplace.

In magic, it is key to embrace changes in what your audiences deem relevant or irrelevant. When a magician takes out an odd-looking prop or trick, then the focus is on how the odd looking prop works – rather than on the effect of the magic.

Likewise, in business,typically it’s not the successful, entrenched companies that embrace change. They have a greater incentive to only focus on and protect their successful core, legacy business. They often ignore the changing market landscape and consumer behavior – and that can quickly lead to failure.

● It was Netflix…not Blockbuster Video. Blockbuster was focused on videotapes, not video entertainment.,
● It was Wikipedia…not The World Book encyclopedia. The World Book was focused on a book…not learning and information.:
● It was Waze…not Magellan Maps. Magellan Maps was focused on maps, not point-to- point navigation.
● It was Amazon.com…not Borders Books. Borders Books focused on books on bookshelves based on available inventory – not on any book at any time at cheaper prices.
● It was AirBnB…not Hilton Hotels. Hilton Hotels was focused on Hotels, not business and vacation lodging.
● It was Google News, not The NY Times. The NY TImes was too focused on the paper and not the news. Their motto continues to be: “All the news that fits to print.”
● It was Flickr, not Kodak Film. Kodak Film was too focused on film, and not on photography.
● It was Venmo, not the US Mint. The Mint was too focused on coins rather than on payment systems. Especially post-pandemic, when consumer habits changed and they didn’t appreciate the germs and bacteria on their coins and bills passed along to them.

As magicians, we can embrace the magic of continuous improvement and unlock your true potential as a magician. Just like successful businesses and world-class magic acts, you have the power to achieve extraordinary results through iteration and innovation. True mastery in magic is a journey of continuous improvement, not a destination. Enjoy the journey!