The Idea Dude

CONNECTING THE DOTS ONE AT A TIME

Saturday, December 24, 2005

Agile Management

Some of my recent consulting engagements have emphasized a basic philosophy of mine, the need for agile management. What does that mean? Well, since the 80's and 90's I've been a student of business, by that I mean I've read almost every business bestseller in preparation of leading my own army of software warriors one day. I've searched for excellence with Tom Peters, led the revolution with Gary Hamel, suffered from the innovator's dilemma with Clayton Christensen and took teams from good to great with Jim Collins. Each business philosophy was inspiring and compelling, yet if it was that simple then why do so many companies still fail?

My answer is that each of these great writers found examples that fit the curve, but in reality both time and markets are fickle making some of these principles more important in some contexts than others. There lies the rub... My take is that to be successful means being continually agile. The story is told of an old monk who could not be beaten by any of his students. When asked the question as to the source of his stability and rock solid defence, his reply was that he was actually constantly trying to regain his balance as opposed to try and be steadfast in any one position.

For today's technology businesses to succeed, you need a good dose of luck but also an acute sense of which assumptions you made no longer apply. There is no secret formula but your success is predicated by your the ability to match your business and team to the prevailing winds of change. You have to spend every waking moment testing to see if your business is as relevant today as it was yesterday and then whether you have the right team to execute on your strategy. Note, this doesn't mean you have to keep second guessing yourself, hopefully your strategy remains true over the long term but the tactics need continuous tweaking and tuning. One must be ever vigilant and sensitive to whether you need to be making adjustments and then have the courage to make them. In short, in today's Web 2.0 and world beyond, agility is the key.

The winners are those people who can match the business and people to the context of space (marketplace) and time (relevance and need).

Friday, December 23, 2005

Home at last...

It is 2 am...after 17 hours on the road, shared with a good friend, I am home at last. My friends left me many messages on my going-away t-shirt...Here's one that I wanted to share here...

"Barn's burnt down, now I can see the moon..." a haiku by Masahide.

So eloquent, succinct and profound...it moved me...it spoke of rebirth through death, finding meaning in hardship, endings and new beginnings...I think they really understood what I tried and hopefully did achieve...

Startups and young companies are like young families. They struggle to get on with each other, living with the world outside, striving each day to define their place, having a reason to show up, and yet that is the most exciting and fulfilling period. It is the time to shape character, to build courage and to search for vision. The results, if done properly, stands the test of time beyond the life of the company, because it becomes a defining moment in young lives.

My kids relate the story of someone who once saw a butterfly struggling to free itself from the cocoon and in a moment of kindness helped the butterfly emerge. The poor butterfly turned out maimed and disfigured. The moral here is that nature ordains that in order for the butterfly to grow into a magnificent specimen, it must struggle in its birth because it is that process that builds its strength and beauty. Sometimes, the barn must burn down before we can see the moon.

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

In the beginning...

Here goes The Idea Dude 2.0...

My life began some 40+ years ago in some genetic soup that has resulted in a individual called Me. I've seen Web -1.0, 0.0, 1.0 and now look forward to what 2.0 will bring...

At the continual urging of fellow peers, I've begun this blog...a good segway to a new adventure as I wrap up the current gig for 1.5 years helping a company get back on track. Hopefully, they have enough steam to get to the next station...my hopes go with them.

Back in the 'net as they say, I feel like a kid in the candy store scouring the blogs and breathing again. The last 18 month stint consisted of a basic week routine of 70 hours in the trenches with weekly commutes from Canada to US. I'm finally at the end of the tunnel.

Why the The Idea Dude? I spend each day imagining, innovating, inspiring, searching for the Holy Internet Grail, The Next New Thing. Along the Internet Highway, I've met a couple of really cool people, made some decent friends, found some wise mentors and built some great teams...

The best part is I've seen a lot of awesome ideas, some wacky and some wise...I've dreamed a lot of ideas, that is now reality...that is neat! even though, my ideas stayed as wishing stars...maybe the next one will be mine.

What will the future bring?

Watch this space...


The Idea Dude