To err is Terminal 5

I write this entry as a South African. I say that because we’re extremely hard on ourselves on this end of the planet. We often compare ourselves to the resources, experience and might of the ‘developed world’ when we open our world class attractions. And when things don’t work the way they’ve been billed to, we simply blame our ‘African-ess’ on our inability to deliver to the standards and levels that were expected.

This week British Airways opened Terminal 5. Since the opening it’s been on the news, flighted as the greatest travel achievement the world has ever seen.

You can imagine my amusement at the e-mail I got from our travel agent this afternoon. Even with truck loads of cash, and wheelbarrows of experience, getting it right isn’t as easy as one imagines. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from : )

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V-day

Today is the tenth anniversary of the little purple pill. Although I personally think that big pharmaceuticals should spend more time trying to cure diseases that are part of the scourge of poverty (like malaria and TB), it is noteworthy that one of the biggest money spinners over the past decade has been Viagra – the erectile dysfunction pill developed by Pfizer.

Viagra is one the best case studies for what companies must do to benefit from the ageing Boomer generation. As the generation born after World War II, who came of age in the swinging 60s, they were never going to be coy about sex, and certainly did not want a mere biological issue like “getting old” stand in the way of their preferred lifestyle. They are a generation that believes in choice – their choice! So, medicines that deal with hair loss, sagging skin, sexual slowdown and other age-related conditions were always going to be successful. Pfizer got there first. Others have – and will continue to – follow.

The Boomers are the “youngest”, healthiest, richest and most powerful retiring generation of all time.

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Need a mission statement?

In one of my favourite presentations, “Mind the Gap“, I often do a vignette about how Baby Boomers use away days (or offsites, or visioning retreats, or bush councils, or whatever they’re called in your country) to develop strategy, visions, missions, purpose statements, strategic objectives and KPAs, KPIs and all manner of corporate-speak systems. You can see a video of this vignette at YouTube.

I found a great website today which takes the lampooning of this part of Boomer management lore a step further. And it will save you about $ 25,000 in consultant’s fees, and two days of your time. The Dilbert website has a corporate mission statement generator that does a brilliant job of churning out the standard garbage that most away days do. Check it out here.

Baby Boomer marketing campaign on steroids

Marketers have long identified that Baby Boomers are attracted to products endorsed by celebrities. Louis Vuitton the French fashion design house has outdone itself with their current “where will life take you” marketing campaign. The list of celebrities is impressive with no less than Stefi Graf & Andre Agasi, Mikhail Gorbechev, Catherine Denevue and Rolling Stone’s guitarist Keith Richards all fronting the face of the campaign! “Countless Emotions…countless journeys” Louis Vuitton also tugs on the emotional heart strings of Boomers living life to the fullest and there is even a hint of nostalgia as all the celebrities are of yesteryear. Great campaign…if you are a boomer! Not sure how many Generation Xers this ad campaign will appeal to but I can’t imagine many and yet I’m sure that as Generation X approaches the heights of their careers (the oldest of the Gen Xers are nearly forty) they would form a large proportion of LV’s target audience.

Have a look at the campaigns micro site by following this link to the Louis Vuitton
site and then click on the LV core values film

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Green Homes Concierge

At last, some smaller entrepreneurs are beginning to understand that there is a growing market for environmental products and services. One of the easiest and obvious ones is to help people who want to be greener to, well, be greener… with minimal fuss. It’s a simple concept, but not many people are doing it. I just picked up info on one such service in the UK, called Green Home Concierge. It looks good.

They’re not the first. They won’t be the last. But, at least they’re doing it. Well done!

Millennial kids – now old enough to be enlisted

I am not talking about the scourge of child soldiers, ruthlessly recruited by rotten guerrila armies around the world. The Millennial generation are the group of young people born in the digital, wired age. Depending on which definitions you use, these young people were born from 1984, 1989 or 1990 through 2000, 2005 or 2010. In general, these are the children and teenagers of today. And the oldest of them has started finishing school.

That means that they’re thinking of careers, and one option in most countries is to join the military. How will the army handle these young people? What does it have to offer them? And, how will they change the world’s militaries? I picked up a great article recently on this very issue. Read it at Strategy and Business here, or see an extract below.
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Training the Millennial Generation

A new generation of students – those born Internet-ready – is working it’s way throught the school system, and is about to hit the workplace, with all of its training rooms and courses. This “Millennial generation” (sometimes called “generation Y”) has a distinctive set of characterizing traits and unique learning interests that presents a serious challenge to existing educational institutions and methodologies.

There are any number of really good websites set up to assist teachers and trainers to do a better job of connecting with this generation. One of the more comprehensive sites I have found can be found here, at MasterNewMedia.org. Read it there, or work through my summary and extracts below.

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Learning from Nature (and disaster)

“Learn lessons from nature”. That’s what the world’s top thinkers all say. We need to learn from the natural, interlaced connections of ecosystems. We need to learn from the complex communication systems and overlapping symbiotic creatures, and find lessons there for new ways to structure corporate systems. I agree. But the problem is that most of these theorists only talk about the “good” side of nature. They never seem to mention that nature is brutal, violent and unforgiving.

One example of this caught my eye in the latest Economist magazine, about a controlled flood of the Grand Canyon. Conservationists have long argued that seemingly devastating events are necessary for the proper long term functioning of ecosystems. Some seeds only germinate after a fire. Rivers need floods to wash them out. In nature, death always brings life. I wonder how that applies to the emerging “quantum” and “fractal” workplace?

Read the article at The Economist (subscription may be required), or see an extract below.
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Perspectives & Forecasts from the Herman Group

I used to receive regular newsletter from the Herman Group. For some reason, I didn’t get it, and then yesterday was sent this newsletter. You sign up for it free of charge at their website.

I always found their stuff to be short, succinct, and to the point. They may not be earth shattering observations, but they are great to use with your teams to get conversation started, or to just remind you of the obvious stuff you often overlook.

So, here is Herman Group’s latest Perspectives & Forecasts:

We are trapped in an era of escalating change. There is no question that we live in turbulent times. Everything is changing around us. The velocity of change is increasing. Trends, most of which we know something about, are interacting with each other to create fascinating challenges . . . and opportunities.

The past is behind us. Let it go. Concentrate on the present, with a strong focus on what the future holds for you. No company will succeed in the future if it depends on what it learned-and how it operated–in the past. The future will be dramatically different, but manageable.

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Where’s my silver bullet?

I am sitting in a full day session with Gary Hamel. I didn’t pay enough money to be alone with him, so I am sharing the hall with a few hundred other people, representing many of South Africa’s top corporates and leading businesses. Gary has been great. I enjoy his style (his PowerPoint slides are are shocker, but he is a relaxed and engaging presenter). His content is compelling. He knows his stuff. It’s been woirth the time and money investment.

But it’s now the afternoon tea break, and all around me I hear the same comment: “I’m looking forward to this last session….”. The reason for the anticipation is that Gary has set up things brilliantly in the morning sessions. He has explained the 21st century context, he has shown us why innovation in management processes is a key to sustained success, and he has inspired and excited us to want to innovate and make a change. But he hasn’t told us what to do yet. That’s what everyone thinks is coming now! I think they will be disappointed. OR, I will be disappointed in Gary. Either way, it’s going to be a disappointing end to a great day.

Here’s why.
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Conferences with no power

Here I sit, at another conference without power. Don’t get me wrong – I am not talking about the content. I am at Gary Hamel’s latest thing: “The Future of Management”, a full day session with the innovation guru himself. “Live and in person”, just as the advertising promised! The guy is good, and probably the best academic on the issue of innovation in business. So, the content is great.

But in just a few minutes, my laptop is going to die, because I don’t have a power supply near my table. I came prepared – I have two extension cables, and if there was a power outlet within about 20m of my table, I’d be OK (maybe creating a few health and safety issues, but nevertheless I could finish this blog entry without worrying about my battery). But once again the conference organisers have just not thought about people who don’t use paper. I have been given a deskpad and another pen. I don’t use those things. I want to be able to type notes directly into my laptop. I want to be able to work on my computer. I want power!

This needs to be standard practice at conferences! It is the 21st century, after all. AND, today, it is a conference on innovation! If only….

(Let’s not even talk about the fact that there is no free wifi available here. They are giving us free toilet facilities, free water on every desk, free pens and deskpads, free coffee and tea, but no wifi connectivity!)
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