Graeme Codrington, one of the co-founders of TomorrowToday, and now based in London, has started a new blogging column at South Africa’s BizCommunity. It will only be two or three posts a month, but the content is focused on what South African business can learn from trends in London.
Why not bookmark the column now, and check back regularly (or add it to your RSS feed). It’s here.
Sipho Ngcobo wrote an interesting article on Money Web this last week, reflecting on the reality the African National Congress (ANC) faces around service delivery, or lack of it, in South Africa currently. He suggests that the pressure the ANC is under for 2011 local government elections and 2014 national elections will mean them compromising on affirmative action policies in favour of ensuring the right people are in the right places.
I do think he writes as more of a warning to the ANC to get it’s house in order than possibly the reality of what will actually happen. But I also do think that we need to appreciate that in emerging market economies this is a situation we’re all facing. It’s certainly not unique to South Africa.
As Ready, Conger and Hill point out in their Harvard Business Review article, ‘Winning the Race for Talent in Emerging Markets’, there is a severe lack of appropriately qualified and experienced people to fill management positions (at various levels). In the four large emerging market economies, Brazil, Russia, India and China, there simply isn’t enough supply to meet the demand. In countries like South Africa we should appreciate that if these four power-houses are struggling, then it is appropriate for us to be feeling some pain.
In the Harvard Business Review article, they set out their findings in an interesting graph that shows supply and demand for management using a scale that goes from entry level, to middle management, to country leadership, and tops out at regional leadership. Their research suggests that:
One should be cautioned against assuming that academic qualification equals appropriate skills for management. I mention this because when I bring up the Harvard Business Review article people often query the number of MBA’s in India and therefore the accuracy of the data? Education is but one element that determines management ability. Those who fill management positions will certainly confirm this.
Sipho Ngcobo, in my opinion, is on the money with the challenge that the ANC faces. What the ANC does to avoid this crisis will be interesting to learn from? When the pressure is on for delivery and performance, especially in emerging markets in a world with a skills crisis, a compromise is certainly worth exploring between affirmative action policies and ensuring the right bums are in the right seats on this bus called service delivery.
OK, so maybe the title of this post is a bit over the top. But the new movie from Sacha Baron-Cohen (aka Ali G, aka Borat), which portrays him as a gay Austrian television presenter, has the stated aim of providing cultural analysis. His goal is to shed light on inconsistent prejudice. Lofty goals indeed. Unfortunately, he fails to do so. In fact, he may do the opposite of his intention.
Probably the best review I have read of the movie comes from Toby Young of The Spectator. See what you think…
Status Anxiety
Toby Young
Wednesday, 8th July 2009As funny as Bruno undoubtedly is, Baron-Cohen’s film is fundamentally dishonest
The industrial economy was based on ‘make and sell.’ Take, for instance, the massive production of Henry Ford’s cars and his dictum, ‘you can have any colour you like as long as you like black.’ But, back in Henry Ford’s time there was little regard for the customer. The focus was on the production process.
Then, starting in the late 1950s, came the information economy which is based on a ‘listen and serve’ dictum. Nearly 80% of the world’s employees are now in the service industries. Microsoft is the equivalent of the Ford motor company. The focus now is on quality and customer satisfaction, ‘the customer is always right.’ Market research, segmentation models and distribution channels all contribute to making the customer ‘king’. In spite of this, customers are generally ‘faceless’ because they’re lumped together in demographic segments. And, the systems in place to meet their needs are, on the whole, inflexible.
But now a new approach is emerging. The emotion economy recognises that companies will have to take providing service and information a step further if they want to attract clients, and staff, away from their competitors. Go to a banking court and assess the points of difference between banks. Not much, is there? If you’re buying cars, cosmetics or hair care products, except for the very sophisticated and expensive, or the really cheap products, there’s not much in it today price or product-wise. Take supermarkets – you’ll find some are a little more up market than others but on the whole you could shop at just about any of them with much the same quality and service. Furthermore, people are increasingly shopping on the Internet: they will call up a trolley of products from one store and compare it with a trolley from another and then make their decision to buy. The same applies to a travel agent, or indeed, any other kind of booking agent. You’ll shop around for information on the Internet and then choose your agent, or, bypass them completely and make your own purchase.
Now comes the crunch. Which agent, supermarket, cosmetics and car will you choose? Increasingly, your decision will be based on relationship, connection, trust and emotion, and not on price, quality or speed of service.
… Continue Reading
Today is Nelson Mandela’s birthday. An international icon.
But this is not about Madiba. He’s never been mayor. He has been President of South Africa, and leader of the African National Congress (ANC), but never Mayor.
This is a video interview worth watching about Hazel McCallion, who’s 88 years old and been mayor of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada for 30+ years. She’s been re-elected 11 times in the 6th biggest city in Canada, and runs a city that’s debt free with cash reserves of $700 000 000.
It struck me while watching, that we’re a world that’s become so ‘young people focused’, that we so easily miss and don’t appreciate the value and contribution that ‘much’ older people do make, and can make in our private and public worlds.
So happy birthday Madiba and wow Mayor McCallion. Don’t stop teaching us. May we never stop learning from everyone we meet.
Jim Collins, author of the best sellers “Good to Great” (buy at Amazon.co.uk or Kalahari.net) and “Built to Last” (buy at Amazon.co.uk or Kalahari.net) has now turned his attentions to failed companies (he does have a lot to choose from right now). Anyway, his new book is “How The Mighty Fall” (buy at Amazon.co.uk or Kalahari.net).
Here is a review from The Economist:
I’m a big fan of BNET it’s a great source for business ideas and thought leaders and I’d encourage you to use them as a resource. But I came across this videocast on their site today which was so far off the mark that I had to comment.
In the video Sumi Des interview Caty Everett, Vice President of Alliance Coaching, on how to get more from dissengaged workers. She’s right – two thirds of workers are dissengaged, it’s a huge problem costing the USA about $350 billion and the UK £30 billion per year in lost productivity. Now Caty puts forward that improving engagement is as “basic as having one-on-ones…asking people what motivates them and what they enjoy about their job” so good so far but as Sumi puts it what if “your hands are tied and you can’t give them what they are looking for?” Caty responds by saying she believes that it’s enough to have “Started a dialogue” and that you need to manage expectations…say things like “I hear you, but not sure we can focus on that now… got my feelers out for you… you don’t have to give them an immediate solution”
Oh come on! As Bruno (aka Ali G / Sacha Baron Cohen) would say this is soooo yesterday’s approach to management. Today’s employees have heard this all before – coaching and 1-on-1’s – the “we’ve heard you now so get on with your job” no longer cuts it, especially not with Gen X and Gen Y workers, who seek instant gratification in their work now.
Coaching and 1-on-1s are important don’t get me wrong but if you want to get your employees more engaged and get more from less, then you need to be creating a deep rich culture that connects with people’s value systems, it’s about creating a tribe culture through regular, informal, company meetings and celebrating mistakes and not just success. It’s about building fun and even a little zaniness into the workplace. if you want to get more from less you need to be tapping into people’s value systems…Zappos is a company that appears to get this right. The Zappos management team got their workers to come up with their own company values and they didn’t come up with lame ones like trust, integrity and honesty, which lets be frank are values that everyone expects. They came up with this list and it forms the bed rock of their “tribe culture”.:
1. Deliver WOW Through Service
2. Embrace and Drive Change
3. Create Fun and A Little Weirdness
4. Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded
5. Pursue Growth and Learning
6. Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
7. Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
8. Do More With Less
9. Be Passionate and Determined
10 Be Humble
New workers are even bribed with cash to leave Zappos if they feel they can’t live these values. And the results:
- over $1 billion in sales within 8 years… not bad for a online shoe retailer!
Check out some of the activities they get up to in the Zappos as they live these values.
If you want to get more from less and improve engagement with your workers then you need to connect with people on a more personal level and to treat your staff like adults and partners who you need to get you through the recession and not like kids who you sit down with have a one-on-one and say “we hear you but can’t do much about it because our hands are tied”
Take a feather out of Zappos’s cap and create a tribe culture. What they are doing is fun, inexpensive oh and by the way Zappos customers love them!
Regular readers of this blog will know that I am a fan of The Spectator magazine. I am normally quick to point out that I do not support their underlying political persuasion (which can head in the direction of Conservatism quite quickly) – this is important in the UK, where magazines and newspapers are very aligned politically, and what you read says almost more about you than what you say.
For the record, I mainly enjoy the magazine for its brilliant use of the English language, and the insightful analysis of current events (even if I don’t always agree with the application of the analysis).
But last week’s edition was a HUGE disappointment. The cover story banner read: “Relax: Global Warming is all a myth”. At first, I thought it was spoof cover – they do have a good sense of humour at The Spectator. Sadly, it was not. But that is not the issue. When a good magazine, with excellent journalists, does a lead article on any topic, it captures my attention, even if I don’t agree with them. But I was disappointed.
The lead article was a fairly facetious toned report of an interview with an Australian geologist who has written a book on cliamte change, called “Heaven and Earth”, in which argues – over 500 pages, and 2,300 footnotes – that humans are not causing climate change at all. The “tudh factor” of his book, and the look of academic scholarship in the footnotes unfortunately blinded an otherwise decent journalist. And that’s the disappointment. Thirty seconds on Google would given enough contrary evidence to alert the journalist to the possibility that “Professor Ian Plimer” (to use the full title accorded him in the story’s byline) has not quite got all his facts straight. The fact that no mention was even made of the contrary views (some of which are by the experts Plimer himself quotes to back up his version of the story) indicates that the journalist lost some journalistic integrity and did not do a good job on the story.
My good mate, Steve Simpson, creator of UGRs (unwritten ground rules – still one of the cleverest management tools I’ve ever seen!), just posted this story on his blog. The new world of work is going to filled with this type of story – especially, I fear to say, in the airline industry where everyone blames everyone else for everything…
Remarkable development in the voice of the unhappy customer
Technology has just enabled a remarkable shift in the voice of the unhappy customer.
In March 2008, the musical group ‘Sons of Maxwell’ were travelling on United Airlines to Nebraska for a one week tour. Just prior to departure, one of the band members heard a woman seated behind them say ‘My God, they’re throwing guitars around’. Sure enough, as they looked out the window, they could see the baggage handlers literally throwing the band’s equipment.
On arrival, the band discovered that a $3500 Taylor guitar had indeed been broken.
That was the beginning of a long saga of buck passing and avoidance. After nine months, an employee from United provided one too many ‘no’s’ in response to accepting responsibility for the damage. On hearing this, band member Dave Carroll promised to make three songs about the experience and post them on the internet.
As I write this, the song ‘United Breaks Guitars’ has been viewed by over 3 million people. Yes, you read correctly, over 3 million views!!
You can view the video on YouTube by clicking here
There’s even a blog that explains the whole saga which is here.This is a remarkable example of how unhappy customers can now be heard!
How Teenagers Consume Media: the report that shook the City
This is the full copy of the research note written by Matthew Robson (aged 15 years and seven months), an intern at Morgan Stanley, which caused a stir after it was published by them. Reported in The Guardian, 13 July 2009
MY COMMENTS first, though: This report is a fascinating insight into how a 15 year old sees how his teenage cohorts see media. If you’re trying to reach teenagers with a message, then this report is helpful. But what Morgan Stanley thought it told them or their clients is another story altogether. This is part of the problem with a Twitter and Blog driven universe – that we tend to reduce things to soundbites and take the populist view, without much processing or context. This is useful information – in a limited context. It should be wisely and cautiously – within the context of that limited context. The news coverage this report generated indicates the shallowness of most mainstream media at the moment. It’s no wonder, then, that teenagers don’t reckon they need to connect with traditional media!
NOW, the report…
Most teenagers nowadays are not regular listeners to radio. They may occasionally tune in, but they do not try to listen to a program specifically. The main reason teenagers listen to the radio is for music, but now with online sites streaming music for free they do not bother, as services such as last.fm do this advert free, and users can choose the songs they want instead of listening to what the radio presenter/DJ chooses.
An amazing article appeared in the Business Day on the 8th July 2009. It was a Business Day interview with the former Anglo American deputy chairman, Graham Boustred, 84. It was an interview at his request in order for him to share his views on the current state of Anglo American. What follows has one suspiciously looking for the candid camera equivalent of the print media! Boustred states that Xstrata’s proposed bid for Anglo American is simply a mechanism for getting rid of current Anglo CEO, Cynthia Caroll who he goes on to describe as “hopeless”and implies that she is sexually frustrated. The then illuminates why it is difficult to find a female CEO: “It is because most women are sexually frustrated. men are not, because they can fall back on call girls, go to erectile dysfunction clinics. If you have a CEO who is sexually frustrated she can’t act properly”.
Boustred talks about the possibility of having an exit strtaegy should the wheels come off in South Africa. His prefered safe haven? The Isle of Man. His reason being that on the Isle of Man “there are no Muslims, no blacks”. There were compelling other reasons such as a good health care system but these are all too sane to be taken seriously.
The tone of Boustred’s ranting as reported is self-centred, arrogant, dogmatic, bigited and plain insulting. He represents a perplexing case study in past leaders grown old and begs the question of just how much of the present characteristics and opinions were in evidence during his leadership reign? He is aptly described in the interview as an “old man of South African business” where his world is “an anachronism that is growing smaller all the time”.
Oh yes, and the answer to Anglo’s current “disaster”? Well, for Boustred to return of course! reading to full article will have you queing to help the pensioner pack.
At TomorrowToday, we are predicting that the recession is only exacerbating the long term trend of companies needing to battle for the talented and appropriately skilled employees they need in order to be successful. We are particularly concerned of a talent exodus as soon as the recession begins to end – your best employees who are sticking it out now, surviving your bad recession-time employee engagement policies, are likely to up and off when the head hunters start calling.
But there is a talent shortage even now, in the midst of recession.
Are you ready to keep fighting the battle for top talent?
De Villiers was always likely going to have to work that bit harder to gain the respect the position deserves. Unfortunate, but that was the braai boardroom reality.
Well, de Villiers has shot himself in the foot – well both feet actually. What were at first rather humorous analogies, mixed metaphors and plain nonsensical explanations that provided plenty of copy, has now become plain embarrassing. More seriously, his recent utterings have dangerously eroded any personal or positional creditability and raises serious questions. Not to mention that others, well OK one, has been fired for less – not so Nick?
I suspect de Villiers has lost creditability within the inner-sanctum of rugby circles – those who have been-there-done-that, those in the know; I am certain he has lost it with the legions who week-in and week-out meet around the braais.
You only have yourself to blame Pieter. Perhaps SARU share some culpability in that they ought to have provided some coaching to the Coach in those matters other than rugby. It may not be fair, but today ‘those matters’ are an integral part of the Coach’s responsibility and more should have been done to avoid the situation getting to the state of play it has done.
As part of the Spar Leadership Development Programme (SLDP) I have just had the privilege of visiting the Durban Waste site in Marionhill. What an eye-opener! For starters, this waste management project is the best in the Southern Hemisphere (in other words, where warmer climates dominate). It represents cutting edge thinking and methodology and is yet another example of South Africa leading the way.
A ‘tour’ to this site offers some incredible educational insights and lessons for both the individual and corporate alike.
Here would be just four that come to mind:
Shit happens…it is what to do with it that matters. Clearly, in this context understanding exactly what it is they are dealing with, determines the process and interventions put to work. Understanding the nature of the problem and challenge is fundamental to engaging in workable solutions. Now this sounds ‘obvious’ but is it? How often are problems identified in isolation meaning that the resulting solution represents a ‘quick fix’ which in turn leads to further issues and problems elsewhere? Within organizations this is often the case when it comes to dealing with what could be described as ‘cultural issues’ where the ‘real’ issue is disguised and the often frantic interventions fail to deal with the root cause and busy themselves with the symptoms.
What goes around comes around. This is clearly seen in the recycling process. The ability to see this cause and effect cycle opens one’s eyes to cost saving measures and great efficiencies. This is always the kind of language that excites the corporate world and tends to get their attention. Understanding this in the context of dealing and recycling waste makes it obvious that more attention to initial sorting could save a great deal money further down the process. This means we need to be educated as to how the process works. So often we are given information on a ‘need to know’ basis and seeing how ‘our part’ contributes the end product is like navigating through a dense fog. Some time and effort dedicated to fusing the beginning with the end will result in greater efficiencies and cost saving.
Grey and Green are complimentary colours in a connected world. The ‘Green’ issue is rapidly gaining a foothold on the corporate agenda. The ‘Grey’ world with its corporate face has traditionally given little respect to anything other that what it needs or wants. The reality of what this means in a world with finite resources, has begun to dawn. The warning lights are flashing bright red in spite of what some say as they try to lump the entire ‘green argument’ into disposable hype and the ranting of an insane few. They are wrong. This stuff matters, it matters a great deal. The ‘grey’ world cannot afford to operate independent or regardless of the ‘green’ world. Getting this symbiotic relationship promises new and innovative conversations and practices. In nature there is no waste; everything gets used. In part that is one of the more insightful lessons from the site visit. The traditional dichotomies that we have instituted need to be dismantled as we seek an integrated understanding and engagement with the realities of these respective worlds.
Ongoing waste leads to ongoing learning. As a result of what you and I have thrown away, discarded as ‘useless’ has come new sources of electricity and irrigation; wetlands, vegetation and a host of other benefits. These benefits were the direct result of a ‘learning’ mindset combined with the courage to innovate: to try and risk failure in order to learn a ‘better way’. The ‘kaisen’ principle of ‘continuous learning’ was unmistakably entrenched throughout the process. The corporate world has much to learn from this mindset. Often quick to speak the language of change, innovation and learning, the reality is usually far removed from the rhetoric when one inhabits the corporate world.
More people need to visit this site. They need to go with their colleagues. They need to take their kids. More people need to experience and absorb the lessons on offer through this garbage. It’s up to you. Don’t waste the opportunity and as Spar say, it will be ‘Good for you’
Thomas Friedman is one of my favourite authors. He has a knack for a good story, and the insight to help us understand what the story means for how the world is changing. His latest column in the New York Times helps to frame the global energy crisis differently. And it’s very, very clever.
He explains how China should respond. Currently many Chinese people rightly complain that America has had 150 years to pollute the world while establishing a solid industrial base. They want the same right. But Friedman correctly points out that that is looking backwards. Looking forwards, the next revolution will be clean power. And every year China (and India, and Brazil, and Russia…) continues to look backwards, they give America a head start in the next big thing. He’s right. Not necessarily right about the economics and the detail. But he’s right that this is the type of mindset shift we need in the world right now.
Read his article at the NYT here, or below.
… Continue Reading
As in life, so in death. I am watching the live broadcast of Michael Jackson’s gaudy memorial service at The Staples Center in Los Angeles, complete with golden coffin. Forgotten – for a moment at least – are the excesses and eccentricities of a very troubled individual. Today, the world mourns one of the greatest entertainers of all time.
Why is he so mourned?
The answer is simple. In a world gone mad – and global – Michael Jackson became an icon of a new generation. Born after “drugs, sex and rock n roll” had shaped the Boomer generation, the 1980s needed something new. “Generation X” came of age in a world filled with change when it was clear the old way of doing things was not sufficient for the path ahead.
Into that melting pot came a strangely asexual, non-cultural (black or white?), global icon, who created a new art form – the music video – and danced like no-one had ever danced before. “Thriller” was ground breaking in every possible way, but mainly because it created the fusion of music and visual overload that has become the staple of the MTV generation. It gave a generation not just a voice, but a moving image too. This was the first generation that needed more than a voice to express itself. Michael Jackson showed us how.
His grisly life has been a sobre reminder to my generation of what could become of us – destroyed by the things we pursue, haunted by our dreams, empty even though we own everything we want, never quite achieving what we set out for… yet, somehow, in that melancholy, able to raise a thin, clear voice to say, “Heal the world / Make it a better place / For you and for me / And the entire human race”.
He had a way of saying – and showing – what a generation was thinking.
He may have been flawed. But he was a genius. And he is mourned by a generation that is now growing older, and take this shared moment to reflect on our own legacy – and mortality.
Anyone who follows @guykawasaki on Twitter assumes the man never sleeps. We’re all certain that Tweeting isn’t his main job, but he never seems to stop tweeting. So how does he do it?
Click over to ‘How to Change the World‘ for an interview with Guy, that I certainly enjoyed reading. Well actually it looks like it’s an interview with Guy by Guy?
Clearly he’s doesn’t mess around : )
“Yes, four people contribute to my tweets: Annie Colbert, Gina Ruiz, Noelle Chun, and Neenz Faleafine. This is why you will see the initials “AC, “GR,” “NC,” and “LF” at the end of some tweets. If there are no initials, then it’s me.“
I’ve heard plenty of mechanisms to improve team spirit and boost office morale, but never this…
“Staff at a design and marketing company in Newcastle (UK) spent a day working together naked after being told it would improve their morale.”
And it seems most of the office went for some form of it. For those of you with access to cable channel Virgin 1 on 9 July, you can see for yourself on a once off show of the Naked Office.
Read the full article here (Telegraph online)
This is really clever and a fab internet experience…unlike anything I’ve seen before
HEMA is a Dutch department store. The first store opened on November 4, 1926, in Amsterdam. Now there are 150 stores all over the Netherlands .
Take a look at HEMA’s product page. It’s in Dutch – but just wait a couple of seconds and watch what happens. Don’t click on any of the items in the picture, just wait and see what happens. This company has a sense of humor and a great computer programmer, who has too much time on his hands.
Click here and enjoy – you need sound to enjoy it best!!
For years banks and credit card companies have held a strangle hold over the movement of money and charged exorbitant rates for doing so. Now this is changing and fast.
Michale Ivey the founder of Twitpay has devised a system, using code that PayPal made available to him, that allows people to make payments [...]
In the last few hours the 10 billionth tweet was tweeted on Twitter. As one would imagine there was all kinds of hype and excitement, as Tweeps with the necesary skills attempted to predict the time it would happen, and I imagine even be ‘the one’?
My last tweet was 9999989724. Wild. Will be at 10 [...]
Download a copy of this article in PDF format – right click here. The contents of this article can be presented as a keynote or a workshop for your team. Contact our UK or South African offices to find out how.
Twitter recently hosted it’s billionth Tweet and Facebook had over 500 million users [...]
Miranda Devine is a Sydney Morning Herald columnist, and recently wrote an excellent piece on Australia’s Gen Y (young people now in the teens and early 20s). She had just witnessed a group of 400 of them grilling Kevin Rudd, the Aussie PM – and they had given him a rough time.
It’s well worth [...]
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