The Ultimate Corporate Entrepreneur

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs: How Microbusinesses Can Help Reinvent Big Business

The Reset Economy, a term coined by GE’s CEO, Jeff Immelt, refers to the Great Recession as more than a simple business cycle correction, but a permanent, fundamental change to how markets will operate and be influenced going forward.

What would happen if a fraction of the thousands upon thousands of people downsized in the U.S. decided to start their own business? 

A microbusiness where their intent was not growth, but an enterprise that chose to stay micro with under five employees.

Oh, and this wouldn't be a short-term solution either like in past recessions when people started businesses only until the economy picked up steam and then returned to full-time, regular work.

What if I told you all this is happening, but that it's so far off the radar of most policymakers, government officials and large corporations that they're not connecting the dots as to how a shift of this magnitude will change the currency of labor.  

A light bulb went off for me after reading Dawn Rivers Baker's excellent white paper Microbusiness and the Human Economy (2009), reminding me of the challenge my Purchasing partner and I had with our company's policy over a decade ago. Somewhat radical at the time, we did manage to introduce micro-suppliers into our operations for three of the five reasons that Dawn writes about in her research report (adding value, creativity, and frugality):

1. Adding value
2. Creativity
3. Community
4. Democracy
5. Frugality

Dawn, a previous guest on Coach for Innovation, joins me again this Sunday, February 28 at 6pm (PST) for another insightful discussion about microbusiness developments and trends. She'll share highlights of recent research studies conducted by the Microbusiness Research Institute, which she heads, in pushing policy boundaries and chiseling away at walls in Washington on what could impact big business as much as it would microbusinesses. 

Join us this Sunday. We'll be taking your calls and chat questions, but if you can't make it live the recording will be available for download.

Change Happens When (and Where) You Least Expect It

A few weeks back I received an email message that sounded a bit spammy to me. But fortunately my intuition trumped first instincts and I responded to the request for help from someone who believed he could innovate, but was having trouble "figuring out the path to get me there."  

Thus began my connection and conversation with a 5-year medical student in Cairo who found me via a search on 'how to innovate'. After reading a reprinted article that I had written on innovation, he decided to reach out to me via the resource box I included at the end of the article.

Since then, we've exchanged a few emails and had a Skype conversation about his studies and soon-to-be-graduation. I provided him with a link to a colleague's upcoming book on innovation. I also suggested some creative exercises to get him started.

During our Skype conversation we explored:

• Why had he decided to pursue medicine as a career?
• What challenges exist in the field of medicine in Egypt?
• Does he like to take what already exists and figure out new ways of doing it better or does he prefer to build new things from scratch?
• What is his optimum cycle for personal change, in other words, when does the boredom start to set in?

These questions helped to jump start his creative thinking, since we all have a tendency to get too close to what we focus on day in and day out (in this case, his medical studies). This can make it difficult, at times, to step back and see our value, appreciate our area(s) of expertise, and define what makes us unique. 

Technology can help us build bridges in understanding one another. Our Skype call was also a great reminder that innovation and mentoring truly have no boundaries.

"What's Up with Mobile?" 02/25 SDForum TechWomen's Event (Silicon Valley)

Sometimes we get lucky and an event comes along that "catches you up" with what's going on in an industry. My event pick-of-the week is SDForum Tech Women's February 25 What's Up with Mobile?

My interest with all things mobile started years ago when I was the PPM for a mobile product line launch. I got a chance to work with some lightening smart development engineers and nimble-footed release teams both here in the U.S. and Prague. I was hooked.  

Today the world is mobile and it affects us at work, at home, and at play. But no clear answers exist for how money will be made and what might trigger customers to migrate en mass to mobile computing.

Next Thursday's SDForum Tech Women's program "What's Up with Mobile" is both timely and important. It's also brave.

Mixing a room full of smart women who are technologists and consumers with panelists representing platform companies, device manufacturers, carriers, and application developers, well, let's just say you can expect some spirited discussions (I know from firsthand experience!). At the very least we'll all learn something new from different POVs.

Location:
Adobe Systems (directions & parking)
321 Park Avenue
San Jose, CA

Agenda:
6:00 - 7:00 p.m
Registration and Networking
7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Program / Q & A

Cost:
$10 for SDForum Members
$25 for Non-Members
$0 for Platinum Pass

Hashtag: #SDFTW

Twitter: SDFTechWomen

Facebook group: SDFTechWomen

YouTube: SDFTechWomen

Killing Innovation: How Passive-Aggressive Organizations Get It Wrong

The odds are pretty good that you'll work in a passive-aggressive culture at some point in your career. In 2004 the landmark study (PDF) conducted by Booz & Co. indicated that 30 percent of the managers, employees and executives surveyed believed they worked in unhealthy, passive-aggressive organizations.

Would it surprise anyone if these numbers weren't substantially higher given the Great Recession and workplace dynamics now associated with it?

I've experienced passive-aggressive behavior in corporate settings, but it's an entirely different experience depending on your view of the playing field: employee, supply partner or consultant.

One of my first consulting engagements over a decade ago was leading an "orphaned" team whose leader had bailed four months previously, delaying the launch of their product. 

At first blush, team members looked to be one big, happy family. No one disagreed during meetings and members never directly discussed concerns or asserted their needs. Instead, they would come at you from behind or attack in pairs like nimble Velociraptors. If I asked the right question in just the right way (and the stars were aligned), I would get the needed answer, but never from the person who I had asked the question!

One team member divulged the family secret: members were betting how long I would last (I was the third "turnaround consultant" in less than two months.)

Although we successfully launched the product, I'll always remember what the company was leaving on the table by embedding this passive-aggressive behavior into its culture. It doesn't take a math wizard to see how this experience multiplied hundreds of times could negatively impact the business.   

Got Innovation?

Robert Brands and I were discussing his soon-to-be-released book Robert's Rules of Innovation (Wiley, March 2010) and got to chatting about how exponential growth for companies must come from introducing innovative products and services, not cutting spending to the bone or acquiring start-ups as the sole source of innovation.  

Corporations need their entire workforce to innovate and not only their R&D, New Product Development teams, or special assignment "innovation pods".

The elephant in the room? Innovation and passive-aggressive behavior don't mesh.

Of course, the process for changing a culture begins by knowing where your organization is in its stage of evolution. Booz & Co. offers a simple online DNA Profiler to get you started.

The Musical Chairs Dilemma

Thousands upon thousands of unemployed people in the U.S. alone include those who learned how to survive and thrive in passive-aggressive environments. Government, academia and private industry need to partner in retraining people to innovate in healthy environments, otherwise we're just changing the sheet music and slapping a coat of paint on the chairs.

We need gutsy leaders who "get it" and who know how to build effective partnerships both within their organizations and beyond its walls in order to drive deep cultural shifts. 

[Are you a leader who's raising the bar in changing your organizational culture? Contact me if you're interested in a guest slot for an upcoming radio segment here.]

The ability to innovate is a career differentiator. Professionals have a chance to rebuild and reinvent on a more solid foundation. Step back and assess your own behavior for signs of "PA creep" and take proactive steps to learn new ways of doing business. 

Let's make healthy workplace behavior a required "soft" skill for the new world of work!

Resume or Review - Quantify Your Success Stories

If you read the ChannelInsider's 2010 Employer Outlook: Top 10 trends you discovered what 2,700 HR professionals surveyed by CareerBuilder.com have to say about this year's employment outlook.

For those who regularly read my posts know that I'm not a doom and gloom kind of person, but I am a wake-up-and-smell-the-coffee kind of gal.

If you haven't taken advantage of opportunities to differentiate yourself in the workplace or marketplace by March 2010, you will increasingly find yourself at a disadvantage as the year progresses.

I introduced a similar "wake-up message" in my 2009 webcast Career 2010: Reinventing Yourself for the New World of Work (free, requires login); however, it's worth pointing out these reminders again, whether you're a job seeker, currently employed or a free agent looking for new opportunities.

Regardless of where you see yourself along the value chain continuum you must be able to quantify your business value. If you're interested in learning the "how" of quantifying your contributions and personal risktaking value to the organization, join us for our webinar on Jan 29. Learn and give back at the same time Responsible Risktaking: 7 Ways to Thrive in the New World of Work

Below are six areas from ChannelInsider's employer survey results along with my recommendations on how you can make the most of these opportunities/challenges.

  Employers plan to replace lower performing employers with out-of-work talent.

Looking for a job or freelance opportunity? Thirty-seven percent of surveyed employers say they plan to replace lower performing employees with new talent in 2010. Consulting and other freelance opportunities will likely surface first with 30 percent of these same employers planning to hire contingent workers before committing to full-time hires.

You may feel less giddy if you're uncertain whether your employer considers you an under-performing employee (real or perceived...you're still at risk).

• Know where you stand today and take immediate and aggressive action to quantify your wins in 2009. Ensure that key decision-makers know what you bring to the table.
• Don't allow company politics and other unhealthy workplace dynamics to blindside or distract you. Would you know the cues and clues about whether your department or business unit might be on the chopping block in 2010?
• Don't rest on your organizational "influencing laurels" to differentiate you. Effective influencers create audit trails that directly and indirectly capture their value in measurable terms.

Of course, if you've been waiting for an economic uptick to look for new opportunities, you'll view this data point as a chance to spring into action.

 

  Among companies who experienced layoffs last year, 32 percent plan to rehire with 3 in 10 of these employers already doing so.

Will you be one of the professionals rehired by a former employer of choice? Have you kept in touch with previous employers? Hopefully, you're on good terms with former managers. If not, use this time to reach out and reconnect using any of the social networking sites to locate former managers and colleagues. Absence can make the heart grow fonder and your value more appreciated.

Present yourself in a new light. If you've added new skills to your toolbox and new success stories to share since your previous employment, now is a good time to ensure that an updated resume is on file.

  1 in 5 employers plan to give current employees social media responsibility.

Learn and Give Back - Jan 29 Responsible Risktaking™ Webinar (Early Bird Pricing ends Jan 16)

Some years back I came across a non-profit organization that aligned with my personal and professional values.

I'm thrilled to be leading a special webinar on January 29 Responsible Risktaking™: 7 Ways to Thrive in the New World of Work in support of F.L.Y.'s fundraising drive that ends January 30. 

F.L.Y. (http://www.flyprogram.org/index.html) teaches at-risk teens how to make better decisions and is located in Silicon Valley. One of their programs has a striking 85% success rate! This is all at one-tenth of the cost of taxpayer dollars for incarceration.

Matching Donations

The Sobrato Family Foundation (http://www.sobrato.org) is gnerously matching donations received by the January 30, 2010 deadline (up to $30,000) and will given an additional $30,000 if F.L.Y. is able to meet its annual goal!

About the Webinar

I've pulled out all the stops for this 90-minute webinar on January 29. I've taken the top questions/issues about personal and professional "risktaking" that were asked of me during various speaking engagements and training programs in 2009 and pulled together a meaty presentation and eworkbook for our interactive event. (You'll be able to download the recorded WebEx webinar if you're unable to attend the event live.)

Early bird pricing ends this Saturday at midnight. Learn more and register here.

I look forward to your joining us on January 29!