Today, we took the learning from the past few days and put theory into action and developed our company’s vision & values (20 year) and mission & strategies (5 year) to get there. Our company would differentiate itself by having the most compelling, simple, personalized user interface. Our best marketing would be done “word of mouth” by our customers. We would partner with network infrastructure providers, access providers, and the top content providers to build our vision. We would have a company where customers and partners are our investors.
Our Vision: “delivering the most compelling online user experience, the way that you want it”. Our Values: “ROCS” = Responsible, Open, Customer-led, Simple. Our Mission: develop the world’s most compelling user interface by 2012.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Millenials in the workplace
As leaders, you need to tell Millenials how their work fits into the future scheme of the company. Training Millenials with their multi-tasking skills and tech savvy will push training to new levels of technology. Millenials will respond well to experiential learning where they are allowed to come up with their own solutions.
Millenials want to learn: with technology, with each other, online, in their time, in their place, doing things that matter. Learning more closely resembles Nintendo, a trial and error approach to solving problems. Doing is more important than knowing. Communication, suggestions, feedback – positive and negative – need to travel in both directions.
Challenges Millenials will face include: lack of work ethic, patience with the time it takes to get things done. Understanding their relative unimportance to the “big picture” of a business. Developing true skills when changing jobs often.
Work atmosphere: Millenials expect to work and have fun at the same time… they expect work to be fun. Employers need to instill a sense of ufn in the atmosphere and create community. It helps morale and helps employees get to know each other better. Millenials will create a new culture of work, characterized by more independence in the workforce. Many of them will become entrepreneurs.
Motivating Millenials
They expect and need praise. They will mistake silence for disapproval. Expect feedback. Want lots of freedom on how, when, and where to do their jobs. Want to learn continuously. Changing jobs should be part of their daily routine.
Millenials want to learn: with technology, with each other, online, in their time, in their place, doing things that matter. Learning more closely resembles Nintendo, a trial and error approach to solving problems. Doing is more important than knowing. Communication, suggestions, feedback – positive and negative – need to travel in both directions.
Challenges Millenials will face include: lack of work ethic, patience with the time it takes to get things done. Understanding their relative unimportance to the “big picture” of a business. Developing true skills when changing jobs often.
Work atmosphere: Millenials expect to work and have fun at the same time… they expect work to be fun. Employers need to instill a sense of ufn in the atmosphere and create community. It helps morale and helps employees get to know each other better. Millenials will create a new culture of work, characterized by more independence in the workforce. Many of them will become entrepreneurs.
Motivating Millenials
They expect and need praise. They will mistake silence for disapproval. Expect feedback. Want lots of freedom on how, when, and where to do their jobs. Want to learn continuously. Changing jobs should be part of their daily routine.
Generations and the Media: The rising power of the Millenials
Had a very thought provoking conversation today regarding generations and their influence on business. We discussed the Millenials (ages 5-24) and their attitudes.
Web = OXYGEN
Community = Virtual
Perspective = Global
Career = Multiple Reinventions
Loyalty = Group
Authority = Respectful of Parents
To Millenials, everyone has a say, word of mouth marketing rules, leaders manage agreement rather than dictate. Interesting that nearly half say they are making friends all the time, one if 5 have friends they’ve never met in person, one in 3 say the internet is a great way to meet people.
The mobile phone is the center of the universe for the Millenials. They are the lifelines for Millenials. 85% of Millenials use mobile phones, 81% “can’t live without it”. 32% text message “a lot”, 18% take photos “a lot”- these are the killer apps for Millenials. They need to share and do so in real time. Millenials want to be relevant to their community, they want to express themselves. They view themselves as mini-celebrities. They aren’t influenced by big brands and real celebrities. They value authenticity and “keep it real”. Entertainment is constant communication and sharing personal content. Being connected is extremely important. Sharing is the Millenial way. Product Development question: What is the next “sharable” content? How can you get in the value chain of communication?
Millenials in the workplace
As leaders, you need to tell Millenials how their work fits into the future scheme of the company. Training Millenials with their multi-tasking skills and tech savvy will push training to new levels of technology. Millenials will respond well to experiential learning where they are allowed to come up with their own solutions.
Millenials want to learn: with technology, with each other, online, in their time, in their place, doing things that matter. Learning more closely resembles Nintendo, a trial and error approach to solving problems. Doing is more important than knowing. Communication, suggestions, feedback – positive and negative – need to travel in both directions.
Challenges Millenials will face include: lack of work ethic, patience with the time it takes to get things done. Understanding their relative unimportance to the “big picture” of a business. Developing true skills when changing jobs often.
Work atmosphere: Millenials expect to work and have fun at the same time… they expect work to be fun. Employers need to instill a sense of ufn in the atmosphere and create community. It helps morale and helps employees get to know each other better. Millenials will create a new culture of work, characterized by more independence in the workforce. Many of them will become entrepreneurs.
Motivating Millenials
They expect and need praise. They will mistake silence for disapproval. Expect feedback. Want lots of freedom on how, when, and where to do their jobs. Want to learn continuously. Changing jobs should be part of their daily routine.
Web = OXYGEN
Community = Virtual
Perspective = Global
Career = Multiple Reinventions
Loyalty = Group
Authority = Respectful of Parents
To Millenials, everyone has a say, word of mouth marketing rules, leaders manage agreement rather than dictate. Interesting that nearly half say they are making friends all the time, one if 5 have friends they’ve never met in person, one in 3 say the internet is a great way to meet people.
The mobile phone is the center of the universe for the Millenials. They are the lifelines for Millenials. 85% of Millenials use mobile phones, 81% “can’t live without it”. 32% text message “a lot”, 18% take photos “a lot”- these are the killer apps for Millenials. They need to share and do so in real time. Millenials want to be relevant to their community, they want to express themselves. They view themselves as mini-celebrities. They aren’t influenced by big brands and real celebrities. They value authenticity and “keep it real”. Entertainment is constant communication and sharing personal content. Being connected is extremely important. Sharing is the Millenial way. Product Development question: What is the next “sharable” content? How can you get in the value chain of communication?
Millenials in the workplace
As leaders, you need to tell Millenials how their work fits into the future scheme of the company. Training Millenials with their multi-tasking skills and tech savvy will push training to new levels of technology. Millenials will respond well to experiential learning where they are allowed to come up with their own solutions.
Millenials want to learn: with technology, with each other, online, in their time, in their place, doing things that matter. Learning more closely resembles Nintendo, a trial and error approach to solving problems. Doing is more important than knowing. Communication, suggestions, feedback – positive and negative – need to travel in both directions.
Challenges Millenials will face include: lack of work ethic, patience with the time it takes to get things done. Understanding their relative unimportance to the “big picture” of a business. Developing true skills when changing jobs often.
Work atmosphere: Millenials expect to work and have fun at the same time… they expect work to be fun. Employers need to instill a sense of ufn in the atmosphere and create community. It helps morale and helps employees get to know each other better. Millenials will create a new culture of work, characterized by more independence in the workforce. Many of them will become entrepreneurs.
Motivating Millenials
They expect and need praise. They will mistake silence for disapproval. Expect feedback. Want lots of freedom on how, when, and where to do their jobs. Want to learn continuously. Changing jobs should be part of their daily routine.
Following the Money: using the market to forecast the future
Equipment, long distance, and carrier companies are not being valued in the market. The market sees value in user generated content and community development.
The market value chain can be seen as constructed of: 1)Authors (NBC, Music Artists), 2)Marketing (YouTube, Facebook), 3)Distribution (Comcast, Verizon).
Authors: glut, near free
Marketing: self-service, find what you want, widgets to help you, click-competitive, advertising driven. This is where the money is!
Distributors: riddled with natural monopoly issues, huge infrastructure investments, trouble monetizing services in face of P2P Marketers…
Some thoughts on where things are going…
•One global network: the internet, minimal govt regulation (except nation-state censorship)
•Devices: many and diverse, consumer owned, interchangeable
•Internet access services: intermodal competitive (cable, fiber, wireless, WiMAX), minimal regulation, financially challenged
•Internet content hubs: search engines, social networks, megablogs
•Everything goes onto the internet backbone: voice, TV, Movies, conferencing
The need for different business models: discussed a business model framework called VISOR (Value Proposition, Interface experience, Service Platform, Organizing model, and Revenue model). Provides common language and structure to discuss alternative business models.
The market value chain can be seen as constructed of: 1)Authors (NBC, Music Artists), 2)Marketing (YouTube, Facebook), 3)Distribution (Comcast, Verizon).
Authors: glut, near free
Marketing: self-service, find what you want, widgets to help you, click-competitive, advertising driven. This is where the money is!
Distributors: riddled with natural monopoly issues, huge infrastructure investments, trouble monetizing services in face of P2P Marketers…
Some thoughts on where things are going…
•One global network: the internet, minimal govt regulation (except nation-state censorship)
•Devices: many and diverse, consumer owned, interchangeable
•Internet access services: intermodal competitive (cable, fiber, wireless, WiMAX), minimal regulation, financially challenged
•Internet content hubs: search engines, social networks, megablogs
•Everything goes onto the internet backbone: voice, TV, Movies, conferencing
The need for different business models: discussed a business model framework called VISOR (Value Proposition, Interface experience, Service Platform, Organizing model, and Revenue model). Provides common language and structure to discuss alternative business models.
Major Industry Players: What are they up to?
Google – what are they doing? They have search, googletalk, picasa, hello, google earth, gmail, blogsearch, currentTV. Possible ebay relationship? Possible Amazon.com merger?
Google acquires Postini (allows apps to be used while offline, uploads when reconnected). Works with Google apps – email, calendar, voip, word processing, spreadsheets, presenter, offers security, message archiving, encryption. San Francisco wireless umbrella, bid $4.6B for wireless spectrum, have bought tons of fiber. Very secretive. But wait, there’s more! Google entering UK wireless market in early 2008, creating Gphone and GPay, will launch multi-terabit transpacific unity cable in 2009 (low cost for Google, access to asian ISPs behind international gateways, ISP peering already begun).
They are poised to become THE Global IP Communications Company with the most compelling user interface. What does this mean for our service provider customers?
Microsoft – Yahoo Interoperability. Live Services Strategy (Mail, Search, Messenger, Voice, Video, Click to Call). SOA. Adds IPTV to Xbox 360, buys Tellme networks (voice activated response).
Cisco – buys KISS, LinkSys, SA, Vantive (mobile conferencing), Arroyo, Orative (mobile presence), Tribe.com, Five Across (social networking). Offers telepresence system.
All positioning to own the personalized customer experience for communications, entertainment, information, community.
Google acquires Postini (allows apps to be used while offline, uploads when reconnected). Works with Google apps – email, calendar, voip, word processing, spreadsheets, presenter, offers security, message archiving, encryption. San Francisco wireless umbrella, bid $4.6B for wireless spectrum, have bought tons of fiber. Very secretive. But wait, there’s more! Google entering UK wireless market in early 2008, creating Gphone and GPay, will launch multi-terabit transpacific unity cable in 2009 (low cost for Google, access to asian ISPs behind international gateways, ISP peering already begun).
They are poised to become THE Global IP Communications Company with the most compelling user interface. What does this mean for our service provider customers?
Microsoft – Yahoo Interoperability. Live Services Strategy (Mail, Search, Messenger, Voice, Video, Click to Call). SOA. Adds IPTV to Xbox 360, buys Tellme networks (voice activated response).
Cisco – buys KISS, LinkSys, SA, Vantive (mobile conferencing), Arroyo, Orative (mobile presence), Tribe.com, Five Across (social networking). Offers telepresence system.
All positioning to own the personalized customer experience for communications, entertainment, information, community.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Understanding the evolving Network Digital Industry
Stephen Shepherd led us through an interesting discussion regarding the evolution of our industry. The growth of broadband and the internet has put the customer in control (network inversion from telco controlled to customer controlled experience).
IP and Peer to Peer file sharing have caused headaches for traditional telcos as its hard to monetize the value customers are obtaining from network services (billing nightmare). New business models are necessary for the different members in the value chain to survive (Peer to Peer is viewed as evil by the entertainment industry as it enables theft of digital assets – music has been hit hard but videos should be better. BitTorrent has signed a deal to legally distribute movies).
New business models (Telco 2.0) are being debated. All focus on how to make money in an all “IP World”. Focus on alternative business models. Assume that the user is in control of the experience.
As the user is in control of the experience, the battle is on for delivering the most compelling, simple, best organized, personalized user experience. The personalized experience will be delivered as close to the customer as possible. Google is ahead with serious momentum. Social Networking companies are vying to be the one-stop user experience. Competitors are seeking to control the device in the home to deliver this personalized user experience (Apple, Microsoft, Cisco all pursuing). The battle is on for delivering the most complete, simple, personalized experience to communities and content.
Social Networking: Huge Trend shaping the industry
We discussed SecondLife and it’s relevance. SecondLife tells you who people WANT to be, NOT who they are. The companies that can successfully market to people’s aspirations, will win big. In the business world, SecondLife is being used for internal training (IBM new hire training conducted in SecondLife) as well as business meetings. People’s willingness to pay for virtual real estate is an indicator of willingness to pay for virtual assets going forward.
Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, and the like are enabling people’s desire for self-expression and sharing. People are willing to share a wealth of personal information in order to obtain a more personal online experience. Sharing builds community, makes you smarter and more tuned in.
IP and Peer to Peer file sharing have caused headaches for traditional telcos as its hard to monetize the value customers are obtaining from network services (billing nightmare). New business models are necessary for the different members in the value chain to survive (Peer to Peer is viewed as evil by the entertainment industry as it enables theft of digital assets – music has been hit hard but videos should be better. BitTorrent has signed a deal to legally distribute movies).
New business models (Telco 2.0) are being debated. All focus on how to make money in an all “IP World”. Focus on alternative business models. Assume that the user is in control of the experience.
As the user is in control of the experience, the battle is on for delivering the most compelling, simple, best organized, personalized user experience. The personalized experience will be delivered as close to the customer as possible. Google is ahead with serious momentum. Social Networking companies are vying to be the one-stop user experience. Competitors are seeking to control the device in the home to deliver this personalized user experience (Apple, Microsoft, Cisco all pursuing). The battle is on for delivering the most complete, simple, personalized experience to communities and content.
Social Networking: Huge Trend shaping the industry
We discussed SecondLife and it’s relevance. SecondLife tells you who people WANT to be, NOT who they are. The companies that can successfully market to people’s aspirations, will win big. In the business world, SecondLife is being used for internal training (IBM new hire training conducted in SecondLife) as well as business meetings. People’s willingness to pay for virtual real estate is an indicator of willingness to pay for virtual assets going forward.
Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, and the like are enabling people’s desire for self-expression and sharing. People are willing to share a wealth of personal information in order to obtain a more personal online experience. Sharing builds community, makes you smarter and more tuned in.
Value customers will pay for: Entertainment, Community, and Information
Society is going through amazing change that is fueled by the internet. The younger generation, the "Millenials" (age 12-25), value Entertainment, Community, and Information that is user generated and served to them in a very personal way.
User generated content is king. Personalized presentment/delivery/structure. Millenials want to consume entertainment on their schedule on their chosen device.
Millenials seek to create community by creating online friends, get to know one another by understanding each others interests, likes & dislikes. They depend on references from their friends to select new music, entertainment, applications, information sources.
Companies can make money by catering to the needs of the Millenials, providing personalized services, providing entertainment on demand, supporting community and collaboration, providing ability to publish & share information.
User generated content is king. Personalized presentment/delivery/structure. Millenials want to consume entertainment on their schedule on their chosen device.
Millenials seek to create community by creating online friends, get to know one another by understanding each others interests, likes & dislikes. They depend on references from their friends to select new music, entertainment, applications, information sources.
Companies can make money by catering to the needs of the Millenials, providing personalized services, providing entertainment on demand, supporting community and collaboration, providing ability to publish & share information.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Shift Happens - my hopes, dreams and fears for the future
I was really moved by Shift Happens "Did you Know 2.0". I knew there was a great deal of change happening in the world but hadn't seen it presented in this way.
My hopes for the networking industry is the world continues to rely more heavily on social networking, collaboration, and virtual presence. I hope that Cisco can continue to stay at the forefront of the industry. I hope that service providers become innovation engines that allow them to profitably serve the market.
I hope that I can continue to innovate and develop my skills and capabilities to stay competitive in this market. My fears include being displaced by younger workers with stronger skills in newer technologies. I also fear that America will lose many service jobs to India as it has lost its manufacturing base to China.
My hopes, dreams, and fears for society, my family and me include:
Hopes
* Education for all
* Higher standard of living
* Greater respect for human rights and the environment
* My children will make the right choices in a world of open information and choice
Dreams
* Harness technology and intellectual capital to cure cancer
* Build bridges between cultures
* Eliminate war through economic interdepence & appreciation of different cultures
Fears
* Will my children have the skills to compete in new world?
* Will they have the same or better quality of life?
* Will they be safe in a world with all information available on the net?
My hopes for the networking industry is the world continues to rely more heavily on social networking, collaboration, and virtual presence. I hope that Cisco can continue to stay at the forefront of the industry. I hope that service providers become innovation engines that allow them to profitably serve the market.
I hope that I can continue to innovate and develop my skills and capabilities to stay competitive in this market. My fears include being displaced by younger workers with stronger skills in newer technologies. I also fear that America will lose many service jobs to India as it has lost its manufacturing base to China.
My hopes, dreams, and fears for society, my family and me include:
Hopes
* Education for all
* Higher standard of living
* Greater respect for human rights and the environment
* My children will make the right choices in a world of open information and choice
Dreams
* Harness technology and intellectual capital to cure cancer
* Build bridges between cultures
* Eliminate war through economic interdepence & appreciation of different cultures
Fears
* Will my children have the skills to compete in new world?
* Will they have the same or better quality of life?
* Will they be safe in a world with all information available on the net?
Leading in turbulent times
We just discussed leadership and how best to lead your teams through turbulent times. How to lead your teams into a new world when the old models of leadership are inadequate. Organizational environments range from Stability-Complexity-Chaos. Everyone was in concensus that their organizations were operating on the line between complexity and chaos.
The key to successfully leading here is to have a strong vision of the future (think 20 years out – use your imagination!) and strong values that guide your behavior in how you get there (e.g. innovation, teamwork, customer-led, openness). Leadership by “Vision & Values” is the only way to lead in this environment – empower your teams with a charter and let them figure out how to achieve it. “Command and Control” only works in a stable environment or in case of emergencies. Employing this type of leadership in a rapidly changing environment leads to disaster. It’s not a game of pursuing the known, with a formula driven method. Its all about vision, risk, responsibility, and learning.
“leadership is the art of creating a future that would not otherwise happen and then enrolling people in the effort to make that vision come true”
To develop todays action plans that will take you toward your vision, you need to “Walk the Cat Backwards”. This process starts with vision (20 years out) and values. Leads to a mission (5 years out-must be achieved), strategy (differentiated approach to achieve mission), and goals and ends with objectives and action plans. “What/How” pairs: Vision (20 years out)+Values, Mission (5 years out)+Strategies, Objectives (this year)+Action Plans.
The key to successfully leading here is to have a strong vision of the future (think 20 years out – use your imagination!) and strong values that guide your behavior in how you get there (e.g. innovation, teamwork, customer-led, openness). Leadership by “Vision & Values” is the only way to lead in this environment – empower your teams with a charter and let them figure out how to achieve it. “Command and Control” only works in a stable environment or in case of emergencies. Employing this type of leadership in a rapidly changing environment leads to disaster. It’s not a game of pursuing the known, with a formula driven method. Its all about vision, risk, responsibility, and learning.
“leadership is the art of creating a future that would not otherwise happen and then enrolling people in the effort to make that vision come true”
To develop todays action plans that will take you toward your vision, you need to “Walk the Cat Backwards”. This process starts with vision (20 years out) and values. Leads to a mission (5 years out-must be achieved), strategy (differentiated approach to achieve mission), and goals and ends with objectives and action plans. “What/How” pairs: Vision (20 years out)+Values, Mission (5 years out)+Strategies, Objectives (this year)+Action Plans.
From ELPT Program in Long Beach, CA...
I’m sitting in the Hilton Hotel in Long Beach attending a training class, Executive Leadership Program in Telecom Management (ELPT) conducted by USC’s Marshall school of business. The class is surprisingly small with only 12 students – designed that way to encourage vigorous discussion and close relationships within the group. Should be a great few days!
We just had a presentation by Marissa Gluck about Facebook, a social networking site that allows people to connect with their friends to share their interests, likes & dislikes, to send messages to them, to write on their “wall”, to “poke” them, to share photos and music.
The relevance of Facebook and other social networking sites such as MySpace, Friendster, Webkinz, is that the young generation, the “Millenials” (ages 3-24) are embracing it in record numbers. Facebook has over 30 million users while MySpace has over 100 million users.
Understanding the Millenial generation, how they use services such as Facebook to Live, Learn, Play, and Work is critical to serving them as consumers and employees.
We also learned about blogging, who is doing it and its role in sharing ideas with your colleagues and friends. We will be using blogging as a way to share our perspectives on a variety of topics as we progress through the class.
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