Keeping A Business Diary or Two, continued
Keeping A Business Diary or Two, continued
As I was typing . . .
So
there are a number of exciting events going on. A few opportunities,
some development ideas, and a project of some note. And, for the first
time in quite a while, I am full of initiative, ideas, creativity,
analysis, forward thinking, all those things that accompany and
surround good projects.
There's also a jaded, even somewhat
cynical side of me, that knows all about high expectation, bumps in the
road, and the failures of many a good idea. This knowledge, though,
serves me well, Keeps an awareness of potential pitfalls, an acute
perception of some roadblocks, obstacles, mistakes and also -very important- primrose or dead-end paths.
I'm keeping a few different notebooks these days, each project with a
complete file system, noebook, place to collect all those thoughts,
ideas, revelations, little side notes to myself, et al...that must not
be forgotten or overlooked.
Interacting with associates has become the major factor of each of
these activities. There are areas where others have greater strengths
and knowledge. Teamwork, trust, allocation of responsibility, and a
common goal (or at least a common direction toward a common goal) are
the main ingredients,
Perhaps this sounds hackneyed. Maybe idealistic. Nah, not idealistic,
can't be. Ethics, trust, team-building and all that are not simply
the basis of platitides, Rather, they are essential to achievement. And
then of course, comes success.
I've owned and operated businesses, been a partner, a key player, and
have also consulted numerous clients large and small. I've been an
employee, and always end up running a depsrtment or a division.
Management is discusssed, written about, studied, theorized and
philosophized. It always seemed sort of obvious to me: treat people
with respect, work with them, and take their needs into account just as
much as one takes one's own or the greater goals of the enterprise.
Management Consulting was always a byproduct of the research, analysis,
product development and other areas of consultation for which we were
hired. And as an employee it was just natural to gravitate toward
wherever or whatever it took to work toward making the endeavor run
more smoothly.
And now there are these projects. In each case it seems my strengths
are in proper focus, and the other people involved are equally capable,
and of the same culture of ethics and overview.
Media, marketing, communication, introduction and implementation of
change, research and analysis are areas of comfort, like an old glove
or a comfortable pair of shoes. As the tech world and the non-tech
world become more one common arena than that of two foreign or alien
cultures, I see more and more opportunity. Also, as the number of
users of technology (of various sorts) increases, technology as a
integral part of an increasing number of aspects of peoples' lives is
becoming a reality. We are on the cusp of this, so the time is right
to jump aboard. The business of change and adaptation is very
enticing, alluring, seductive and abounds with opportunity. Clarity
and focus are essential. Introduction and implementation . . .laying
out guideposts on the path, a roadmap for implementation . . offer a
strong case for action, with great potential. And profit, too. Always
a wonderful thing, profit.
Mistakes will be made, sure. A friend pointed me to a podcast in which
a theoretician and business philosopher (and published author, of
course) posits that budgets should include contingencies for failed
efforts, each of which is a necessary rung in the ladder of
development. And, of course, achieving the climb to certain rungs
(levels, or floors on the elevator of development) (am I metaphor happy
tonight, or what?) would not be possible without these failed
pursuits. A dead-end or unsuccessful detour is part and parcel of
arriving at the desired location (accomplishment, level, rung,
achievement, goal, whatever).
I agree with this. Finding one's way, or one's business path, or the
correct method, often requires trial, error, a change in the mix,
altering ratios of ingredients, order, or steps.
But the good news is that change is being embraced on a more cultural
and social level. No, not as per the social networking and discussions
thereabouts which are quite keen of late. What I refer to is the
blending of change, the introduction of technology, the acceptance and
use of tech in everyday life.
This occurs in all manner of sorts. Communication being the biggest
and most obvious, paradigm shifts in distribution of information and
entertainment are now basic, in many cases standard. Tech shifts
enhance what would have seemed like sci-fi not so long ago.
Rather than succomb to the desire to wax poetically about blogging as a
social force and relevant paradigm shift --as newspapers and other
media come aboard, and advertising, RSS, and reach factors (aka circulation,
ratings, eyeballs, ears, impressions, et al) become a newtech
norm-- let it be accepted as a given . . . granted and stipulated, the
reading/composing/distribution factors of all types and sorts --the common Jane
or Joe Sixpack, Business and Corporate entities of all sorts, and
commercial and other enterprises are either blogging,
web-net-pod-tech-casting, using blog technology or viral/social
networking to get the message out.
And to share and participate in the process.
That's the bell-ringer. Of course it seems incredibly obvious, yet, as
said earlier, this is just the cusp, the changes are coming. A decade
or so ago I had trouble convincing some clients that they needed a web
page. How would they make any money with it, they'd ask; who would
tend to it, how many of their various constituencies would gain from
it, and could they (my clients) make this make sense in a budget?
Now it is not such a hard sell to explain that the time has come to get aboard and join the party.
So, back to the original point. With these exciting opportunities
I
take a personal big-picture view and a professional big-picture
view. In certain ways, some of
this due to age, some to a business and personal worldview honed over
many years and experience out there in the worlds of business, media,
comunications, and interactvity -- plus the real-world commercial
acceptance of slaes and marketing -- and not viewing these as negative
or unworthy. Nope, got past that a long time ago.
I find
the coming events fascinating, and yet am also keeping a third-eye
distance and observing the events (and myself) in the process.
It feels as though I am observing while concurrently participating.
The observation feels external. So what to do? Easy! Keep a business
diary of sorts.
Not for publication in the blog, not for distribution. Just for my own
sanity and amusement. And, as I believe keeping a journal or diary
(no, calm down, this is not, repeat, not journalism!,
nor is it likely to grace the pages of a news distribution service or
company) helps provide perspective, it might just be valuable down the
road. How? Well, to share with my colleagues, and if we meet with the
sort of successes I envision, to use as retrospect and to aid in future endeavors.
Who knows? Maybe there's a book to be
culled from whatever ends up in there. So rather than be the guy in Barnes & Noble who is looking for a good read about business, I might be the writer that some other book-seeker ends up finding.
How's that for a rosy outlook?! And just a day or two after the most
depressing day of the year! I think the difference these days is my big picture overview. I wrote
in this space that 2005 seemed like it would be a year for alliances.
More so than ever that seems to be the case.
More to come, although the blogging's been
sparser as the opportunities and the projects occupy more of my machine
and keyboard time. And I suspect that may continue to be the case for the coming months.
But still, stay tuned. Subscribe to the RSS feed. More to come, and, hopefully, worth the read as events unfold.
