Paul McKey - Synergistic Design

Redbean - It has been interesting listening to people discussing the iPad in the past week or so with the conversation revolving around “would you buy one?”. One group mockingly think of it as a large phone and mime putting this large device up to their ear which always gets a good laugh. The other group tries to extrapolate down from what they do on their laptop today and wonder what it will be like to use a screen keyboard and where will I save my documents? etc.

Both are genuine concerns of course but both have missed the point of the iPad. I first spoke in public of this device when working with Apple in 1992 and have been anticipating its release ever since. And amazingly the form factor and functionality is not far from what we imagined in those early days at Apple. Yet the technology and market was way behind the concept.

One of the only ways we can understand new technology or a new paradigm is to extrapolate from our existing knowledge and behaviour. We change in step fashion. People need examples to build upon. That’s why truly revolutionary products fail. People just can’t get it.

Now both of the examples above come from the same paradigm which is the production paradigm. Or what we have mostly been doing with computers to date. One uses a laptop to produce (music, movies, stories) and even an iPhone has a particular purpose - to produce communications.

The iPad comes from a new and growing paradigm which is to consume. It won’t compete with previous devices because it is for a whole new growth market - low cost subscription consumption of digital media. This is an enter/info/edutainment device beyond compare. Rich interactive media connected to the ether to browse, find and consume content like never before possible in one device.

Most current web content is texty, 2D, and non-interactive and this will shift to rich graphical, 3D and highly interactive, but also highly connected, content. The days of pulling out of an application to go to Google to search for a related piece of information will largely disappear as these connections are made seamlessly behind the scenes. The concept of Find will replace Search.

So who is going to buy this thing? Mainly people you haven’t met yet. That is a whole new audience. The people that iPhone and laptop users don’t mix with. ie the other 80% of the population.

Apple is on a winner here but this time they will be sharing the spoils with Nokia, Sony and Panasonic and the like since now they are firmly in the mobile consumer market. And a very competitive market it is.

Redbean - My work is about helping organisations change - for the better. And when we embark on any change program, personal or organisational, one of the first issues we have to come to grips with is the possibility of failure. Failure in the sense that you didn’t meet expectations, or you couldn’t sustain the change, or you implemented poorly or you just made some errors of judgement. That is failure is relative. You might have got close. You could be way off.

Rarely do we meet or exceed all our expectations so failure is always present in some form. What I have found from recent research is that how we prepare for and deal with failure is a critical element of any change program’s success. And how we do that is primarily a cultural response to the word itself, how openly we can discuss the concept and what normally happens when failure occurs.

Some cultures and many people avoid using the word failure altogether, as if it has some power over them. Words don’t have power, only their meaning.

The literal meaning of failure is that one has not achieved a standard or goal, set by either themselves or others, for whatever reason. So the literal meaning of failure is fairly rational but the personal meaning is probably always disputable (as is success) and depends on who is setting the benchmark.

So word or the act of failure is an emotional trigger and those emotions are tied to the consequences any perceived failure might incur - including the denial of the benefits that would probably come with success. Humans love to strive and we don’t like to lose. That makes sense. But to change we must accept risk.

Yet it is those consequences of failure that will probably define your success. Entrepreneurs have a mantra to “fail early and fail often”. That’s how we learn and as long as we do learn this philosophy works. Ask any toddler.

How hard we strive then is defined by the risk where the excitement of the reward competes against the fear of the consequences of failure. So what if we started to remove the fear of the word, meaning and consequences of failure from our lives, organisations and culture?

A recent phenomena, at least in the western world, is the official apology. I am always impressed when a CEO, politician or public servant can stand up in public and say “I/we stuffed up”. This new trend is improving the world and our organisations. Yet many still see it as a sign of weakness.

All cultures differ in their response to failure yet generalising is dangerous.

Unfortunately the alternative to open acceptance of failure in our work and organisations is still too prevalent - arse-covering occurs all the time and is relative, from white lies to outright cover ups.

Transparency and open discussion is the first step towards successful change. My first hint that I am in an arse-covering culture is when people are reluctant to do that. Ongoing dialogue around targets and understanding how we can learn and improve when we reach/miss them is the oil that lubricates the process of healthy change.

So I apologise for the cheap psychology lesson but I know I am going to spend a lot more time discussing the meaning, measures and consequences of success and failure before I start new projects in the future. A lot of organisational change fails and I am trying to understand why. But I think most of it is in our heads…

If this article has failed to meet your expectations… well, it wasn’t my fault!

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Redbean - Hello. Heads are funny things. This post is coming to yours from deep inside my head. One of the most unmapped territories on earth!

I am in here rustling about in the archives as I do my PhD literature review. A sadistic process of elation, frustration and long lonely hours that for some reason becomes mildly addictive. And then you write blogs to break out…

I was sent this link from the shiny new blog of Christine Geith who is an advocate of open learning amongst other things.

Chris put me on to this blog by Umair Haque that rails against the dragging of 20th century business models into the 21st century. Music to my ears.

The example Haque is citing is one he has pursued before yet now seems to have come true. The article FaceBook Turns Evil shows how a seemingly 21C company is applying 20C tactics and thinking to monopolise a market while ignoring many of the very 21C privacy concerns of its users. Intriguing stuff.

So I am going back to the relative safety of my head but when I find out why organisations desire to be evil I will let you know. After careful elimination of many possible reasons including “doing good is boring” and “evil just looks fantastic in the mission statement” I think I might be on to a strong lead. Money, power and access to Tiger Woods’ address book! Can’t confirm that yet but I’ll let you know what my research shows up…

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Redbean - Another of the social entrepreneurs at the Social Enterprise World Forum in Melbourne recently.

Bronwyn has plenty of energy to put into the dual problems of poverty and environmental degradation.

When was the last time you saw someone getting this passionate about the steel industry?

RiseUp Productions

SEWF09

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Redbean - Tamra Ryan, CEO, of the Women’s Bean Project, in Denver Colorado explains the beginnings of this unique social enterprise.
Women’s Bean Project

From the Social Enterprise World Forum 09

Redbean - here is another instalment in my series of fabulous and interesting people I met at Social Enterprise World Forum in Melbourne recently.

Social Enterprises are one of the fastest growing business sectors on the planet. A passion for the people of world and our environment combined with savvy business plans is making this sector the place to be.

Here is Cathy Burke CEO of the Hunger project in Australia. The Hunger Project

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Redbean - It’s not often I comment politically but I am interested in the phenomena of media - should they charge for ‘quality’ journalism?.

I picked up a copy of the Australian newspaper at the weekend (owned by NewsCorp and Rupert Murdoch) that changed my opinion. What a right wing rag it has become.

It had two targets in its sights. Climate change and Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister of Australia. I believe this reflects its bias in the USA against climate change and President Barack Obama.

With the demise of newspapers well documented you would think they would aim for quality and objectivity instead of beating up people and ideas they don’t like. Politicians I can understand but what is the vested interest in so much climate change denial and hatred of anyone who accepts the planet is in dire straits?

So while I am always prepared to pay for ‘quality’ journalism this level of tripe from a leading national paper just reinforces why people are flocking to alternative news and opinion sources.

I think Rupert has dug his own grave and is now just trying reverse the inevitable. For newspapers its either get real and objective or it’s bye-bye I ‘m afraid.

Redbean - I recently attended SEWF09 (http://www.sewf09.com/)a heady two days of passionate entrepreneurs and social enterprises spruiking their stuff and collaborating under the banner of changing the world for the better. A lot of very ‘Smart’ businesses and people. Exciting and stimulating to say the least!

Far better than the average “let’s make wealthy white folks happier” conferences I usually attend. Although I must admit the back slapping and fawning admiration did start to wear after a couple of days. Too much goodwill at one sitting can be hard to digest.

But the debate was lively and not all one sided. The world has many real issues to deal with and when do-gooding and passion team up with the reality and hard-headedness of sustainable business I get the feeling that this ol’ world might just be saveable.

Here is the first of a number of social enterprises and entrepreneurs I interviewed at the conference. This novel approach to lighting solves a real dilemma for developing countries - the prohibitive price of energy.

http://www.barefootpower.com

Redbean - Larry Johnson, CEO of the New Media Consortium talks about the release of the 2009 ANZ Horizon report.

Download the report here:

http://www.nmc.org/news/nmc/7292

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Melbourne - Last week I met with Professor Hugh Taylor and members of the National Indigenous Eye Health Survey Team.

They are considering using digital information systems to get their health and well-being messages out to a geographically remote and resource restricted audience. A difficult prospect for sure yet tending to be far more effective than the old glossy brochure alone!

Professor Taylor is quoted as saying “Indigenous children are born with better eyesight than their non-Indigenous peers. However, by the time they reach adulthood they are six times more likely to be blind and three times more likely to have low vision.”

The key findings of the landmark survey are available here.

http://www.cera.org.au/news/Key%20Findings%20-%20NIEHS.pdf

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