Authenticity

Kathy Sierra over at "Creating Passionate Users" put up a post the other day called "Dignity is deadly." – Paul Graham. The discussion that followed in the comments focused mostly on the relationship between of innovation and professionalism. The question being debated is whether as companies grow, and typically become more "professional", do they lose [...]

The Power of Shared Vision

I just went back and read through the posts from my old blog and was somewhat suprised to see a common thread emerge, Shared Vision. More and more I am coming to the realization that the main job of organziational leaders is to create a shared vision within an organization. If everyone is marching to [...]

Old Posts

About a year ago I started a blog, but is was sporatic and not linked to anything else. I had just "discovered" blogs but had not yet "gotten the joke". I have spent much of the last year, mostly in the last few months, reading blogs extensively. I am starting to get the feel. This [...]

Why do big Organizations go “bad”?

I am adding Kathy Sierra to my list of people I would like to meet. I just read her post: Subvert from Within: a user-focused employee guide. Its funny how many times you come across a great piece that happens to be relevant to what is in your head at the moment.
Yesterday I was [...]

CEO Compensation

I too think it is ludicrous that the typical CEO is compensated at a level so out of proportion with all other workers. If you happen to know anyone that works in compensation, they will tell you that these salaries are absolutely necessary, or else you would not be able to hire the best candidates. [...]

Blogs, Passion & Organizations

As I was reading Global PR Blog Week 2.0 it occured to me that the existance of blogs is another compelling reason for the senior management of any organization to treat all employees with respect. Now any employee can express their view, and the whole world can see inside the organization. The walls have become [...]

Teaching: the new Marketing

Kathy Sierra posted a great essay on a better way to market: TEACH. If you teach your customers as opposed to forcing information down their throats, they are more likely to become advocates for you and your product.
You know what, this is a great management principle also. Teach everyone in the organization about the [...]

Human Performance Technology

I found this post describing something called "Human Performance Technology", and while I find it intellectually compelling, there is something in my gut that senses a conundrum. On the one hand there is a clear disposition toward whole systems thinking, linking multiple organizational infrastructure disciplines (HR, Communications, Training, Org Design). On the other hand it [...]

Inside Business Ethics

David Batstone with Worthwhile Magazine posted this essay on the evolution of business ethics. His closing paragraph says:
Compliance, transparency, sustainability, and customer engagement. It is clear to see that business ethics is no longer a trivial matter that senior managers can philosophize over at the odd moment of retreat. Business ethics is a strategic concern [...]

Infrastructure & Intent

For a while now I have been thinking about what a friend of mine calls the "the unified field theory of organizations". A couple of years ago I felt like I had taken another step toward gaining a better personal understanding of how organizations operate when it finally clicked that networks were a key ingredient. [...]