Ever see Pursuit of Happyness, the movie starring Will Smith? The movie was based on the life of Chris Gardner, who took an unpaid internship and homeless, he and his two year old son slept in a BART restroom for the duration of the internship. Whenever I think of this story, I think that this man must have been made of something superhuman. "Could I have survived like this?"
Did you know that no matter who you are, whether an individual or a company, you have a compelling story to tell? Last Saturday, I attended my graduate school's yearly networking event, the Fisher Fiesta. Prior to the usual dinner, Carmine Gallo spoke to us about his latest book, Fire Them Up!
Leaders who inspire, he said, don't do it through numbers and technical facts. They paint a picture of their vision for the future. And, Gallo said, leaders like Steve Jobs, Suze Orman, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Chris Gardner are not the only ones who can motivate and inspire. Everyone has a story to tell.
There was another message that Gallo did not illustrate outright but it became very clear to me during his talk. People have a really strong ability to influence each other. Our words and actions have impact on others and that is a power that we can learn to wield through practice and dedication. Each individual has the unique ability to inspire others and make a difference in the world.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Your Story Matters
Monday, February 18, 2008
Microsoft loses sight of company goals
I read Dean Takahashi's column today about how Apple has been very successful at innovating their products recently and taken away some of Microsoft's market share.
Recently I wrote about Microsoft's offer to purchase Yahoo and I think Takahashi is right. Microsoft has to solidify their core business before they tackle the internet space. Yahoo as well seems to be losing sight of their core business by engaging in the Microsoft deal although more recent news suggests that stockholders are holding Yahoo back from making any deals, not to mention that such a merger would be challenging with two very different cultures.
Microsoft may have been largely successful due to the large market share in PC products versus Apple in early years, but if the price point is right, consumers may just switch to Apple, and especially since it seems to have more intuitive and better software than Microsoft's products.
*Updated: Photo to represent not the iPhone but the core business of computers, laptops and OS software. Courtesy of 65 Bit Computers.com
Monday, February 19, 2007
Creativity & Innovation
Recently, I took a workshop called "Creativity & Innovation."
Companies tend to choose people who are similar to them and who think like them. We largely dislike conflict and challenge and think that it is unproductive and slows down the business process.
In groups where we've challenged and argued with each other, while simultaneously respecting each other's opinions, I gained new colleagues that I could respect and value. And whom respect and value me.
Creativity is the child's mind, or in Buddha's terms, the "monkey mind." This is the mind that thinks without censorship. Innovation is creativity translated into action.
I found that this can be a very powerful tool when people are able to combine the "whole company brain." Apple, Inc. is a famous example of this. If Apple hadn't gone beyond computers and hadn't created the iPod today, Apple wouldn't be the status symbol that it is today.
Google is another example. It revolutionized search. It gave us word document sharing, satellite-style mapping and the ability to apply Google search on our own websites.
Now, this is the product of putting many "monkey minds" to work.
Friday, February 2, 2007
Politicking
The world of business is not without politics.
As a young and amateur businessperson, the subject of communicating, politicking and ethics hasn't become intuitive yet. When I say that it hasn't become intuitive, I mean that it is still easy to see the world through rose-colored glasses.
My definition of "politicking" is this: when people start to do things that others are not aware about and make decisions for their own benefit. So basically, there isn't honesty and there isn't accountability for one's actions.
In Devil Wears Prada, Meryl Streep points out to her assistant that she had to step on some people to get to where she was. Is this really the truth about business? Economically, we talk a lot about how we do things to ensure that everyone receives value in what they invest in. Ideally, business should be about fair exchange.
I do believe that it is possible to do business honestly. The question is when do you know where the line is between honest and dishonest "business-doing"?
There have been several situations involving Enron, Apple, and other companies where issues that initially seem very small become huge issues of miscommunication, mismanagement or what have you.
One of the books that I read on communications emphasized that all members of an organization maintain open and honest communication with each other. In one situation, two partners in a business had such bad relations with each other that it was ruining the company. The consultant comes in and improves their business relationship and the company is saved.
Sounds ideal, right? The truth is that it is not so easy to do, it takes time, and the truth is that miscommunications happen very easily even with all good intentions involved.
These are just some initial thoughts and my hope is they will become more well-informed thoughts as I start to pay more attention to these sorts of issues.
