Well we are almost through the 2010 ‘Lecture’ series with only one more to go in late November “You can’t hide transparency.” With that in mind and conscious that 2011 is rolling towards us at a frightening pace, we’ve launched the next set of ‘Lectures’ for next year. For further details and to book click on the link below:

http://www.eventbrite.com/event/953543073

We believe we are offering great value at £320 plus vat for six, leading edge, radically thinking events that will really challenge the way you do business and how you work.

Guns don’t kill people, people do. Computers don’t throw out crap, people do. Spreadsheets don’t truly measure success, people do. Bill posters don’t grab peoples attention, people do. Marketing doesn’t sell more, people do. Products don’t sell themselves, people do. Systems don’t get more out of people, people do. Connections don’t happen on their own, people initiate and develop them. Relationships don’t happen all by their self, people make them happen!

People make bad decisions, they make great decisions. People miff and they motivate. It’s all about people, its all about being social, its all about respect, its all about true connections. Always has been, always will be. Blaming the system is a naive, unintelligent way to go. The way we do things now in business and the communities we live in was created by people, is endorsed through behaviour by people and continues because of people.

We know the system is broken, we know it needs replacing, we know it needs to change but we just can’t bring ourselves to do it, not the masses anyway. We are so conditioned and scared. Well the more scared you are of something, the more you should embrace it. Otherwise, you are perhaps just leading an existence!

A level playing field| People rather than products| Gifts| Air of excitement| Nervous trepidation| Unorthodox thinking| Too much coffee| Not enough change| Screen time| Insomnia stimulating inspiration| Inert organisations| Flair| Straight jacket actions| Google| Creative remixing| Bags of ideas| Little impact| Trouble at the mill| Going slow fast| The miracles of innovation| The stupidity of arrogance| Making noise quietly| Fields of turnips| The lack of grace| Twitter| Inconvenient trouble| Broken promises| Plaster solutions| Launch and learn| Perfection is subjective| Ecosystems| Absurdity of naivety| The shape of business| Exploitation| The futility of resistance| Connection not networking| The significance of difference| Facebook| False profits| Fragile trust| Community not brand| A mass of individuals| So its all about intent| Linkedin| The same thing on repeat| Profit rather than being human| Initiating history| Art| The abundance of the phony| Vulnerability| Foursquare| Deep down feeling it more| Ironic expression of indviduality| Frozen relationships| Nudge advocacy| Non financial influence| The future of conversation|

But can you bring yourself to do it? Pushing the boundaries is something some of us are good at. However, never before have we been asked to push them even further. As well as learning something everyday, we are having to unlearn stuff too.

There seems to be a lot of hype around how things are changing say some. Its not hype, its reality. If you’re feeling it then its real. And, if you’re not feeling it right now you will be soon.

1. A database does not create a community around your business that faithfully loves what you do.
2. Relationships are the strength that drives a business forward both with customers and employees.
3. Its no good being recognised (profile) if you’re reputation (integrity) doesn’t back it up.
4. Move from us believing we want to control to the participation of sharing.
5. Removing aspects that are exhausting and revitalise/introduce those elements that focus on passion and purpose.

The emphasis has changed. Old models are dying and new ones emerging. Decision making, innovation, customer and performance processes are being overturned in order to cope with a new paradigm.

Its fascinating to watch, but I guess that’s my job. However, its hurting people, its hurting businesses that are not responding. Too many people following, too many businesses ignoring. If there is one last thing you do this week, seek out someone who can help you see your way through these shifts.

Tom Peters, is a bit of a hero of mine. I’ve read his stuff ever since an ex boss got me a copy of “In Search of Excellence” for my 21st birthday….boy was that a long time ago!!

Tom’s still got it! Read his blog here www.tompeters.com Recently, for old times sake, I read a couple of his old books. In reality, it was to go over old ground to see how much we had listened and possibly progressed. My word was he making sense. Stuff we still haven’t got our heads around but, maybe now, with the advent of social media, we can see the first rays of light. Some of Tom’s nuggets:

- “Humanise the relationship with our customers.”
- “People can smell emotional commitment from a mile away.”
- “Competitive businesses must lead their customers.”
- “Hire curious people – the gumption to do something exciting, something extraordinary, something that breaks the mould.”
- “Bringing clients into the process early makes them co-conspiritors in the creation adventure, which often edges them towards embracing exciting (and risky) ventures that promise a wow-scale payoff.”

If you are reading some leading edge books and are starting to play with social media, these phrases will sound all too familiar. Times are changing and for good. Whole sweeps of business models are broken. Lots of what we learnt at college, university or, that course we went on last week are outdated and outmoded.

The walls are breaking down; in many cases the opposite of what we have been taught is now the way of doing business. Shifting sands yes, troubled times yes, exciting times yes and, opportunist times, you bet!

Our businesses are run by people (often accountants) who have a huge problem with the future. Number counters make businesses data driven. They base the future of the small business on the past, on things that have already happened. Often people who can’t focus on the future struggle because they don’t like things they can’t ‘hang their hat on.’ This limits thinking, stifles growth and stunts creativity.

In fact, many people manage out the unexpected, new ideas and innovate change with deliberate and clinical effect. But it’s often more about what you can’t see thats important rather than what you can. We’ve known for years small businesses fail to grow because they focus too much on the now rather than on those things on the horizon. Anyway, the point is someone should be looking!

It’s fundamental we think about the future and it’s implications rather than not at all!