Wish Us Luck

I'm not sure whether this is a holiday gift or nightmare, but it certainly is interesting. As I may have mentioned to some of you at the Summit, one of my wife's businesses is the marketing and sales of her illustration work (www.calligraphypets.com). It has been growing steadily for the past several years, but is still a relativley small "cottage" industry for our family. Well, things appear to have taken a significant turn yesterday evening. For several months now shen has been courting select mail-order and online distributors to carry all or part of her line and one finally bit. Signals, a catalog house that specializes in artistic gifts, prints and such sent us a preliminary contract/product information sheet for inclusion in their spring 2005 catalog...only there is a catch, they need it filled out and returned within 48 hours. Suddenly we're having to go from a home based "cottage" business to a fairly substantial company in two days. We spent the morning lining up our suppliers and fulfillment services, are working on our pricing and identifying the best financing and financial services model for the business. The best part of it all is that we have the confidence to outsource almost all of it, in large part thanks to the vision that Tom talked about at the Summit. The two person, billion dollar a year corporation (ok, we're not that big, but you have to start somewhere) that uses technology and the Internet to manage their business. It's scary and exciting all at the same time.

And if the Signals opportunity doesn't come to fruition, for whatever reason, we still have everything lined up for our anticipated 2005 expansion. Woo Hoo!

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and I'll keep you posted on progress.

So, How Was the Tom Peters Summit?

Not unlike many of the participants at the recent Tom Peters' Re-Imagine Summit 2005, I have been asked by several inquisitive, caring friends, clients, family members and colleagues to describe the experience. Whoa ... tough one.

So how does one describe such a great and unique experience? It is, indeed, hard to articulate. It's difficult because of the trickiness in describing the mood, energy and feelings of an event--any event. But it's also difficult in the sense that I know that I have been changed. My view of the world has been changed. My brain is buzzing. I'm pumped full of optimism and confidence. Plus, because it's so recent, the tangible results of the experience are yet to unfold. (Fellow West Virginian and Summit participant Rob Godbey likened the feeling to being the main actor in one of those goofy Viagra TV commercials--and he's not too far off, actually.)

Last Friday, upon receiving the aforementioned question, I responded: "It was quite honestly one of the greatest experiences of my life."

Previously, in e-mail correspondence (where I'm usually far more articulate), I answered the question in part as follows:

How was the Tom Peters Summit? ...................... Oh WOW!

It's been extremely hard to articulate the experience of the Re-Imagine Summit in Manchester, Vermont. Here's my best attempt: a group of 35 with no cynicism, total openness and complete mutual respect. These folks were tops in their fields - authors, professors, technologists, consultants, military leaders, etc.

Tom Peters was so awesome. He was totally engaged, interested, open and approachable. Complete lack of ego. He and his wife had us all to their wonderfully cozy and charming farmhouse for dinner on Saturday night. The party was magical. If any aircraft had flown overhead they would undoubtedly have seen this tremendous tower of bright sparks emanating from the house--all the positive energy and respect.

In fact, with this whole crowd, there was not a trace of ego or conceit. Amazing!

Back to Tom, I had a chance to talk one-to-one with him about his style and manner as a speaker. He stressed that it's all about the customer (the audience). He talked about how important it is to be completely self-effacing. And he certainly back his belief up with his actions in the way he led the process. The agenda was very, very open. It was almost as if the topics didn't matter. He would entertain any question and permit any discussion at any time. It was about whatever we wanted to talk about. (Yet still relevant & extremely compelling.) How cool, huh?!!!!!

In closing for now, I extend a heartfelt thanks to all of the Summit participants. May your holidays be wondrous ... and your 2005 wondrous, too!
~Skip

Great Talk - What you gonna do?

OK, now I and everyone agrees that the REISummit was great! Cool People! Great Ideas! Uplifting! Yada Yada Yada! So, What are you gonna do?

I went out on a limb Friday. Told my whole IS staff (35 white collar proffesionals) that I was removing the entire heirarchial structure. That's right. Director is now Office of Project Management. Everyone is now a PSF (Professional/Personal Service Firm). They are now free to step to the place and hit homeruns!

Of course, 7 people think it's great. 9 people think I'm crazy (well, I am). And the rest wonder what I was talking about. I'm still working out a lot of details, but it doesn't start till 1/1/2005 so I've got a couple of weeks. I'll keep you posted.

So, what are you going to do?

Change in Perspective

Some of us dissed United for our treatment on the way to the Summit; I want to report how much better it was on the way back.

First, when I checked in at the counter in Albany instead of a surly “your flight’s been canceled, maybe we can get you on another airline, maybe we can’t, abandon all hope …
The guy in Albany was pleasant, hopeful and helpful. He put me on the earlier flight out that was still at the gate and due to pull-out soon.

I rush to the gate, hand another United guy my ticket and he says, “you have at least 15 minutes before we leave the gate and then you will probably sit on the runway for a while, because the weather in Chicago was things backed up. There’s no food on the plane, so if you want something you have time to go grab it.” One of the most thoughtful gatekeepers I’ve run across in a while.

We were on the ground for a while (same flight as Marti & Jordon) and this weather problem was no more the pilot’s fault than the fog on the way up. However, this pilot apologized for the delay at least twice and when we took off he opened the bar as a way of saying sorry again. It made me feel like he cared. What a difference.

As a footnote, the regional jet from Chicago to West Virginia (run by Sky West for United) had an all woman flight crew. Although this is not the only time a plane I was on was flown by a woman, it has not been many times and this plane had a woman pilot, co-pilot and attendant. So Marti and Tom are right, women have all the money and jobs now.

Just as I was wondering what all that multi-tasking in the cockpit might look like, we were all asked to get up and move behind row 8 to help with weight distribution or something. So we were all working together with the captain to get the plane off the ground and forming a nice team bond. I won’t even tell you how different the magazine ads read to me after Marti and David’s presentations.

Goofy Grin

I wrote this on Monday after my return from Vermont ...

OK, I made it back to West (by God, just ask Eric) Virginia around 1 AM via Chicago (hello Marti & Jordan). I had to get up early, skip the workout that usually wakes me up and rush to the office to meet a client. The client does not make it (good excuse of course) and I am still grinning, thinking now I have time to figure out how to put things on the blog.

I feel like I am in one of those Viagra commercials where everyone I pass today returns the smile and says things like: lose some weight Rob? – get a haircut? – buy some new clothes? So far, I just continue the goofy grin and just say no that’s not it.

I am not sure (yet) how to explain that what returned the smile to my face was spending most of a Friday being mishandled by the travel industry, being locked in a room with a bunch of brilliantly “bew-T-full” people for a couple of days, and being thoroughly beaten with the Re-imagine stick! (I’m not quite sure where to put that exclamation point)

Thank you all for putting the smile back on my face and a special thank you to Tom for providing the STICK.

Best wishes to you and yours as you leap.

Connections

todd sattersten of 800 CEO Read has blogged the summit. check out his notes from the weekend. scroll down to his posts from "Week of December 13."

Reality Check

So, I get back to the office and find this:

Meeting Notice Subject Line:
“Two-day Workshop: Synergizing roles/responsibilities/deliverables across Product Marketing and Message Awareness”

OUCH!

Time to start forming a parallel universe. Thanks again to everyone for the inspiration.

Apparently water wasn't their only problem

Yep, the "quantifying water" comment was mine and if anyone wants to use it feel free. BTW - If you have a chance to pick up the new BusinessWeek and read the cover story, you'll see that apparently "water" wasn't their only problem.

Regarding the Summit - WOW! what a great event. It was wonderful meeting everyone, hearing their POV, listening to Tom and coming away with so many new ways of looking at things that my brain feels like it's fizzing. Thanks everyone for the inspiration.

As I was going back through my notes from Saturday morning one really random thought hit me regarding Tom's point about China opening a new factory every 26 minutes. If workers are gaining technical knowledge by working in a western owned factory for four or five years and then taking it to a domestic one (instead of good old fashioned technology theft), are we really just engaged in a huge national economic apprenticeship program? Am I the only one thinking this way?

Once again thanks and I look forward to keeping up with everyone.

Quantifying Water

just wanted to be sure we didn't lose track of the "quantifying water" phrase. i believe that was andrew hayden who shared that with us. thank you. if i'm wrong, correct me, please.

random thought: the book title, "Built to Last," when anagram-ized, becomes
"Bullit Toast."

great seeing old friends this weekend and meeting new ones. thank you all.