"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing."
I've sat in on, and been a speaker at, hundreds of educational business conferences during the past few years. And I've listened to, and had conversations with, some of the world's greatest business minds. And you know what I've recently discovered? The gurus are stumped. The complexity and pace of today's chaotic business world has finally confused them as much as it has you. They've run out of "answers."
It appears that businesses have finally grown up. They've asked their teachers how to improve quality, and have learned to excel at it. They've also learned the power of information technology and the economics of outsourcing. The mysteries of flexible manufacturing, reengineering, and currency hedging have been solved as well. So what's left?
We are in the midst of corporate mid-life crisis. It is now time for us to discover ourselves. To understand what we fundamentally stand for. We've made it through the awkward, pimple-faced years of adolescence. It's now time to redirect our attention from the self - systems, procedures, structures, and acne - to taking care of others - customers, suppliers, employees, and our community. It's a new age now. Only the wise will survive.
Outside insights. Are there any left? What are your thoughts?
Posted March 14, 2005
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Tom is timely, thought provoking and all about the new brand vision packaged as a Seinfeld stand up. I went to school on his ideas.
Jeff Taylor, Founder, Monster.com and CEO, Eons.
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As the cicle of Knowledge increases, so does the edge of outer edge of ignorance. Thus, the more one learns, the more one learns that he knowth not !!
Seek not the begining, becoming ;but by itself (i.e youserlf) !!
"not he is great who can alter matter, but he who can alter my state of mind" -R.W.Emerson.
Posted by: /pd | March 14, 2005 at 08:49 AM
Tom, if you'll permit me to get a little esoteric, I don't think this is strictly a business coming-of-age, so much as it is the inward-outward cycle of the Western world. Sometimes it spans a decade (such as in the self-directed 80's to the egalitarian flux of the 90s), sometimes a generation. As we become more "advanced" in our approach to self and social fulfillment, we flip back and forth in that quest to find middle ground. Great internal conflict fuels external changes, and vice versa.
Posted by: Aleah | March 14, 2005 at 10:06 AM
At 52 years of age the only thing I know FOR CERTAIN is that I don't know enough.
My grandma did in her ninties and she always told me she was still learning.
Trevor
Posted by: Trevor Gay | March 14, 2005 at 11:14 AM
A beautiful reflection Tom. Is it time for a better world?, a more humanized economy? For work as self development? I think it is, most of all because you have more opportunities than ever to be the master of your own life.
Aleah, I like your comment. I call the inner trend "implosion" as complementary of explosive personality development.
Posted by: felix gerena | March 14, 2005 at 03:23 PM
Love the quotes pd! Thanks. And Aleah, I agree with your perception of the swinging pendulum of individual direction, however, I think much more is at work in the world of business. Outer direction and other focus is the last remaining sustainable competitive advantage. There will be no more swinging inward.
And Felix, I wish I were more optimistic and believed that the world of business was voluntarily moving towards a more humanized approach. Instead, it's being forced on them by customers' desires. Unfortunately, it's a very slow process driven by people's self-interests.
For example, if I look around at the blogosphere I find many people preaching a more humanistic approach to business, marketing, selling, etc. But those same people do NOT walk their talk (me included). If we did, we'd seriously consider our brand selections and start switching en masse to brands which contribute to our local communities, support the environment, contribute to our children's moral and intellectual educations, etc. That's why I prefer to say to business leaders and owners - "Do this because it works." - and not - "Do this because it's the right thing to do." Until consumers elect to do the right thing, we can't possibly expect businesses to. Customers lead, businesses follow.
Posted by: Tom Asacker | March 14, 2005 at 04:46 PM
I see. I referred to the possibility for individuals to develop their own careers without being (too) dependant of big organizations or power systems. At least if you have an ideal of personal balance and
work doing something you love you can develop your own personal life project and that´s important.
I also meant something that we are experiencing today and was almost metaphysically impossible. I refer to the growth of economies considered to be from the third world. It seemed that it was impossible for these economies to reach the level of growth and welfare of the first world. We are watching countries like China and India who have been underdeveloped until the end of the xxth century and that they are catching the train of capitalism. It seems like there are no straight steps to development, that you can be competitive even if you have been in the last wagons of economical development.
I know this statement can be critiziced as simplist but these countries can be a model for others in the future.
Posted by: felix gerena | March 14, 2005 at 05:42 PM
Thank you for the thoughtful reply Felix. And I am in total agreement with your observations. In fact, my philosophies are being embraced by these newly empowered nations - especially Indai - far more than in our sleeping states. So here's a question: why does India allow a brand like Coca-Cola to spread throughout their fertile land when they could easily produce and market brown sugar water - or better - to their people and keep the profits at home?
Posted by: Tom Asacker | March 15, 2005 at 10:06 AM
Good Ques Tom: Having been Born in India, let me say that the government at one time Banned Coke from the marktet. In the late 80 and eary 90's they open the doors to foreign investments. Thus sprang the oursourced paradigm from Marthi Susuki Cars, Coke, S/w , MExx Cloths, Levi Jeans and what not !!
Why does India allow a brand like Coca-Cola to spread - simple they have laired the sheep (global economy) into their own caves and now are feasting on the sheep that have dared to enter. The Capitlism of the West - is not necessary the capitlims of the East. They are much much more clanish and cherish values and principles.. there's the big difference. While the West have lost their grass root level synergies (for the want of mere profits)- The east of enabled the grass root level syergies to enforce competetive advantage.. GE cannot be GE without Indian S/W. Mexx/ levi cannot be the brand if there cutters, stichers etc etc are not from Inida/Pakistan/BanglaDesh.
The Global Economy model was cocepted in by Indians, leveraged towards their own socitey and adopted by China and the rest of the 3rd worlds..
After all who invented the zero eh ?? :)-
Posted by: /pd | March 15, 2005 at 10:34 AM