I once had a progress report sent to me with the following filename: saga_of_exhilerating_progress.doc

Not so bad, except for the fact that the choice of words misrepresented the contents. Except, perhaps, the word "of." This is how you know you have a process-hostile environment.

comment []3:55:40 PM  trackback []   

The famous "Are Ideas Important" question, for those of you wondering.

Yes, ideas are important: This is your edge above the competition. This is the thing that you uniquely have to offer the world. If you ignore your ideas, you become replaceable. An idea is the exact thing that's missing in many many consumer scenarios to fix a previously unfixable problem. Ideas have a spiritual quality. Ideas are self.

No, they're not: The best ideas are those that increase the team's ability to execute and meet business targets. Often these don't take the shape of ideas but are rather an attention to detail in the existing world. Ideas just tease us by indicating that entire businesses and business models could be new or different, when in fact that's the easy part. The hard part is making it happen, and ultimately more useful. No one gained respect or success due to an idea: it is always execution and discipline.

comment []7:34:06 AM  trackback []   

Yes, FC has started a book club. Nice format, including letting you vote for the next book. Voting is fun. Opinions are fun. And why Oprah doesn't do it is probably too depressing of an answer. To vote, go to this link. http://www.fastcompany.com/bookclub/

Here's my take on the books: 1) Gray Matters, the workplace survival guide by Rosner / Halcrow / Lavin. I dismissed this because its scope was too ordinary. 2) The Map of Innovation by O'Connor / Brown. I'm pretty sure Kevin O'Connor was the guy profiled as a Wired Icon (who also supported charter schools) but I have to check. [Nevermind, that's Reed Hastings] Either way, Kevin's book shines due to its straddling of the famous "Are Ideas Important" question. 3) Take Back Your Time .... by John de Graaf. The inventor of the term Affluenza puts another notch in his belt, but is it a grassroots movement? Introverts, run away. 4) There must be a pony (didn't look at the description, time warner AOL stuff), 5) Why Not? ... by Nalebuff, Ayres. No straddling here, these folks are squareley in the camp of "Ideas ARE Important." This is a toxic attitude for big-picture folks like myself.

And my vote goes to: The Map of Innovation by O'Connor / Brown. 

If I thought this month's book was interesting, I'd join.

On the Books. Fast Company recently launched the FC Book Club, a monthly book discussion group featuring the best and brightest business books selected by our readers -- and our host Charles Decker. October's selection is Authentic Leadership by former Medtronic Inc. CEO... [Fast Company Now]

comment []7:27:42 AM  trackback []