Some CEO's Just Don't Get It!!!

Yesterday, Tom Peters had an outstanding post on his blog about Patrick Cescau, CEO of Unilever and his glowing comments about the "diversity" of his team. In A Clear and Present Danger to Society Tom points out the cluelessness of one of the most successful companies that sells almost exclusively to women. Read it and weep.

Great job Tom!!!

Innovation is Easy

It's making it a part of your overall business strategy that's tough. I have been reading a lot lately about innovation and the companies that excel at it and several things keep coming up over and over again. Recently, I decided to do a little mind mapping and see if I could diagram all of the components that make innovation happen (when I get it a little cleaner I'll share it with everyone). In doing this exercise, and combining it with my ongoing research, I came up with a few constants that innovative organizations have in place in order to make it part of their overall strategy. In no particular order they are:

Leadership - This is a huge issue with me these days. I find that the companies that have strong, confident and open-minded leaders are some of the most innovative. Great leaders set direction, champion the best ideas, motivate their people and understand that businesses are dynamic almost living organisms that must be nurtured, tended and cared for in order to grow.

Trust - Successful innovators are constantly taking risks, not because they are reckless, but because they trust their people to develop innovative ideas that benefit their business. Key to trust is that the leaders trust the people in their organizations and allow them to be creative. That kind of trust can easily pervade an organization. The opposite is also true, if leadership doesn't trust their people, or people don't trust their leaders the organization runs the significant risk of stagnating.

An Inspired Innovation Leader - This is the person who has the latitude to explore and discover, the ability to create virtual teams and the understanding to know what is a truly innovative idea and what is not. The best of these people tend to be great organizational politicians, in order to get an innovation through their organization, but a very unbiased critic when it comes to identifying the best ideas.

I know there are a myriad of other qualities that make innovative organizations and most are unique to a particular company or culture, but these three seem to come up over and over again. Make no mistake, there are numerous routes to incorporating innovation as part of an overall business strategy and, as I mentioned earlier, when I get my mind map cleaned up I'll share it, but if you're looking to improve the innovation quotient in your organization, these three areas are probably good places to start.

Client Web Site Showcase: Don Sigl Photography

ECS|DC just completed the Web site for talented photographer: Don Sigl. This fine art photo gallery was designed with the art collector in mind. The simplicity of this virtual presence hints of a traditional brick-and-mortar art gallery with the ease of previewing Don's collection.

Services Rendered
Web interface design
Strategic planning
Concept development
Information architecture
Style guide development

Site: drs-fineartphoto.com

Pet Credit

Having difficulty marketing to the boomers and geezers? How about the DINKs? Try going through their pets!

Bank of America has done just that by allowing customers to post their personal pet photo on their personal Visa credit card. We don't have to tell you that this creates that allusive 'bond' between human and pet and money and then back to human again. Someone has to pay the bills, right? Moreover, the points earned can be redeemed for Hill's Science Diet or Prescription Diet, as well as rebates on veterinary expenses, or a donation to an animal shelter.

Insurance for Small Biz

I've had several small business owners tell me that they can't afford a CPA to do their taxes.

My response: You can't afford NOT to.

Ever since I had begun to freelance my design services, I had hired a CPA to do whatever it is CPAs do for me at tax time, sign their name, tell me where to sign and send my paperwork. Frankly, if the IRS calls me in for an audit, you can be assured that my CPA is going to get hauled in, too.

Here's another tip: We all know that the IRS loves to hassle business owners, especially if they're small. Once you've consulted w/a CPA to get your taxes done, chances are pretty good the IRS is going to leave you alone since you've got someone certified on your side.

I think of CPAs as insurance for the small biz so I can sleep at night.

Churchill

Churchill said that when you're at the top, all you have to think about are policies.

When you're second in line, you have to think about what your boss is thinking, and about what your opposite number is thinking, before you you begin to think about policies.

Start your own company, then you can have control of your own destiny. It makes you number one from the start.

Have you started your company yet?