IT architecture of the future.

IT Architecture is grasping to keep up.

Today, most major enterprises struggle with on of the following IT architectures:

A custom developped core system in a program language no developper below the age of 50 speaks, with a mish-mash of different applications build on that core (from access db scripts written by somebody 10 years ago to interfaces to create interactive websites by an ad agency).
An industry standard ERP system (think SAP) build for massive transactions 10 years ago and tweaked by countless waves of consultants and internal IT gurus based on continuously changing demands from the business.

This leads to a situation where IT gets frustrated by a chaotic and hard to maintain architecture and ’the business’ does not understand why IT never seems to be able to deliver something without taking 2 years. Add the rise of social media and the need for people to collaborate more in their day to day job, pushing business people towards SaaS solution not supported by IT and it is not hard to see that things can get quite heated. IT departments fight with security guidelines to prevent employees to use social collaboration tools. How hard it may be for some, I am convinced we are (sorry for that: we have) evolved to a situation where the user is more in control (CMS allow non-IT profiles already for years to tweak ’technical’ things). Not to mention the overall ‘IT knowledge’ of younger people.

My conviction is that IT architects should refocus on the core of the organisation: The processes that are stable for years, require a great deal of protection and consists of data that can deliver value to all business units (and external stakeholders like customers). Make this data completely error proof and uptodate should be their main concern. The next step would be to create an open layer (this means not without security!) where the business can attach other solutions to. Being in the world we are at, having stable requirements for business applications is impossible, so IT should not ask the business for it.

This open but stable core functionality gives companies the possibilities to quickly deploy SaaS solutions for a need that is imminent now (without having huge setup costs) without compromising the need for core data stability.

Ps: The link with marketeers is obvious: They also find out the hard way that their customers cannot be managed anymore on a coporate transactional way. This realisation only makes it more synical for IT departments who had been warned: Times they are a changing indeed!

Private social networks.

In Belgium, the penetration rate of Twitter is very low compared to Facebook (eg. http://www.socialbakers.com/facebook-statistics/belgium). There can be many explanations as the why to, but I argue here that we Belgians are as a group rather introvert (or at least: less extravert than for example the Dutch), which makes that we are social, but more in our circle. Of course, with social networks, this circle can be relatively big, but the idea stays the same.

The question is, how do you get a grip on your customers when they use social media more every day, but in a private circle? Simple: you don’t. The only option is in bringing them the added value, the experiences, the authenticity, the values and the fun they also expect from their real live friends.

Happy ‘nice to meet you’!

Doing the right thing

… is a matter of timing.

If you are talking about innovation, the right time is before anyone else does it (be it in your peer group, your industry, your group of friends, …).

If you are talking about creativity, the right time is just when people are ready for it, but did not yet dare to ask for it.

If it is about your career, it is about when you think you are ready for it.

If it is about giving praise, it is around the time when people need it to got the extra mile (or to get back on track).

If it is about letting go, it is before you spend to much money, let other people decide on it or somebody gets hurt.

But in all these cases, whenever you are in doubt, it is about… now!

Social Media: Start sharing intern first

There is a lot to say about Social Media in Marketing meetings, among CMO’s and even in the boardroom. But if everybody seems to be willing to ‘share’ with their customers, why is it so hard then to start sharing within your organization? It is amazing how little people do know about what their colleagues are doing. Maybe it is an obsession on everybody’s own scope and the recognition that comes with a internal network that took 15 years to build? The opportunities that are wasted because every person, team, business unit,… is only sharing information on successes (so when the work is done) are enormous.

Just imagine what could happen when today you see that the guy from finance you never met is working on a solvency analysis of a newcomer in the market whilst you are working on a commercial competitive analysis for your sales manager? Or to see that the guy from R&D picked up an idea you had 6 months ago and have developed already a little bit further in your spare time? Or you inspire a co-worker with the market research you did?

An internal social network is technically no work at all. Start doing it.

(Yes, we can help you ;-)).

In-house Ombudsman

Large organization all have the same issue: sooner or later, they begin to build silo’s. Marketing vs. Sales, Sales vs. R&D, R&D vs. IT,… The problem is that when business units are created, they naturally evolve to… well… a separate unit with their own P&L, strategy, focus, internal politics and so on. This can costs a lot to the company: BU’s battle for their own strategy: A quick time to market for a new service rarely is in line with current IT strategy on development strategy.

In theory, there is always a person above these silo’s (be it the CEO, COO,…) that can mitigate between all these parties. However, it is clear that a CEO, who has more urgent or strategic stuff to take care of, mostly becomes the bottle neck of his own organization if he needs to intervene in every development, idea generation, issue…

So just an idea: why not put one guy/girl on the payroll, that reports directly to the CEO with only one task: be the Ombudsman of the company. She should perfectly know the company strategy and the view of the CEO on the focus of the next year and thus can bring all the business units more aligned without wasting time on formal escalation procedures.

Planning for the future

Planning is important. Some companies however take this to the max and suffer of analysis paralysis.

No argument on the importance of planning when it is about thinking about how things can change in the future. If you fail to do this, you will always be a follower and sooner or later, a vivid and flexible new player will create a product/market combination that appeals more to your market than yours does (or can provide your product more cheap/quick/…).

However, preparing for the future by investing today may be a waste of time.

Just think about a non-business example:

How much mp3 cd-rom’s or with bad movie rips did you collect 10 years ago? Just to be prepared for the moment you want to listen to that one awesome song or have another look at that great movie. And now, 10 years later, you remember that one song, just to realize it will take you 3 hours to find your old cd-rom collection, 3 days to insert all those cd’s in your computer to find that specific song only to realize cd’s are not that time-proof as they promised…

It had took you 3 seconds to find that song on Youtube.

You may be able to predict your needs in the future, but with technology, people, industries,… evolving so fast, by the time you have to meet that specific need, there might be hundred new ways of answering your need.

Just to get your mind rolling…

The paradox of a normal distribution.

Just some food for thought: If your company’s HR department implies a strict ‘normal distribution’ for appraisals (you know, where the most of the people perform ‘on par’, some above and below par and only some extremely good or bad), how are you as a manager supposed to invest in your team?

Even if this theory is correct on a macro level, on a real life micro level, it causes some problems:

a manager that works hard to create a top team is forced to give a mediocre or even bad score to some team members in order to fit the ‘normal distribution’.
HR people themselves are apparently doing a bad job at matching people to the specific job and the company requirements for people.
It demotes people.

In my opinion, a normal distribution is just plain old school for scoring people (although I can see it work for giving bonuses).

How do you motivate people?

Happy appraisals!

Information sharing is becoming a default setting.

Sharing information, from your personal status (J-Lo is Single) to your work-status (P-Diddy is working on a segment strategy for oversea business) is becoming a natural way for Generation Y and below.
I received a new-years wish from LinkedIn telling me which of my connections changed jobs. Change is not only way of doing business, it is only communicated openly.

As it is important for youngsters to learn how to deal with the negative side-effects of this evolution, it is important for companies and teams to learn and even leverage this new behavior.

Companies were restricting for years: restricting access to certain documents, restricting access to buildings, restricting access to people. Not only is this behavior making employees feel like infants, it is also very short-sighted. It is not only in the service industry that knowledge = power. Your company’s major asset are not your employees, but the knowledge and interactions they share with the rest of your organization.

Share your wealth internally, it will bring all your employees to a higher level… of both happiness and productivity.

Whatever we are used to.

Freedom of choice is overrated. I experienced myself today when taking a cooking pot…

Since my girlfriend and I moved in together, we have a lot of stuff more than double, including al kitchen and cooking stuff. Even with all ‘her’ pots right on top, I just took ‘mine’ that was as big and as good (and even less shiny) as ‘hers’. Without thinking about it. Without judging.

So, what did we learn?

Marketeers should not overrate the cognitive process in a low-involvement market. People just buy something and make up a reason after because they are socially obliged to do so.
Change is not easy. Do not only work on the obvious ‘objections’, but also have a look at the spontaneous ‘old’ behavior that the people do without thing about it as rebellious…

Have a challenging 2011!

Get your self some cloud motivation for 2011!

A new year ahead. The first Christmas shopping ideas come bouncing along, the good intentions start taking form.
But what if you do not have any good intentions?

What get’s you motivated? What idea makes you want to get up early, to bring out the best in that brainstorm, to ship this new product?

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a box full of creative starters, just like the box of chocolates?

The idea is to create a box of 100 MOO Cards with 100 different creative boosting motivational cards.

They can be quotes, ideas, brainstorm starters, just some crazy thing to do the day you pick up the card.

Here is the deal:

You choose one or both of the following:

You create a design that can easily be printed on MOO cards (details: see below) and mail the result to motivationalwave@joined.be. Anything goes, just keep it clean and simple.
You spread the word to friends, colleagues, exes,… that might be interested in designing one.

If we get to 100 cards, we do a collective wave and I put everything available in one .zip file so anyone can use MOO or any other service to print the cards.

We all enjoy living in a more creative 2011!

The rules:

Full bleed size (recommended for creating finished artwork)
874 x 378 pixels (300dpi)
74mm x 32mm (300dpi)
2.9″ x 1.26″ (300dpi)

You agree to keep your design open for everyone to print. Off course, you get full credit for your work.

Let’s keep it available to anyone: No extreme stuff.

We close when we are at 100 or at 20/12/2010, so spread the word!

Wrap up:

Get creative!
Send to motivationalwave@joined.be