Swarm Speed

http://falkvinge.net/2011/08/01/swarmwise-what-is-a-swarm/

Insightful article on the learning that we can get from the speed, accuracy and inter-dependency of swarms and shoals that have the capability of moving large objects (made up of small autonomous parts) very quickly.

NESTA Creative Councils

Day One of the NESTA's Creative Councils Camp at Fazeley Studios in Birmingham. Phil Colligan and Geoff Mulgan kicked off the day with 17 councils shortlisted from an intial group of 137, all here with radical ideas to share. Between now and March 2012, each authority will work up their ideas; five or so will get £500k of support from NESTA to make their ideas happen. 

Charlie Leadbeater talked on "What kind of innovator do you want to be". He referred to collaborative consumption being the shift that will define the future of the car industry - the age of young people passing their driving test in the US is rising, and young people see cars more as a technology that helps them meet friends. 

What does innovation mean in terms of the range of people from Devout Followers to Rebels and Innovators who come up with ideas who can be pushed into the Rebel camp and excluded rather than being allowed back into the main camp. Passion important in terms of people caring about outcomes rather than the service, and because people need to overcome the scepticism about believing in investing time and money in something that does not yet exist. Innovation is about change happening, execution and more, not just ideas.

Working for a better world

Nike recently adverstised a new post for a 'Code for a Better World Fellow'.

I'm enjoying watching the shift in job titles and funcations as leading organisations start to recruit the people that they know will be able to help them make a significant, sustainable shift. Here's part of the Nike spec:

"help Nike determine the steps needed to open our sustainability data to communities of data-obsessed programmers, visual designers and researchers"

"work with Nike's data managers to landscape current data and craft a desired future state; manage the formatting and release of data to the open data community; curate use of the data within the community; bring knowledge from the open data community back to Nike as actionable steps; attend conferences related to open data to grow Nike's network and profile in this space; and ultimately create/steward the creation of prototypes that demonstrate how opening Nike's sustainability data can be a force to drive change.

The Code for a Better World Fellow will work in Nike's Sustainable Business and Innovation team. As a part of this approximately 130-person-strong global team, the fellow will be working to help pave a sustainable future for the company. A future where creation of products isn't tied to scarce natural resources like water and oil; where manufacturing is lean, green, equitable and empowered; and where everyone, everywhere has access to sport"

Just go do it.

Leaving the labels?

Across the Atlantic from where I'm sitting in St Davids, designer and catalyst Bruce Mau is asking the question "how do we put university quality education into the hands of the 99% of 18 year olds who don't get to go, but need the insight it can deliver?"

Seth Godin also asks "What would happen if people spent it building up a work history instead [of focusing on a getting a over-hyped university degree]? On becoming smarter, more flexible, more self-sufficient and yes, able to take more risk because they owe less money...

There's no doubt that we need smarter and more motivated people in our organizations. I'm not sure we need them to be better labeled or more accredited.

In the UK, the Seven Fools are asking employers for their wish list of the characteristics that they'd want new employees to have if their businesses were serious about innovation and sustainability. So far, no-one has said "they need more knowledge". Capability, results, evidence and portfolios are what's needed, so let's focus on creating an education system that can deliver both.

The long way down

There's a great story here from Forbes about what happens when big, bold company such as Dell follows the rules of the game, all of the way to the end. When reading it, I was wondering how many businesses were going the same way, unaware that the rules were taking them in the wrong direction.

“Cash cows” succumbed to strategic anorexia

In this confusing world, milking the cash cow with a “more of the same” strategy often seemed the safest course of action and is still celebrated in management journals.

But even here strategic dangers lay in wait. Take the story of Dell Computer and its Taiwanese electronics manufacturer. The story is told in the brilliant book by Clayton Christensen, Jerome Grossman and Jason Hwang, The Innovator’s Prescription:

“ASUSTeK started out making the simple circuit boards within a Dell computer. Then ASUSTeK came to Dell with an interesting value proposition: ‘We’ve been doing a good job making these little boards. Why don’t you let us make the motherboard for you? Circuit manufacturing isn’t your core competence anyway and we could do it for 20% less.’”

Dell accepted the proposal because from a perspective of making money, it made sense: Dell’s revenues were unaffected and its profits improved significantly. On successive occasions, ASUSTeK came back and took over the motherboard, the assembly of the computer, the management of the supply chain and the design of the computer. In each case Dell accepted the proposal because from a perspective of making money, it made sense: Dell’s revenues were unaffected and its profits improved significantly. However the next time, ASUSTeK came back, it wasn’t to talk to Dell. It was to talk to Best Buy and other retailers to tell them that they could offer them their own brand or any brand PC for 20% lower cost. As The Innovator’s Prescription concludes:

“Bingo. One company gone, another has taken its place. There’s no stupidity in the story. The managers in both companies did exactly what business school professors and the best management consultants would tell them to do—improve profitability by focuson on those activities that are profitable and by getting out of activities that are less profitable.”[i]