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You Can't
Think With Your Tool Belt OnTM
My feeling is that
it is difficult to think about the big picture when you are caught up in day
to day activities. This newsletter is designed to help you keep perspective.
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Back Issue - June 2004
##########################################
Jun 2004
Publisher: Wayne McKinnon info@WayneMcKinnon.com
http://www.ITcoach.com
(C) Wayne McKinnon 2004
You Can't Think With Your Tool Belt On (tm)
is a semi monthly electronic newsletter
for anyone who is interested in EXCEEDING GOALS
and EXPECTATIONS while being RECOGNIZED for their
efforts and moving to work of higher value without
giving up on the idea that life should be fun.
##########################################
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If you are receiving this newsletter as a forward,
I'll send you your very own copy.
Visit www.WayneMcKinnon.com.
You can leave at any time, and
we never share your address with anyone.
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Web link: http://www.wayneMckinnon.com
------------------------------
What to think about this month
------------------------------
I just read a mildly interesting article in Fortune magazine.
In it was the tale of Michael Moritz, described as 'the wily
investor whose previous grand slams include early stakes in
Yahoo and Paypal' (internet companies for those of you who
missed the internet boom and subsequent bust).
To give you an idea of scale, this year investors offered to
place $3 billion in his hands, but he chose to only accept
$395 million to ensure that he and his fund don't get caught
in another technology bubble blood bath.
Moritz is an unlikely money guy. He does not have a background
in finance, or in technology (the two areas one would expect
of a VC investing in tech start-up companies). Instead he has
a background in history (Oxford University) and in Journalism
(Time Magazine).
What is interesting to me about his story is that he is a VC
(Venture Capitalist) who has brought not just money but vision
to the companies he has invested in. This fits right in with
the theme of this newsletter 'You can't think with your tool
belt on(tm)' since as I maintain, if you are too close to the
situation, you can't see the opportunities. Moritz is not.
About Yahoo (the internet search engine company), when everyone
asked how can you invest in something that's free, he said
'Radio and TV are free. It's no more complicated than that.'
Meanwhile he shared his vision of Yahoo as a media empire with
the company founders, and led them to success.
A few key traits that have served Michael Moritze well:
- As Jonathan Kaplan, CEO of Pure Digital says:
'He's very direct. He does not waste your time or his time'
- He is known as the guy who could cut through business-speak.
- He is an aggressive questioner, and his business is really
all about figuring out what questions are relevant in making
decisions.
Was Michael Moritz's background outside of finance irrelevant
in the financial world of VCs?
How does this information apply to your own situation,
are you missing opportunities?
Who do you rely on that isn't so close to your operation?
I believe too many organizations sufficiently squash their
employees ability to cry foul when they see holes in the
current plan. Should this not be someone who can offer
you advice with a take it or leave it attitude? (More interested
in making a difference than in conforming to your way of thinking).
----------------
MY OWN SITUATION
----------------
I was congratulated last month for what others thought was ingenious
creative out of the box thinking that lead to a fantastic solution
to a problem. (I love that kind of feedback)!
As I thought about why my thinking was so different, it lead me back
to a period some years ago where I had hired my own advisor to move
me forward, and he pulled no punches. Didn't care where I had been,
only where I was going.
People talk about outside the box thinking. I had tried to think
my way out of the box that I was in for years, until along came this
mentor who dumped me out on my head and took my box away.
I haven't been the same since!
---------------------
The Porsche situation
---------------------
German manufacturers, especially Porsche have a proud heritage of
being fine craftsmen lead by technological perfection. As they were
approaching bankruptcy in the 80s, A consultant and former Toyota
guru of manufacturing came along and dumped them out of their box.
The turn around was phenomenal, and lead to them being one of the
most profitable car companies in the world.
But they had a hard time letting go of the past. Craftsmen
(or perhaps craftspeople) define themselves by the work that
they do, and they were being asked to give up that role.
The German craftsmen left their box behind and have assumed a
new role of developing excellence in manufacturing for
themselves and others.
----------------------
How is your situation?
----------------------
Too many organizations look for employees who are
'specialists' and weed out brilliant people who are not so
close to their situation such that they can see what others cannot
and are willing to contribute in ways that others won't.
I realized along time ago that significant improvement is more
about improving the processes, the way you do things, rather than
tinkering with the details. Porsche now recognizes this as well and
craftsmen have given themselves promotions from insignificant but
self important detail people to masters of process and continuous
improvement, while turning out fewer defects than ever before.
(It wasn't so bad before, only 10,000 bad parts per million,
but what was Toyota's? Five parts per million.)
We all come from a background of technical detail in one form or another
but the challenge for all of us is to make the leap beyond our
currently narrow focus and think in grander terms. At any level we need
to focus on what we produce, and not what we consume. Its about the
customer,
client or whomever you serve, not about the effort you put in to producing
those
outputs. We have all had days were busywork has burned up the hours, rather
than producing some tangible benefit. Some organizations spend every day
that way.
- Who is your Michael Moritz?
- what box are you in, and what will you do to get out?
- Good communications, directness, an awareness of process, and a 'go do'
attitude are traits that should not be overlooked compared with focussing
on a teachable skill that may be missing in an otherwise excellent
candidate.
I've written about this before, but regardless of what you think of Trump
and
his TV show, it did demonstrate that when you put a handful of motivated
people
together to complete a task, even if without the specific past experience,
they
can achieve far more than the person who is a narrow specialist who cannot
see
outside his or her box.
-------------
Meanwhile
-------------
In my last newsletter I mentioned my upcoming speech for the AFM.
I want to thank Darlene for putting together a great event
(and providing more of that feedback I love)
Here it is:
'To find someone such as yourself who is so knowledgeable about
the issues, as well as, able to present the information in an
educational manner with a great sense of humour was indeed a rare
combination. You are a treasure!'
Thanks for that Darlene.
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White papers are now on line at www.WayneMcKinnon.com
------------------------------------------------------
*********************************************
Upcoming events I will be presenting at
June 11-13th 2004 in Toronto
Independent computer Consultants Association
annual International Conference .
The topic is 'Beyond IT:
letting go of the familiar and advancing your career'
http://www.WayneMcKinnon.com
*********************************************
Regards
Wayne
Wayne McKinnon
Suite 531, 900 Greenbank Rd.
Ottawa, Ontario Canada K2J 4P6
(613) 860-1384, Fax (613) 825-4895
mailto:Wayne@WayneMcKinnon.com
http://www.WayneMcKinnon.com
You Can't Think With Your Tool Belt On (tm)
is a semi monthly electronic newsletter
for anyone who is interested in EXCEEDING GOALS
and EXPECTATIONS while being RECOGNIZED for their
efforts and moving to work of higher value without
giving up on the idea that life should be fun.
-------------------------------------------------
If you are receiving this as a forward,
I'll send you your very own copy.
Visit www.WayneMcKinnon.com.
You can leave at any time, and
we never share your address with anyone.
-------------------------------------------------
Web link: http://www.wayneMckinnon.com
(c) 2004 Wayne McKinnon. All rights reserved.
We encourage sharing
'You Can't Think with Your Tool Belt On(tm)'
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