JUST IN TIME - NEWS AND FINLAND

Finland is one of the most successful countries on the world. There are some features which are generally related to Finnish success: knowledge, hard work, high level education and also punctuality.

But what if the main news in Finland are late, they do not start at 20.30 but one minute later, at least on Thursdays. You may think that am joking, but I am not. Firstly, I have not gathered statistical evidence but quite often I have noticed that on Thursdays news start around one minute late. So, that part of my statement is not a joke.

Then you might think that I am joking because this is so minor thing that nobody should notice it or write about it. Yes, I admit that this is not a big thing as it itself, but does this tell something about the way how we handle things in Finland and should we notice that in global environment the standard of every successful action is very high.

In Finland these 20.30 news are the main news here. These news are like BBC world and CNN international combined. Hence a big number of people wait for those news - which start late in the country which is known for its punctuality. How is this possible?  You must have seen how the clock ticks in BBC international before every hour and news start exactly in time. In this small matter (if being in time is a small matter) BBC on its part shows what is the standard in global setting. This kind of international level of action is present in almost every county and almost every field of action. There is always international player or players, which are excellent and which puts the bar of success very high.

Also it is interesting how we get used to certain level of action. This delay in the beginning of these main news is not a new phenomenon. Again I have not prepared statistics, but I think are talk about this issue at least two years ago. So, this level of action has become a standard. Is it now a standard that in the small country which competes in the global economy with is capability and with is punctuality the main news start late? Is this acceptable? Does this tell also something else about our willingness to raise our level of action in every field to a level where we really manage with the best.

Finland is one of the most successful countries in the world, let us work on that level in everything what we do. (I admit that here I really paused to think whether my blog reach the standard what I advocate in this blog. I am not certain, but at least I did my best in the time which I could reserve for this most interesting taks. I do hope reading this is a rewarding experience to you).

YOUR STORY AND THE STORIES OF MR. K, BRIAN TRACY AND ELIZABETH GILBERT

What is your story? What has happened to you, what do you tell to others? What have you  been able to achieve in the past, what will you accomplish in the future? How you share all this with people around you? Have you ever paused to think what is the story of your organization, or you team?

I will have a huge privilege to talk soon in a seminar which ends almost a year long executive program. In a situation like this one really think what kind of topic would be most valuable to those people who you have learned to know during the program. Now I thought that one part of the seminar will be dedicated to our stories, or to be more accurate we will focus on ways to develop stories, our own and also those which relate to our organizations..

The key point here is my contention that we have some freedom to choose how we create our story. I wish emphasize right away that we are not entering into realm of lies here but into realm where we in a very deep level define to ourselves. A lot has happened to us all, but which events get our attention, which events we remember and tell further, that is our topic. These choices are vitally important, on their part they tell to each of us who we really are. Hence it is our unavoidable challenge to think what is our story now and what it will be in the future. We must pause to reflect what is our own attitude here, do aim to be authors in our story, or are we more characters in a story which just happens to us. Evidently the proposition is that let us assume the author role where ever it is somehow possible.

Let us first hear three narratives which I have just encountered. These all give us an idea what the author role could mean and why it is so important. One story comes from our executive MBA student. I call him mr K, the other story is based on the lecture which magnificent Brian Tracy gave in Jyväskylä, Finland and the third story can be found from an excellent TED talk delivered by Elizabeth Gilbert.

First story, police and truck driver

This happened a while ago when one seminar day ended and we walked to the restaurant for a dinner. While we were walking one member of our group, mr K., shared one of his story with us. This had happened several years ago just when he had received his driving license. He had stopped in a gasoline station and when he returned back to the main road he noticed a truck approaching with very high speed. He was forced to speed up...I think you guess the rest, the police patrol was there and they stopped the young man. But then a story gets a new twist, the truck driver stopped his vehicle and the driver told to the police men that the young driver really needed to speed up, because that was the situation on the road. As a result the young driver did not get the ticket.

To me this was a very interesting event. Not so much the story as such but more because this was a narrative what someone decided to remember and tell. Here I started to think how we all encounter all kind of things and accidents every day, but what we decide to remember, what we decide to tell to other people? How our story will affect to us, what it will do the others?

Second story, Brian Tracy and no answers

Brian Tracy visited my home town Jyväskylä few weeks ago and he gave a lecture in Nordic Business Forum seminar. It was an excellent speech but what I write below is my summary and interpretation concerning only one part of the lecture.

Brian Tracy told that whoever works in sales he will probably encounter no answer from customers. And this may not be a rare exception but something which is quite often part of the work and sometimes that part can start to feel very demanding both for the sales personnel and also for a person who is in the charge of sales. But also here we may have some freedom how create the story. My interpretation is that Brian Tracy offered at least three most interesting ways how to be an author of your story in a situation like this.

First, you may decide that for you the word no does not mean failure and negative thing, but you can learn from such an event and head for a next event with a new energy, wisdom and determination. Yes, this is easy to say, but think about it, in case you have some freedom to decide how to interpret different situations, why not at least try to interpret them in a way which helps you to continue.


Second, Brian Tracy suggested that perhaps you could try something new in your organization which might help your team to manage with nos. So, why not organize a competition where a person who gets first 10 nos is winner. Sounds odd at first but let us think about this. Why not. Could we be active and innovative in creating a story around the word "no" where that word could mean also something else than in typical story. Certainly this could not change everything, and as a result of this kind of story people would not live in a fantasy world where "no" would be new goal in real sense - that is not the point. But perhaps we could nudge our story to a direction which could help us to do our work. Thirdly Brian Tracy told a story of a sales man who had lost his energy to make those efforts which do not result in business. Here it helped when the sales expert started to think that every effort is needed as necessary step and how all efforts in a way provide results, although the actual sales may happen later. No effort is vain, each of them earn a part of the result.

Third story, Elizabeth Gilbert and the danger of success

Here I really recommend that you enjoy the TED talk by Elizabeth Gilbert, because what I write here is just a one possible interpretation of that excellent speech. However, I wish to include the discussion of that speech to my blog because it is most evocative example about how to be the author of your own story. Here we can see how developing a story can give strength and endurance to a person who is in a most challenging situation.

The crux here is that Elizabeth Gilbert wrote a book which became an enormous success. She says that after that event people around her seemed to think that she was doomed - how an earth she might be able repeat or even surpass the achievement which she had just done. And also Elizabeth herself felt the pressure, how to be so creative once again, and how to keep on being creative year after year.

In this situation she tells a story which could be helpful to all of us who do creative work and who will never know whether we can repeat or even surpass the achievements which we have just done. In short Elizabeth Gilbert looks back in history and she suggest that when the humanity put a single person in the center of everything we did put too much pressure to one single mind. In this person centric thinking it is suggested that a one person should be able to provide the acts of creativity time after time. This is a daunting demand.


Hence, Elizabeth Gilbert says that she searched for a thinking model,  a story, which could be different. And what she found was that creativity was perceived differently in ancient Rome and Greece. At that time people thought that creativity was something where people get help from the outside, perhaps from the ghosts or gods of that era. In a way at that time it was thought that people had kind of guardian angels which helped the individual ih her creativity, sometimes the help was excellent sometimes not that excellent. In that world the burden of creativity was shared.

Well, our thinking models have changed but nevertheless, we might assume an attitude that whenever we do something creative, we do our share, we work hard and we do what we can. In case a very special spark of creativity happens to enlighten our work - that will be just great. However, in every case we can do our part. This is how Elizabeth Gilbert constructed her story, a story which could the meet that challenges of creative work.

To sum up. I do hope this blog is interesting to read as a standalone text. This text will also serve as a background material in our fortcoming seminar where we will talk a lot more about how we are authors in our stories.

SOCIAL MEDIA - MEETINGS - SELF LEADERSHIP

The new framework of business is social media. What this means? It means that organizations benefit enormously if they start to use the logic of social media as modus operandi. This is something which we all must consider very seriously and very personally; we have to clarify to ourselves what is the logic of social media and what it means to me, and also to us as an organization.

Few definitions are in place so that we will start to talk about same issues. Firstly, certainly the logic of social media can mean a lot of different things. Here it means sharing and transparency. It means that we all always think that what is secret, what can be shared with few colleagues, what can be shared in a group and what is open (I deeply thank Esko Kilpi for making this point very succinctly in our Web for Executives program). So for instance, whenever you learn something new (which happens pretty continuously I assume) you always think about sharing. You are not working alone for yourself but you are working and thinking together with others in your organization and in your network.

Secondly I started this blog by talking about organizations but hereafter I will focus on individuals and how we as individuals choose to follow the logic of social media in our daily work in our organizations. Here the way how we choose to act in our meetings is the special topic of this blog.

Thirdly, how the issue of self leadership enters to this picture? Well, it is elementary. How we decide to act in different settings is vastly important and now the logic of social media demands that we really reflect how we play our part in organizational life and in particular in meetings.

Fourthly, I wish to add that now we are talking about meetings which could be 1-2 hour long sessions. So we will focus on those short periods where professionalism should shine (like a sun in Finnish July).

This is the background and now let us proceed to two conclusions:

1) The logic of social media (and the practical tools and gadgets) means that we can communicate all the time. So coming together in the first place is a very special event. Therefore from the perspective of self leadership you may decide to make to yourself clear how very important every meeting is.

2) In the meeting most important thing is to really think together, perhaps solve difficult problems, perhaps plan future actions or do something demanding thinking together. From the viewpoint of self leadership you must be able and willing to think together. You must be able to really share and participate. You must be willing to take risks and propose some ideas which are not ready but which could be developed further together. This kind of open participation can feel very demanding.

Perhaps the topic under discussion can be difficult to you (you may not like the topic, you may not know enough of the topic and you should know, or for some other reason the topic of the meeting may haunt you), some participants of the meeting can be particularly challenging to you for some reason, your genuine interest concerning to success of an organization can be at certain level (and therefore you utmost willingness to give your best even during this short meeting can be question mark).

If any of these elements are present in your thinking you are really facing a self leadership issue here. It is plainly evident at this point that the issue of self leadership is not a fancy theoretical concept but you are truly assessing what is your own capacity to participate and contribute. Certainly this kind of self leadership issues have been always with us but now the logic of social media, the new framework of business raises these issues to new level. They become more and more important and they become more and more transparent, no matter what our personal wishes and hopes might be.

The need for self leadership and genuine professionalism has never been more important than now in this era of  social media.

DECISION MAKING - BIG PICTURE

Have you ever paused to think what decision making really is? Is it a setting where a person or a group of people selects between pretty clearly defined alternatives? Is it a setting where information is gathered for the decision maker and then she browses the data relating to the existing alternatives and makes her informed decision. Well, it can be all this but it can be also something else. Quite often in lived life (people in action in different organizations) it is much, much more.

What then is the decision making in real life? This blog offers some insights. We will not go deep into decision making details here, the aim is propose that the whole setting around the decision making process is something which deserves our attention. What is the big picture when we are talking about decision making?

Setting 1 - How we decide what we decide

How this all starts, how do we know that there is something what requires our attention and creates a need for a decision making? Do you play an active role creating decision making setting or do most of the impulses come from the outside? We may even ask that are you really a decision maker at all if almost all the impulses come from the outside. In this case we could more appropriately call a person a reactor rather that a decision maker? This title might be justified, because her role would be to try to manage with issues which are thrown at her. Not an enviable position, however apparently a position where most executives find themselves time to time.

However, the reactor role should not be a permanent resting place for an executive. The role of an executive must be much more active. The role and the duty of an executive is always actively create the very setting where she operates. Hence before any decision is made, we have to have some idea what we are thinking about and why some issues are raised up. Why we are thinking what we are thinking, why we are deciding what we are deciding? Is it wise to think what we are thinking? In sum, an executive is not just thinking and deciding, she also sees herself from the outside and is able to evaluate what she is thinking and deciding. Let it be granted that no one can step "outside", we all use theories, frameworks, our experiences all the time. However, a wise executive is profoundly aware of all this.

Setting 2 - How create a possibility to make a decision

Change management is a hot topic. Probably partly because the basic task for an executive is to a see that her organization changes and develops constantly and thus maintain its ability to succeed in the marketplace.  At the same time there are elements in the organizational life which seem to be very permanent. They are issues, challenges, problems, behaviors, thought patterns which continue from one period to another.

Hence part of decision making process is to notice that there are issues which are rather permanent and recurring, however perhaps not eternal. These issues can not be solved in one decision making setting, hence the whole idea what is decision making must change. It seems that sometimes decision making may take time, sometimes years. Sometimes the key is to wait for  a right moment when something can be done, sometimes to point is gather momentum and create necessary preparedness for a change.

So this blog has taken up two issues about decision making. First it is vital to evaluate what are the issues what we are thinking in the first place. Therefore before deciding, think carefully how the whole setting has been crafted, estimate whether the issues on the table are the most crucial ones or should you raise other topics for closer examination. Second, sometimes decision making is more a marathon than a meeting. See the big picture and be prepared to wait when necessary and be prepared to build momentum for new when that is possible and necessary.

Then just select the right road. Safe journey.

ARE YOU THE WISEST MAN IN YOUR ORGANIZATION?

Wisdom and creativity are more and more important in any organization. Successful organizations must change, they must develop, they must create new, they must become more and more effective. This all requires thinking, new ideas. Old routines won't help too long.

This constant development requires that someone proposes new ideas. Have you noticed that when your position in organization has risen that also your ideas have become better and better? Hence you must have become wiser? How do you know that your wisdom has increased? Well to most of us people around us tell the message. Hence perhaps you have noticed that recently people are more prone to comment that the point which you raise is relevant, and quite often people around you make  the idea which you have suggested as a point of departure when they start new action.

This is just great. And point here is not to doubt your wisdom. However, I think that in the future you could be even wiser if you would take a moment of your time and consider what power-knowledge thinking could mean in your environment when you do your leadership work and we you build future success to your organization..

We can thank Michel Foucault of taking up the power-knowledge thinking. The message is that power and knowledge are tightly linked and when someone has power he also tend to have a lot to say what is considered as knowledge. Clearly the knowledge is created in a discourse to which people participate. However, people are very sensitive in finding out what is their role in any discourse. People are clever to find out who is supposed to say what in certain situation. By the way this cleverness of accepting certain tight role is not clever at all as such, instead it hugely reduces what people could achieve together, if all would participate fully to any discussion.

Hence as a leader you will have a special role in the complex process where people in your organization find out what is wise, who can propose new wisdom and how we can develop our organization. How should you proceed in this situation and how could you be even wiser in the future. I propose here some points which you could consider:

1) From now on power-knowledge concept is one of your thinking tool when you plan and encounter different situations. This thinking tool may be relevant in everything starting from practical arrangements in any meeting, and stretching to the way you create space and motivation for all to participate.

2) In fact, you could try regularly create settings where you breach the rules of typical discourse. Perhaps you create special innovation meeting where all the participants have as much time to express their views, or you create other arrangements which helps all the participants to say their views.

3) You could also start to champion a new thinking where the ability to produce new wisdom is seen as a shared effort, where the quality and also the frequency of communication between people is the most important element in creating new wisdom.

I would suggest that this discussion about the rules and about the changing of rules of any discourse is very important right now. I would also propose that it is crucial to see how much any organization could benefit from the active participation and sharing of views and ideas. Transparency and sharing start to be the sign of wisdom in organization.

This is because we live now a moment when best organizations equip their key personnel with latest technology (like ipad's and corresponding). These equipment are most important. At the same it is important that people really learn to use the vast possibilities of those new equipment. And it may be even more important that we create new rules of discourse and sharing and we start to create wisdom together.

Hence let us all be wiser together.

PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE - LINKED INEXTRICABLY TO EACH OTHER

PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

LINKED INEXTRICABLY TO EACH OTHER

It is very common to encounter  the following wisdom: live the present moment, what has been has been and no one knows what will happen in the future. There is a lot wisdom in this idea, albeit it may be impossible for us as human beings to obey that wisdom in our life. In fact, it might be even awfull if we would only live in the present moment - no memories, no future; or what an earth that wisdom might actually mean. The wisdom of living in the present moment can also be challenged on the ground that past, present and future link inextricably to each other. It may be that past, present and future are more the same phenomenon than separate entities.

As a person who has studied accounting and T accounts I shy away of proceeding into very deep philosophical discussion about time and life (and probably the philosophy on its part shy away from me). However, I try say something about the concepts of past, present and future and how those concepts relate to the organizational life. This is very, very fascinating.

Let us start by exploring how those concepts are inextricably linked. I would propose that no organization knows exactly how good it is, where it is and what it can achieve. Instead people within organization tell stories and through those stories these matters are somehow settled, not in very exhaustive and straighforward way but at least to some extend. This also tells why stories are extremely important. Through stories we understand who we are, what we have echieved and what we may be able to do in the future.

Hence to some extend our action is based on stories, through stories we have created an understanding what we have done, where we are now and what we can try in the future. We create an conception what avenues and goals are within our reach.

At the same time the above said reveals the inextricable linkage between past, present and future. In order to know where we are now at the present moment we have to examine and interpret our past and also look in the future. The present situation has different taste if we think that future is bleak or full of extremely promising opportunities. And when we look to the future our understanding of our past and present will affect what we consider possible to try and achieve in the future.

Could it be that our stories about our past and present could for example hinder us to see some avenues to proceed? Certainly. On the basis of our understanding what we have been able to do in the past we may not even consider some options which at least in principle could be within our reach. What we may give up because of our stories? What we do not even see because our stories do not sensitise us to look that kind of opportunities? What new possibilities we might detect if we changed our stories?

Stories are powerfull tools in organizational life. So, will you tell the same old story in your next meeting? In case you decide to modify your story, do you think that you are still true to yourself? Good stories are not lies, they do not lead us to troubled waters, instead they help us to succeed in the future. And in case you have not been that active in storytelling front should you reconsider your position. Your stories could be worth of gold.

How to make more money - should it be the topic in Universities

How to make more money

- should it be the topic in Universities

Do not worry this is not about the big QE (quantitative easing). Instead I will ask how any organization could make more money and in particular how this topic could be approached. Also I will focus this blog so that the role of the University is central. That will mean that I will reflect how Univiersities have approached the question of making more money.


It is interesting to notice that Universities have a very special approach to the world. For instance it can be claimed that selling is a topic which has not been that interesting from the University's point of view, whereas marketing is seen as more appropriate realm for research and teaching. Similarly it might sound a bit odd if someone's major topic in the University would be "money making", whereas, for inctance accounting and other business disciplines are highly appreciated.

What is wrong in: making more money? Why it has failed to receive a prestigious position as a disciple? It is nevertheless an issue which extremely important in our world. Any organization (also probably any country or network of countries) which wish to exist has to make more money than what it uses (at least in the long or on the very, very long run).

So there must be something seriously wrong in "making more money". And there actually is something which must be discussed immediately. Namely no organization is likely to get more money just because it wants more or because it needs more. There must be something which justifies it's request to get more. Organization must produce something which is considered valuable and when organization wish to get more money it must produce something even more valuable and/or use less resources in preparing it's offering.

Does this mean that here we have a simple and all-encompassing answer to the question that why making more money is not a central discipline in Universities? As such the burning wish to get more money is empty idea, so there would be nothing to study? I am not certain that we can brush this question aside so easily. This is because unavoidably the issue of money is part of everything. There is the money side in every action and in every inaction.

Why then the making money is somehow a silent partner in everything? For instance, when we talk about marketing, strategy, leadership or any other discipline there is always the money side, and it is very important element when we estimate whether something make sense or not. An improved strategy is something which helps the organization to make more money in the future. And it is most important to understand as clearly as possible how that particular improved strategy really can to increasy positive money flow in the future. It can be claimed that also leadership is about money, or at least that there is also the money side which is present here as it is in everything. For instance, it is hard to imagine that for example improved coaching capability would mean that organisation has set its course for loosing more money? On the other hand it would be most interesting to study and understand how some changes in leadership thinking and style in any organization affects to the capability of that particular organization to make money. What are the complex reciprocal prosesses which lead in to some results?

So should it be that whenever something is discussed, researhed or lectured also the money side should be on display as clearly as possible. This is because the money side is so crucially important and it is the real element in this world. New fancy things, theories and systems can be developed and organizations may become interested in adopting and using them, but is it wise to use them, what are the consequences? How the money side will develop when something is done, that could be the central research topic for the University.

Hence, Universities in particular should be astute in discussing and even in finding out what is the money side of actions taken in organizations? So whenever something is discussed, be it a theoretical framework or some business case, that discussion should include examinination from the the perspective of money.

So what could be more scientific than an elaborate discussion about money?

Above a view which caught my attention when I was writing this blog.  So, some food for thought with a joking angle: In case balance sheet is in this condition, which side is assets and which is liabilities?