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'Being Cautious Is to Stop Moving': How Innovation and Entrepreneurship Can Bring Societal Change
Published: July 14, 2010 in Knowledge@Wharton
New technologies and a growing capacity for innovation are playing fundamental roles in the search for answers to the current economic situation. At the Wharton Global Alumni Forum in Madrid, three executives from Spain's high-tech sector and two entrepreneurs in Africa's growing technology sector took part in a panel session titled, "Technology and Innovation: Panaceas or Chimeras?" The session was moderated by Alberto Durán, founder and CEO of Rio de Janeiro-based Mundivox Communications.
To set the stage for discussion, Durán noted during the panel and in a later discussion that, while technology and innovation will help create the basis for societal growth, it is demographics that has "completely changed the economics of the way we live, and is creating both immense opportunities as well as immense challenges." As an example, he pointed to the 85 million plastic water bottles that are thrown away every day. "The pile of bottles in the middle of the Pacific is twice the size of Texas, yet we don't talk about that," he stated. "Political will is needed to address these issues. Today we can create amazing financial instruments to fund real estate, telecom and other industries. Why don't those instruments exist to fund new technologies for plastic? Someone has to come in and say, 'Look, we need to do this.' It is political will that will make this happen."
Durán also noted the challenges that the global economy will face over the coming decades because of population growth. While 50% of people today live in big cities and 50% in rural areas, over the next 30 to 40 years, 75% will live in cities, and 25% in rural areas, along with a world population that "is growing exponentially," not in Europe but in the rest of the world, including the U.S., he stated.
Panelist María Garaña, president of Microsoft Spain, suggested that the debate today should focus on practical applications of technology in corporations and on the ways that technology can help improve corporate productivity and competitiveness. "The people who get the most out of technology aren't the ones who invest the most money in it, but the ones who use it to become more productive. Occasionally, it is enough to take advantage of the tools in technologies you already have at your disposal." She suggested "abandoning technological messages and additional technical terminology in favor of making information system tools relevant for companies and people."
In Spain, Garaña noted, "half a million people work in the high-tech sector. Yet the penetration rate of customer relationship management (CRM) information systems is barely 23%. Options such as CRM, virtualization [technology] and mobile technology have enabled companies to reduce their costs by as much as 30%."
Garaña mentioned two trends that are affecting the way new technologies are being adopted by corporations. "The first trend is 'cloud computing.' It is not about new technology but about a new way of consuming it that adds flexibility to the business." The second trend is consumerization, a word that incorporates the possibility of achieving the same objectives by using different mechanisms at any hour and in any place. "It is not easy.... The technology in the major consumer sectors is developing more rapidly than companies are adopting it."
Opportunity and Responsibility
Panelist Antonio Zufiria, IBM's president for Spain, Portugal, Greece and Israel, agreed that the crisis precipitated the need for innovative technology as well the need to apply new discoveries to change existing conditions. "Now is the time when we have to increase the level of efficiency and sustainability in our society," he noted. The world "is full of inefficiencies. A hundred years ago, there were only 15 cities [in the world] that had more than one million people. Now, that number has multiplied 20-fold. Yet the world is much better connected [via communications technology], and there is a greater capacity for analysis that permits us to improve our cities."
Along those lines, IBM has devised a project called Smarter Cities, whose goal is to make European cities more efficient through technology. This year, the project will devote half of its budget to research and development. In Denmark, for example, IBM is developing a system that will enable ordinary citizens to access health services over the Internet, the way they access banking online. In Stockholm, highway tolls already rise and fall as a function of traffic volumes, and thanks to the use of technology, traffic jams have gone down by 25%. This benefit has had a domino effect by reducing gases that have a greenhouse effect. "And in New York, they have reduced crimes by 20% thanks to a mathematical algorithm that permits [authorities] to predict criminal activity," Zufiria said. "In energy, transportation, security, health, public services ... inefficiencies exist and, as a result, there are business opportunities in many social systems."
The economic crisis has only "accelerated the need to employ technology," Zufiria added. "A recession is an opportunity in the sense that it enables people to measure the success of their initiatives and carry them out. Is this the right time to invest in innovation? At IBM, we are convinced that it is, more than ever. Nowadays, being cautious is to stop moving, and when you stay quiet, you're dead."
Panelist Regino Moranchel, chief executive of Indra, the Spanish information systems company, agreed with Zufiria that technology companies have an "obligation" to redefine the way that people share information. Moranchel took stock of the last 80 years in the history of multinationals. "Today, information is accessible in real time and it is easy to share. It is our obligation to redefine the way we use and share information to create value."
Like Gara ña, Moranchel left aside technical discussions to focus on the value that technology can contribute to businesses. "Actually, innovating is easy if you know the problem that must be solved, [and you also know] how it can be solved and who can help manage the process," he said. "We believe in [the sort of] innovation that is focused on our customers, so we can try to understand them, learn about their needs and, that way, anticipate what our competitors will be doing."
Moranchel also insisted on the "crucial" value of talent within any organization. "You will always have more talent outside than inside an organization, so collaboration and motivation are important for getting the maximum return from your team. Unfortunately, there aren't any simple rules to follow." Gara ña pointed out that new technologies have reached many companies through their own employees who are accustomed to using every sort of technology on a daily basis in their personal lives, and who eventually demand that those tools be used in the workplace as well.
Entrepreneurship in Africa
Two other panelists in the session were Eric Kacou, general manager of OTF Group, a Rwanda-based supplier of services for strategic management and competitiveness services, and Eva Muraya, co-founder and chief executive of Kenya-based Nairobi Color Creations Group. Both executives illustrate the ways in which entrepreneurship is taking off in Africa. "There are more and more successful case histories of African entrepreneurs," said Muraya.
"Panacea or chimera?" asked Kacou, reflecting the panel's title. "The answer to that question can be found in a unique sort of entrepreneur. Wherever you look, it's the entrepreneurs who are capable of turning innovation into a panacea." Describing the current situation in Africa, Kacou noted that at least "38 countries have been involved in [military] conflicts over the past 50 years. With the [current economic] crisis, the difficulties involved in doing business [in Africa] have been accentuated. The situation has had an impact on prices, financial markets, exchange rates and debt.... The only solution begins with a change in mentality." According to Kacou and Moranchel, a significant shortage of confidence exists now as well as a certain skepticism among various governments about the role of entrepreneurship.
At the same time, with regard to Rwanda, Kacou attributes the appearance of a new class of African entrepreneurs to a revolution in the economic assistance policies of the government. "If there are success stories, it is because the government has believed in entrepreneurs. Exports [from Rwanda] have multiplied five-fold over the past 10 years. It is not about copying others or sticking with what other countries are doing, but about creating new things." As an example, he cited a Kenyan company called Safaricom (www.safaricom.co.ke), which provides communications software that enables sales transactions to occur over mobile phones."Now the people of Kenya can carry their bank in their pocket. There are no transaction costs because everything is done with wireless."
"Billions of people are living in Africa, and many of them are very young," noted Muraya. "Even so, the [GDP] growth rate is not high enough. A lot more needs to be done because technology moves ahead rapidly." Muraya recalled recent developments in her country. "In 2007, fraud was discovered in the manual system for recounting votes in elections that, unfortunately, wound up pitting some people against others. That led to deaths and serious reversals for many local businesses. But thanks to the introduction of a system of electronic voting for the next elections in 2012, nothing like that is going to happen again."
Muraya offered her own recipe for succeeding as an entrepreneur. "You need to have a capacity to adapt, while at the same time maintaining your passion and focusing on the concept behind your business. Entrepreneurs also need the right partner who shares their vision and energy." Microfinancing has played a crucial role and microloans in particular are "very sensitive to the special conditions of peoples who are located at the base of the pyramid" in Africa and other regions in developing countries, Muraya noted. The microfinancing models have benefitted women more than they have benefitted men, since women are more likely to repay their loans and are more focused on achieving their entrepreneurial goals, Muraya said.
Zufiria noted that "with the arrival of information technologies, locally available talent is playing a more important role" in Africa, as well as China and Brazil. "Manual labor is no longer so important; the capacity for innovation has taken its place. There is only one solution, which is technology, but you need the courage and talent to make it useful." Added Kacou: "When we figure out how to provide services that are really useful for society, we will get out of this cycle, and we will be able to develop programs that are capable of overcoming every barrier."
Garaña, who has worked for 15 years in Latin America, joined the debate about the role that developing countries play during a recession. She noted that a recession offers these countries a unique opportunity because their growth has been limited historically by what could be called a "psychological crisis." "This is not a global crisis," suggested Zufiria, "but one that involves the countries of the 'First World' -- the industrialized nations. Regions such as Africa have a good future ahead of them," and they have not been as affected by the global recession.
"If we return to the essence of the meaning of the word 'innovation,' we will find the answer in our own capacity to undertake new business activities," stated Garaña. "If there is something positive that can be gotten out of this economic crisis, it is the capacity to reflect about things, to get back to talking about the basics. For many companies, innovation has stopped being considered a business expense; it has become a necessary gearshift for productivity."
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7/14/2010
'Being Cautious Is to Stop Moving': How Innovation and Entrepreneurship Can Bring Societal Change - Knowledge@Wharton
How Reframers Unleash Innovation in Their Companies (And Beyond) - The Conversation - Harvard Business Review
There is a quiet revolution unfolding in your industry — led by some of your smartest competitors. If you are a manager, you may be completely unaware of it because you can't see it in the streets, nor watch it on the news. This new revolution is actually happening inside the heads of the leaders running your rival firms. We call it a mental model revolution. Let us explain....
A select group of smart leaders are reframing their mental models — i.e., radically shifting their perception of the world — to conjure up disruptive business model innovations that could rewrite the rules of the game in your industry. We call them the "Reframers." Here are examples of three:
Indra Nooyi, CEO, PepsiCo. Nooyi, ranked by Fortune as the world's most powerful woman, is reframing the very essence of what the food and beverage industry should be — shifting its vocation from feeding people to nourishing them. She is taking a cue from Ayurveda (India's 5,000-year old traditional medicine system) which states that "food is medicine and medicine is food." Until now, the food and medical industries have operated separately; Nooyi wants to bridge them by reframing PepsiCo as a wellness solution provider. To deliver this commitment, Nooyi is radically shifting PepsiCo's business model by flipping the ratio between "fun-for-you" products (e.g., Pepsi drinks and Frito Lay chips) and "good-for-you" products (sold under brands such as Tropicana and Quaker). Specifically, Nooyi wants to increase revenues from good-for-you products from $10 billion today to $30 billion by 2020.
Jeffrey Immelt, CEO, GE. Escalating healthcare costs in the West are due to the "more for more for less" (MML) innovation model currently pursued by Big Pharma and medical device makers that charge more money for more resource-consuming and complex solutions which only a few people can afford. Immelt realized that this MML model can't be sustained as GE enters the Age of Scarcity dominated by eco-friendly and frugal consumers. This insight led Immelt to reframe GE's MML innovation model as more for less for more (MLM) — that is, delivering more experiential value to more people for less economic and environmental cost. Since adopting the MLM paradigm GE Healthcare has developed and marketed several breakthrough products such as the MAC 400, a low cost, portable CT scanner with super-long battery life and Vscan, a tiny and inexpensive ultrasound device that operates as simply as a mobile phone.
Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Group. A whopping one billion people from across emerging markets are expected to join the middle class over the next decade. Since these Next Billion consumers haven't yet risen to the income level of current mainstream buyers, most companies are waiting before they develop and market products for them. But Ratan Tata reframed these Next Billion users, viewing them not as low earners but high yearners who would readily buy quality products that are reasonably priced and meet their aspirational needs. That mental switch led him to conceive the Nano, the $2,500 car initially aimed at two-wheeler drivers yearning for a more comfortable and safe driving experience. Since it was introduced in early 2009, Nano has been a runaway success, forcing car makers all over the world to rush to their drawing boards to design a rival budget car.
What's noteworthy about the leadership of Reframers such as Nooyi, Immelt, and Tata?
First, Reframers dare to question well-ingrained business truisms and industry paradigms. As they experiment with radically new business concepts, Reframers constantly ask themselves "why not?" For instance, Tata shattered the century-old car manufacturing paradigm: rather than completely producing the Nanos in its own factories, Tata Motors will distribute component kits that entrepreneurial small businesses can assemble close to customers. By questioning the conventional wisdom, creative leaders like Ratan Tata help their organizations navigate an increasingly complex business environment that places a premium on leaders with a flexible mindset.
Second, Reframers think not only with their minds but also with their hearts. After all, the heart of change begins with the change of heart; as Mahatma Gandhi eloquently put it: "Be the change you want to see in the world." As such, Reframers are erecting what we call a mental (and heart) barrier to entry for competitors. For example, you can bet that leaders at major food and beverage companies are busily hatching new business models to compete with PepsiCo's wellness strategy. But these rival business models won't be sustainable unless the leaders who developed them sincerely care about the wellness of consumers. In the dawning Web 2.0 world where authenticity is the new source of competitive advantage, a heartfelt business model transformation will be more readily accepted and handsomely rewarded by consumers than a disingenuous me-too competitive offering.
Third, Reframers catalyze massive social innovation. To borrow from chaos theory, the change in the minds and hearts of Reframers is akin to the butterfly flapping its wings over Hong Kong that can unleash a tornado in Texas. Even a minor reframing can yield a disruptive business model that can revolutionize not only an industry but entire societies — a massive chain reaction captured in the following formula:
Mental model innovation → business model innovation → industry innovation → social innovation
For instance, GE Healthcare's MLM innovation model will not only threaten the industry's well-entrenched "more for more" business model but promises to finally make health care affordable and accessible to more people in emerging as well as developed economies. Equally, the Nano is not just a disruptive product innovation, but a disruptive social innovation as it empowers low-income consumers worldwide and accelerates their social mobility.
In our next post, we will explain how you too can become a Reframer and continuously practice mental model innovation. Meanwhile, tell us about the opportunities and challenges for Reframers in your own industry.
Navi Radjou is Executive Director of the Centre for India & Global Business (CIGB) at Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge where Dr. Jaideep Prabhu is the Jawaharlal Nehru Professor of Indian Business and Enterprise. Dr. Prasad Kaipa is a CEO Coach and advisor; he has worked with over 100 CXOs and 30 Fortune 500 companies in the areas of leadership development and innovation. Dr. Simone Ahuja is the founder of Blood Orange Media and Advisor to CIGB.
How to Make People Passionate About Their Work - John Baldoni - Harvard Business Review
I know two CEOs: one in publishing is a friend; the other in manufacturing is an email correspondent. There is a common bond between the two; both are in their sixties and both act as if they are closer to twenty-two. Their sense of vitality springs from their passion for what they do.
Each feels a sense of pride in the businesses he leads; more importantly, each is pushing his respective organization to new heights with a vigor found typically in much younger men. Their can-do attitudes seem almost corny, as if sketched from an earlier age or at least from musicals like The Music Man. But both men are in exactly the right positions at the right time.
Generating enthusiasm, or passion, for what you do is essential. It is doubly so in perilous times. When everything around us seems to be coming apart, a leader who has a passion for what he does is essential. Such a spirit fuels the engine of enthusiasm needed to spark the enterprise. More importantly, such passion is vital to convincing others that the work matters. It is easy to get discouraged by today's market news and so it is vital that someone, be it the CEO or another senior leader, serves as the organization's designated cheerleader.
Ultimately instilling passion for the work is not an exercise in rah-rah; it is a search for meaning and significance. So how can you cultivate passion for work in others and do it in ways that have significance? Here are some suggestions.
Focus on the positive. Passion in leaders can be palpable; you know in an instant that the executive cares about the company. In my experience, those senior leaders who stroll through the halls with a nod or good word to say to all are those executives who get things done. And it is because they are out and about, not cloistered in their offices on mahogany row. Rather, they are meeting with employees and customers, vendors and investors, getting to know issues and concerns. They also use these times to talk up the good things.
Address the negatives. Passionate leaders are not Pollyannas; they know the score, precisely because they spend so much time out of their offices. They see firsthand what is working and what is not, and because they have a relationship with people in all levels of the company, they can more readily mobilize employees to solve problems.
Set high expectations. Those who care about the work and set a high standard challenge others to do the same, but they should remember to balance their approach — knowing to sometimes ease up on workloads but never on expectations.
As much as generating passion for the work matters, it is no guarantee of success, or even survival. Radiating passion is no excuse for ignoring attention to the fundamentals.
Yet successful organizations are more than the sum of fiscal prudence. Good ones are the collective values and aspirations of dedicated men and women who have made a choice to work there. Such organizations, be they in healthcare or manufacturing, consumer goods or government, ultimately depend upon the commitment of individuals pulling together to make things work. That's why you need leaders who have a passion for what they do and are able to spread that passion to others so that people feel better about what they do, and ultimately, what they can do better.
OMG! TEKsystems Finds That 73% of the IT Workforce Is Under the Age of 45! | Business Wire
OMG! TEKsystems Finds That 73% of the IT Workforce Is Under the Age of 45!
HANOVER, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A recent study conducted by TEKsystems reveals that 73% of today’s IT workforce is under the age of 45. This age dynamic is likely to impact the way effective IT leaders manage their teams, especially as 60% of IT leaders expect to increase spending on IT projects over the next six months. To meet the demand increases for IT projects and the associated talent requirements of these undertakings, 81% of IT leaders expect to increase or maintain their percentage of temporary workers in the second quarter.
“Today, IT leaders must not only pay attention to technology trends, business drivers and budgets, they also must recognize and respond to social changes that will undoubtedly affect the dynamics of their workplace.”
TEKsystems, the nation’s leading technology staffing and services company, partners with the Inavero Institute to conduct its quarterly IT and Talent Survey. This quarter’s survey reflects the perspectives of nearly 1,000 CIOs and IT decision makers in the U.S. and Canada.
As reported by respondents, there are four generations working side by side in today’s IT workforce.
- "Silent Generation," Born between 1922 – 1946: 1% of the IT workforce
- "Baby Boomers," Born between 1946 – 1964: 26% of the IT workforce
- "Generation X," Born between 1964 – 1980: 52% of the IT workforce
- "Millennials," (also known as “Generation Y”) Born between 1980 – 2000: 21% of the IT workforce
Rapid changes in the workplace are affecting how these generations interact. “As organizations are downsizing, merging, acquiring and/or consolidating, they are also eliminating many middle management positions and moving toward flatter organizational structures with more limited upward mobility,” says TEKsystems Market Research Manager, Tania Lavin. “This trend, coupled with various technological drivers, results in situations where candidates from different generations increasingly compete for the same jobs.”
“When considering the strengths and weaknesses across generations, many IT leaders face a trade off,” says TEKsystems Director of Technical Professional Programs, Michelle Webb. “In general terms, the more senior workers tend to offer a stronger understanding of the business, the customer and the organization’s political environment. However, given the speed at which IT changes, the younger generations can sometimes offer more technical expertise in the hottest new tools and technologies.”
To complicate matters, each generation brings its perspectives and ideals to the workplace. Research shows that those in the Silent Generation cite respect as a motivating factor. They tend to have a very dedicated work ethic and respond well to messages that reassure them: "Your experience is respected here." The Baby Boomers are similar, but tend to seek more personal gratification. They prefer face-to-face meetings and find encouragement from messages that say: "Your contribution is important to us."
“The younger generations are not as easy to please, as they require organizations to make significant changes to their employee value proposition,” says Webb. “Moreover, between what Generation X seeks and what the Millennials are looking for, there are some potentially conflicting differences.” For example, Generation X tends to be more self-motivated, compensation-driven and individualistic. They prefer to act autonomously, resist authority and appreciate an employer that says: "Do it your way” or “We are not very formal here.” The Millennials, on the other hand, seek a high level of recognition, expect their leaders to teach them new information and strongly prefer a team-oriented environment. They are motivated by messages such as: "You'll be working with a team of bright, creative people" or "Our company values employees who will work together toward a common vision." Another key characteristic of Millennial workers is their desire for greater degrees of work/life balance and effective use of new or emerging technologies.
“Businesses and IT leaders will need to make adjustments to their resource management strategies to accommodate the varied demographics of their workforce,” says TEKsystems VP of Professional Development, Matt Hannigan. “You can’t expect to manage a new generation by old standards. Leaders will need to be vigilant in understanding what’s important to workers, what they expect, what inspires them and what stifles their passion.”
Consider how modern talent attraction and retention strategies are changing. According to the survey, 30% of IT decision-makers currently leverage social media to post positions, advertise and perform background checks. Moreover, to retain employees post recession, many companies are exploring more Millennial-based benefits. Forty-two percent say they are increasing professional development opportunities, 40% are allowing more flexible schedules and 25% are offering telecommuting options – compared to only 24% that increased compensation.
Hannigan further says, “Today, IT leaders must not only pay attention to technology trends, business drivers and budgets, they also must recognize and respond to social changes that will undoubtedly affect the dynamics of their workplace.” Clearly, times they are a changing. To stay competitive, IT leaders will need to invest the time, energy and resources required to change with them.
About TEKsystems:
TEKsystems® is the nation’s leading technology staffing and services company. Combining a proven track record of superior performance, a quality-focused approach to service delivery, and the highest-caliber technical professionals in the market, TEKsystems helps our clients successfully plan, build and run their critical technology initiatives. With more than 25 years of experience, we annually deploy 70,000 technical professionals from 90 locations throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. Our capabilities include IT and communications staff augmentation and direct placement services; managed, project-based, and outsourced applications and infrastructure services; education services; and comprehensive workforce management solutions.
Note to Media: Certain names, products, and services listed in this document are trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks of their respective companies. All TEKsystems news releases are available on the Internet, via the TEKsystems Web site at http://www.teksystems.com. Additional information on TEKsystems can be accessed online or by sending an email to media@teksystems.com.
Searching for millennials
Searching for millennials
Florida's Underwood Jewelers uses social media to hook hundreds of potential young bridal customers. Read More
Greaat story about a retail jeweler who is innovating with social media to grow his customer base and serve the new generation. Millennials
New Book Debunks Common Myths About Millennials in the Workplace
It's no surprise that managers, HR gurus, and the media misinterpret this new generation. The Millennials are nothing like the earlier generations of Boomers or Gen Xers.
Great Falls, VA (PRWEB) July 14, 2010
With Boomers on the verge of retirement, organizations are gearing up to hire large numbers of young Millennial employees—a fact that has most employers throwing up their hands. Complaints about this incoming generation abound. A 2009 Pew Research Center study found that a majority of older Americans believe today’s young adults are inferior to them in moral values, work ethic, and respect for others. Each month, media stories criticize Millennial employees for everything from poor grammar and short attention spans to flip flops and Facebook breaks.
In his new book "Millennials in the Workplace: Human Resource Strategies for a New Generation" leading generational expert Neil Howe turns this downbeat message on its head. Managers and the media have it all wrong, contends Howe: Today’s rising youth workforce is not a liability and a challenge, but an asset and an opportunity.
Ever wonder why these Millennials are so different?
It’s no surprise that managers, HR gurus, and the media misinterpret this new generation. As Millennials in the Workplace explains, the Millennials (born 1982-2004) are nothing like the earlier generations of Boomers (born 1943-1960) or Gen Xers (born 1961-1981).
“They are pressured and programmed,” explains Howe. “They are special and sheltered, bonded to their parents and networked to their friends. They want structure and instant feedback. And they expect to be doted on and served.” Quite different from the Gen Xers, Millennials work well in teams and have complete confidence in their future. Adds Howe, “They fear risk and dread failure, and they have pretty conventional life goals. Above all, they want the system to work!”
Howe offers insights and solutions for employers, educators, and policy makers.
Millennials in the Workplace provides cutting-edge strategies to help organizations recruit, retain, and motivate today’s incoming youth workforce.
Howe explains what’s behind this newMillennial wave—how increasing societal attention, parental involvement, and pressure to succeed have shaped the collective personality of today’s youth. He identifies seven core traits that define this generation: special, sheltered, confident, team oriented, conventional, pressured, and achieving.
Millennials in the Workplace offers a clear vision of how Millennials are changing the employment and hiring environment in America, including the rise of internships and early career planning, the new interest in community service initiatives, and managers’ complaints over “spoiled” young workers who lack “soft” workplace skills.
Howe offers a hands-on list of “what to dos” for employers, educators, and policy makers. He explains what many employers are doing wrong with Millennials—and what some companies are beginning to do right, from co-recruiting parents to implementing tight cycles of feedback to ramping up long-term benefits.
Howe authored Millennials in the Workplace with Reena Nadler, a Millennial employee of LifeCourse Associates.
About the Author
A national speaker and best-selling author, Neil Howe is America’s foremost expert on generations. Howe has coauthored many bestselling books with William Strauss, including "Generations" (1991), "The Fourth Turning" (1997), and "Millennials Rising" (2000). His "Recruiting Millennials Handbook" (2000) served as a guidebook for every branch of the U.S. military. "Millennials Go to College" (2003, 2007) has earned him speaking invitations at every major collegiate association, and "Millennials and the Pop Culture" (2006) is helping the entertainment industry navigate the shoals of its fast-changing market. "Millennials in K-12 Schools" (2007) explains the new youth and parental expectations to K-12 teachers and administrators.
The original coiner of the term “Millennial Generation,” Howe has redefined how America thinks about its post-Gen-X youth. His work on Millennials has been featured on CBS's "60 Minutes" and the PBS "Generation Next 2.0" special by Judy Woodruff.
About LifeCourse Associates
Howe and his longtime co-author William Strauss co-founded LifeCourse Associates, a publishing, speaking, and consulting company built around their generational discoveries. LifeCourse Associates has served over two hundred clients in a wide range of sectors—from Nike to Merrill Lynch, from Disney to the U.S. Marine Corps, from MTV and Paramount Pictures to the American Petroleum Institute and Ford Motor Company. A dozen federal agencies have turned to LifeCourse for strategic help, as have over a hundred colleges and K-12 school systems.
Note to Editors
More information is available at our Media Kit page.
Story ideas that relate to the book content include: "No More 'McJobs' for These Young Adults." Today’s young employees have short time horizons and can’t wait to “job hop” at the first opportunity—or at least that’s the perception. Turns out it’s a misperception, and one that is seriously hurting employers. Surveys show that most Millennials want to bond with an employer who will partner with them to achieve lifelong career goals, and typically job hop only when they’re convinced that their employer is not offering the right long-term opportunities. In his new book, Neil Howe explains how top employers have stopped high turnover by showing their commitment to young workers’ long-term career paths and offering variety in a structured environment.
"Is the 'Me Generation' a Myth?" Everyone’s heard the assertion: Millennials demand unrealistic praise and encouragement from managers because they are entitled, egotistical, and self-oriented. A new book argues that this “me generation” trope is nothing but a myth. Yes, these young workers want tight cycles of feedback, explains author Neil Howe—but only to ensure that they’re doing exactly what their managers want. The Millennials also want to bring a culture of recognition into workplace environments that they see as far too cynical. So are “employee of the day” ceremonies here to stay? Howe explains how some employers are ramping up a new kind of feedback that raises the tone of the organization without inflating egos.
"With Millennials, 'Soft' Skills Don't Have to Mean Hard Times for Managers." Many managers believe that Millennial employees disrespect the rules of the office. Why else would they dress inappropriately, show up late, chatter on cell phones, and flub formal business letters? But according to Neil Howe, the problem is not disrespect. Millennials have never been taught “soft” workplace skills like appropriate dress and communication, or don’t know when or where to apply them, explains Howe. By understanding the real problem, employers can actually do something about it. Howe’s new book brims with examples of how employers have remedied soft-skills deficiencies by developing explicit policies about required dress and behavior, and by formally training young workers.
Contact: Rob Nissen Nissen Public Relations 973-410-1234
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Boris on Entrepreneurship, Failure and Starting a Business in a Weekend
Boris on Entrepreneurship, Failure and Starting a Business in a Weekend
By Zee Follow Zee on twitter on July 13th, 2010Besides being one of the founders of The Next Web, Boris has also started several other companies in the past. A few weeks ago, he was interviewed on Open Thread Radio, presented by Kemal Rijken, about entrepreneurship, failure and “how the low overheads associated with starting an online business means that it is possible to start a business in a weekend and how start-up’s should just get on with it.”
Well worth a listen, even I got engrossed after a few minutes and I’ve heard these stories countless times!
Discussion - One Comment/Pingback RSS feed for comments on this post
ReplyThe Next Web is made by a Dutch guy?
Makes me forget about the dramatic world cup final and be proud of Holland again!
Very inspiring interview!
Starting a small business » Entrepreneurship 101 Starting a Business Plan Outline
Entrepreneurship 101 Starting a Business Plan Outline
In designing the business plan you should have to define the management company, because they are there and how to compete and win new customers for themselves. Define your own commercial advantage and improving their market is the key. The operation must be well defined, with all costs of start-ups, both short and long term. You can also define the ROI and cash flow statement for $ determine the viability and innovations necessary or changes of improvement is needed in the future.
Below, for example, we designed a free proposal backbone of business! One, you can use to begin to outline the basis for connecting a building with partners, customers, consumers, investors made possible outlines the business model and creating brand.
Create and manage your business plan can help with the large, potential investors and build your partnerships and alliancesBusiness>.
[Company Name]
Company Contacts
Director's
Business Plan
Mission
A clear statement of long-term mission of your company.
Try words that help direct the growth of use of your company, but as accurate as possible.
The team
List CEO and key management by name
Include previous accomplishments to show, these are people with a track record
Combining multipleYears of experience in this area
Market Summary
Market: Past, Present and Future:
Review the changes in market share, leadership, players, market shifts, costs, quantities, or competition, offering the possibility for the success of your business.
Opportunity
Problems and opportunities:
State consumer problems, and define the nature of the product / service opportunities created by these problems.
Business Concept
Hold downTechnology, concept or strategy on which your business
Competition
Grasp the competition
Outline your company's competitive advantage
Goals and Objectives
Five-year targets
State specific measurable goals
State market share objectives
State revenue / profitability objectives
Financial Planning
High-level financial plan that defines financial model, the assumptions and annual revisions of pricesrevenues and profits expected in the next three years.
Use several slides to cover this material appropriately.
Resources Needed
Technology Requirements
Personnel requirements
Resource requirements
Financial, distribution, promotion, etc.
External requirements
Products / services / technologies that must be bought outside the company
Risks and Rewards
Risks
Take risks of the proposed project
AddressingRisk
In short, how risks are treated
Rewards
Estimate expected pay-off, especially when looking for funding opportunities
Key Issues
In the short term
Isolate key decisions and resolve issues of immediate need or short-term
In the long term
Isolate problems require long-term solution
consequences of state court
If you are looking for funding, state specific
For more information on creating business plans to read some proposalsare:
http://www.inc.com April 2004 article
Jay Smith Named Inaugural Director of the University of Maryland's New Entrepreneurship... -- COLLEGE PARK, Md., July 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --
See more news releases in: Banking & Financial Services, Education, Personnel Announcements, Domestic Policy
Jay Smith Named Inaugural Director of the University of Maryland's New Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program
Honors Student Living-Learning Entrepreneurship Initiative Launches this Fall
COLLEGE PARK, Md., July 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Jay Smith's 25-year career has taken him on four interconnected paths on both sides of the globe: as an entrepreneur, investment banker, management consultant and university faculty member. Now, those paths are converging at the University of Maryland, where Smith will lead the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program (EIP), a new living-learning initiative for freshmen and sophomore honors students.
Smith is uniquely qualified to lead the new program, which will launch this fall and serve 150 competitively selected students over a two-year period.
"EIP will be a foundational program for students," says Smith. "Being entrepreneurial and innovative gives students the chance to express themselves through their businesses while creating value for the economy and society. Entrepreneurship is a creative undertaking. Your view of the world can be expressed through your business."
Smith should know. He led the curve in providing Internet services in Japan. As an entrepreneur in the 1990s, he co-founded a multi-million dollar technology, creative services and media business in Tokyo, with clients such as the Citibank, Coca-Cola, Compaq, IBM, and Motorola, with Japanese partners such as Japan Telecom and a subsidiary of NTT.
Introducing students to entrepreneurship early in their collegiate careers, Smith says, is important. "Some of the greatest companies were founded by people between the ages of 18 and 22," Smith explains. "Look at Facebook, Dell, Microsoft, and Apple." The living-learning aspect of the program, he maintains, is also significant. "It's the same as you get in Silicon Valley, at MIT, Stanford and Harvard -- when you get high-caliber, entrepreneurial people together, it's like the energy at the World Cup -- and the creativity and output rises exponentially."
Smith was in Silicon Valley during the dot-com boom as an investment banker for Jefferies & Company, where he helped raise over $400 million for technology and media businesses and evaluated numerous venture investment opportunities for the firm.
His subsequent work in New York and Tokyo as a management consultant to technology-based companies segues into his new mentoring role for students as they develop their own business and product/service ideas.
Smith spent the last five years as associate professor of the Inamori Academy of Kagoshima (National) University in southern Japan, where he developed and taught courses in venture business, entrepreneurship, business communications, and American business and culture in a program endowed by Japanese entrepreneur Kazuo Inamori, founder of Kyocera Corporation, telecommunications firm DDI (now KDDI), and the Inamori Foundation, grantors of the Kyoto Prizes. Utilizing business presentations developed in his courses, Smith's students won both local and regional business plan competitions and were top finalists in national student and open competitions.
Smith holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School, where he focused on entrepreneurship and the management of technology. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa, with high honors and a dual major in economics and physics, from Rutgers University.
Smith saw a unique opportunity at the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech), which manages EIP in partnership with the University of Maryland Honors College. "Mtech has been successfully doing entrepreneurship and innovation for over 25 years," Smith explains. "There is a huge, established group here, a critical mass. It's like when a spaceship launches from the back of an airplane -- that's how this feels."
He also sees the current economic climate as an advantage. "Some of the most famous companies were launched during bad economic times -- partly because of necessity -- but if you can survive those times, you can survive even better when the economy turns around."
For a high-resolution picture of Jay Smith, visit: http://www.mtech.umd.edu/news/press_releases/eip_jay_smith.html.
About the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program (www.eip.umd.edu)
The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program, established by the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech), the A. James Clark School of Engineering, and the University of Maryland Honors College, provides freshmen and sophomores from all majors the opportunity to learn and live entrepreneurship and innovation. Students live together in a specialized residence hall, and through experiential learning, dynamic courses, seminars, workshops, competitions and volunteerism, students receive a world-class education in entrepreneurship and innovation. In collaboration with faculty and mentors who have successfully launched new ventures, all student teams develop an innovative idea and write a product plan.
SOURCE University of Maryland
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http://www.eip.umd.edu
Great news in the University of Maryland
Rats fed junk food pass down cancer risk through multiple generations of offspring
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-->Sign the Health Revolution Petition
Join the call for genuine health freedom in America. End FDA tyranny and Big Pharma corruption. Watch the video and sign the petition here. -->(NaturalNews) A recent study out of Georgetown University Medical Center has concluded that what you eat can affect your children's and grandchildren's health, even if they eat healthy themselves. Sonia de Assis and her colleagues observed that rats fed fatty, unhealthy food pass on an increased cancer risk to their children and grandchildren.The study, which was presented at the American Association for Cancer Research in Washington, D.C., illustrates that a fatty diet can actually contribute to "epigenetic" DNA modifications, which are inherited changes in DNA patterns. Essentially, one's offspring can inherit DNA changes caused by their parents' unhealthy diets and other environmental factors.
The findings also seem to explain why diseases like breast cancer are more likely to manifest in certain family lines and not in others. If epigenetic DNA changes are altering genes like BRCA1 and BRCA2, then this would explain why some people are more prone than others to develop certain degenerative diseases.
"We think that there may be other means of transmission that are not genetic that can account for breast cancer," explained de Assis in response to the study's findings.
And Assis' perspective is warranted based on her findings.
According to Breastcancer.org, only about 20-30 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer have any family history of breast cancer. This means that the other 70-80 percent must be developing it for reasons other than simply genetics.
If a person's parents or grandparents ate a diet rich in processed, chemical-laden foods throughout their lives, then the DNA changes that likely occurred in their bodies may be passed down to their children. Even if they themselves didn't develop cancer, the children will be more likely to develop it, based on the findings of the study.
And if the children also eat junk food diets that lack proper nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins and other necessary life components, then their children will be even more prone than they were to develop degenerative diseases like cancer.
But your personal diet and lifestyle choices are still the primary deciding factors for whether or not you develop a degenerative disease. Even if your parents and grandparents ate unhealthy diets all their lives does not mean that you have to get sick. Eating a strong, healthy diet and regularly exercising will do wonders for your health.
Sources for this story include:
http://www.newscientist.com/article...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epigen...
http://www.breastcancer.org/symptom...
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Very interesting article