Steve Neiderhauser

NoNo the Penguin

If you discovered an entertaining method to learn the ways of a change agent would you jump on it. Because our world is moving faster and faster with each passing day, your answer should probably be "Yes, I want to master the art of change."

Lucky for you, John Kotter has written a story called Our Iceberg Is Melting. Its about a colony of penguins who learn their iceberg is no longer a safe place to live. How does this melting-iceberg-cute-penguin story help you?

Well, story is like a central IV to your brain.  Story delivers insights that help you navigate this ambiguous world. Professor Kotter deftly uses story techniques to capture your imagination and inspire you.

Let's consider one of the characters — NoNo the penguin.

How did NoNo get his name.  One theory suggested his first words as a baby were not "Ma" or "Pa," but "No, No."  This perturbing penguin objected to every idea Fred (hero of the story who wants to save penguin colony from melting iceberg) came up with to solve the melting iceberg problem.

I told a coworker about NoNo the penguin. He replied, "Yes, we had a NoNo at the last place I worked.  That guy hated new ideas."  I bet you've endured more than one NoNo during your career.  In the IceBerg story, NoNo is an archetype.  Story consultant, James Bonnet calls this the holdfast or threshold guardian archetype.

If you're unable to overcome the resistance created by a holdfast, you may not be up to the challenge or ready to receive the benefits of change.

Show, Don't Tell

For a change effort to succeed, you'll need to do more showing than telling. Here again, John Kotter's story delivers.  Instead of lecturing that demonstrations are more effective than a briefcase of facts, Kotter creates a scene for Fred, showing the future of the iceberg.  To prove the melting ice could fracture into thousands of ice chunks, Fred fills a bottle with water and leaves it out overnight.

At dawn's first light, Fred retrieves the bottle and displays it for doubting penguins to see.  Shock rocks the penguins. The bottle is broken and fractured.  This could be the fate of the iceberg, and the penguins. So they take steps to act.

The hidden message? Instead of reading facts, get your audience to see, feel, act.

Our Iceberg is Melting shows Kotter's 8-step process for leading change. The story provides a context for rapidly learning the 8 steps.  You may want to share the story with a small team, and then provide the story to the entire group that must change.

Stories like Our Iceberg is Melting will help your teams develop ambidextroius skills, allowing them to switch between a story that motivates and the details needed to implement change.

Three Ways to Benefit from Apple’s Software Investment

(Note: I wrote this in 2002 and decided to post it here because I've received a lot of questions about what language to use for iPad development.  More on that in my next post)

 

Recently, several investment analysts rated Apple Computer a sell.  I have not read their analysis, but recall that analysts are not always right nor do they always understand technology.

I remember one well-known analyst who recommended Sun during the Internet craze.  He considered Sun to be a solid investment since they invented JavaScript.  Not really.  But then again is there really any difference between JavaScript and Java.  According to Mark Twain there is "The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter — it's the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning."

I tend to agree with Mr. Twain.  What's more, an understanding of technology tells us that Apple’s future looks bright.  Clearly their software strategy will play a large role in future success.

Software is the highest form of leverage a business can employ.  As you probably know, too much operating or financial leverage can increase a firm’s risk while reducing the ability to respond to changing business conditions.

Software leverage is the degree to which a company utilizes existing software in the development of new software.  Increasing software leverage reduces risk and enhances the firm’s ability to respond to change.  This is a paradox unique to software development, one that astute engineers take advantage of whenever possible by using objects.

The Subject is Objects

Object-oriented programming is a method of development that increases your ability to leverage software by reusing software objects.  Apple’s object-oriented frameworks provide trusted software that developers can use again and again.  Instead of releasing software applications riddled with errors, they can release solid new applications.

Software engineers at Next used existing objects to develop WebObjects.  WebObjects was developed in a relatively short time frame, but was also a

stable application server from the start.  Stability was derived largely from the fact that 70 percent of the software consisted of reusable trusted objects.

The same software frameworks used to build NextStep and NextStep applications.

Mac OS X uses many of the same software frameworks that were used to create the Next platform.  These frameworks along with many new frameworks are used to enhance OS X and create new applications.  Keynote, the new presentation application, was built upon software frameworks.  While building Keynote, additional objects were surely designed that can be reused by other Apple developers in myriad combinations.

The ability to use objects independently or in any combination is a rewarding way to invent products.  It’s like snapping together Lego blocks to create software.  You remember how easy it is to build a Lego house.

Apple’s Jonathan Ives tells us in a business article that other companies proffered job offers, but he has little interest in leaving Apple since all the necessary processes are in place to rapidly develop new products.

This is where the fun begins for many designers.  Once they've built the necessary infrastructure, they're able to derive immense satisfaction from creating hardware or software products rapidly.

The capacity to build software at light speed bodes well for Apple.  While objects are an interesting technical subject, how does this help you?

What This Means To You

Sure, the technology sounds cool.  How does it help you in business or at home?  Consumers are always asking, what’s in it for me? Objects are one of many OS X technical features that create user benefits:

• Enhanced versions of OS X.

• Steady flow of new applications.

• Reliable Applications

Enhanced Versions of OS X

Jaguar (the latest version of OS X) was developed in relatively short order.  The next version of OS X is due in the fall of 2003 - less than a year from Jaguar’s launch.  Apple's ability to introduce products rapidly creates a competitive advantage.

Users benefit from enhancements in several ways.  Tired of wasting your time deleting junk mail?  Use Jaguar’s Mail App to filter spam.

New Applications

iMovie and the other media applications are an example of some of the applications that have been developed for OS X.  Just as hardware needs an excellent OS, an OS needs application programs for it to have true value.

Many pundits believed that Next was hindered due to the fact that there were relatively few applications for the Next platform.  Apple is determined not to have that problem.  Evidence their latest application, Safari.  It is the fastest web browser on OS X and is only a beta version.  Other applications are sure to follow.

Reliable

OS X’s UNIX foundation and object-oriented nature make the operating system and applications more trusted and reliable.  You’ll spend less time pondering technical problems and more time solving business problems.

Summary

I have no idea where Apple’s stock price will be next year. Although, people who buy an Apple Computer will receive dividends for years to come.

Apple’s design philosophy creates options and leverage.  As long as Apple correctly positions products, they have the vehicle to drive significant benefits to customers.

Imagine the enormous investment Apple has made in software.  An investment that enables rapid software development that directly benefits OS X users.

What if you’re stuck on another operating system where the updates and benefits flow to you like blackstrap molasses on a Winter day?

 

Simply switch to OS X.

Confluence Wiki

Being part of a team that persuaded a company to start using a Confluence Wiki, I was delighted to see how effortless it was for people to start using Confluence  − Almost zero training.

Agents of change understand that easy to use means easy to change behaviors.

 

Agile Architecture

When I'm coaching Agile projects, people often ask how to handle architecture when all the requirements are not defined up front.

Scott Ambler gives us 13 Agile architecture strategies.  My advice is to pick two or three and start practicing them.  As you practice, your understanding will grow and embolden you to use many more.

 

Trends for Software Engineers

Global Knowledge lists 10 areas of growth for software professionals.  The skills for a software engineer have shifted to the following set:

Cloud-based applications will be big in the coming years, and that means software engineers will need new skills to design, develop, and implement programs that run in the cloud environment. Those who are familiar with Windows Azure, Google App Engine, VMware's Spring Framework, Force.com, and other cloud development platforms will be a step ahead of the game.

Business Architect

A few weeks ago I talked about IT Departments of the future and how important architects are in Cloud Computing.  Now Seth Godin tells us to hire a business architect or become one yourself.

Just as it's become easier to snap together software components, it's also become easier to architect a business. Business components or mash ups are available to use like business Legos, still the architect must have the common sense and aesthetics to design the business and customer experiences.  Easier said than designed.

To succeed, architects must have the aptitude and imagination to think wide and far − Wide across the organization and far into the future.

Motivation

This YouTube video reveals the research and truth about motivation.  During the video he uses a software company named Atlassian to show the benefits of self-directed work.

Once a quarter employees are allowed to work on anything they want for 24 hours, and in a party atmosphere they show what they did in that timebox. This 24 hour period produces new ideas, bug fixes, and features that never would have seen the bright of day without self-directed work.

If your company is interested in an excellent enterprise wiki, check out Atlassian's Wiki, Confluence.

How to Y-Size Your Business

In Y-Size Your Business, Jason Dorsey shows us how to recruit, retain, and energize Gen Y Employees (born between 1977 and 1995). He delivers practical tips for talent management while providing the conceptual framework to support a modern-day talent pipeline.

Why do we need a talent pipeline? When you run your business like we truly live in the age of the artist, you realize that business relies little on physical assets and mostly on talent.

So let's focus on three concepts from the book that struck a talent chord with me: Influence, Technology, and Design.

Why influence? Influence is my shorthand for how Mr. Dorsey tells us to connect with Gen Y. You see, Gen Y approaches the job search differently from previous generations and has different criteria for selecting an employer. Jason describes ten hot buttons that instantly connect with Gen Y job seekers and help you enlist top talent.

Two hot buttons I like — Creativity and Opportunity. Let job seekers know they will have the freedom to be creative at work and pursue innovative solutions. And for the Opportunity button, connect the dots and show the path to advancement. People like to know the exact steps they need to take to be promoted.

It's all about the talent. Ever since we entered the Information Age decades ago, in reality, it's always been about the talent. Doesn't matter what any company thinks or does, it's still about the talent.

So when I say influence, I mean that to grab someone's attention you typically need to meet them where they're at and lead them. In addition to giving ten key characteristics or qualities of Gen Y, Jason gives you detailed instructions on how to match up with these qualities.

Technology plays a key role in how a generation develops. A couple months ago I read an article telling companies to hire Gen Y employees because they would know how to use technology to create a business advantage. I found this notion rather fanciful because there's probably only a handful of good CIOs who are able to transform technology into an advantage.

Jason showcases his wisdom with this sage insight:

Older generations think that Gen Y is tech savvy. This is 100 percent not true. Gen Y is not tech savvy, we are tech dependent. Important difference. We don't know how technology works. We just know we can't live without it.

As this San Franciso Chronicle article suggests, technology has the ability to shape our minds and actions at work. Gen Y likes instant feedback, and they may be predisposed to tight feedback loops because the technology they grew up with gave them this feature in spades. By the way, the presentation secrets that Steve Jobs uses, fits with the needs of Gen Y (get to the point, short segments).

The final concept I mentioned is design. Employees are your internal customers. And just as you should design memorable experiences for your paying customers, you should also design remarkable experiences for your employees. Experiences that make your new hires blog, tweet and text to their friends about what a great company they work for.

It's obvious that Mr. Dorsey also has design experience — He provides well-designed employee experiences, including the all important first day of work, that you can use for your company. It's important for both employee and employer to make a good first impression.

For if you don't put your best foot forward the other may not have a chance to follow.

Hold the Interview

Dan Heath and Chip Heath provide evidence in this Fast Company article that the interview process may not find the most qualified people for your company.

Instead, the past performance of a person is the best indicator of future performance. Asking a person to perform a job test and demonstrate his skills helps discover the true stars.

As a person interviewing for a job, you can't count on the company to always give you the opportunity to demonstrate your skills. So I suggest you do what many graphic artists do — Start to build a portfolio of your accomplishments. Lead the high-profile projects in your company and then create a visual of your success. This could be a graph of the costs you cut for the next 12 months or the revenue you generated over the next year. You could also draw a Venn diagram to show how the intersection of your skills creates a distinct advantage for your new employer.

And when you're in the interview, go into demo mode at your first opportunity. Treat the interview as a consulting opportunity and show the hiring company how new technologies or a new marketing plan will drive customers to its doorstep.

How to Think Like Leonardo....

Di Caprio? Nope. I'm talking about Da Vinci, of course.

In How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci, author Michael Gelb suggests that we follow Da Vinci's example and cultivate ambidexterity:

When Michelangelo was working on the Sistine Chapel, he astounded observers by switching his paintbrush from one hand to the other as he worked. Leonardo, a natural left-hander, cultivated this same ambidexterity and regularly switched hands when working on The Last Supper and other masterpieces. When I interviewed Professor Raymond Dart and asked him for his recommendations on the development of human potential, he responded, "Balance the body, balance the brain. The future lies with the ambidextrous human!"

In business, it's important to hire ambidextrous employees — people who have business and technology skills. For they can imagine the future. If you don't employ multi-talented professionals, you lose out on business oportunities that cannot be imagined by the linear worker.

Back to Leonardo. The artist not the actor. While reading Gelb's book I chanced upon the enchanting story of Leonardo's unfinished horse.

Leonardo was commissioned to build a 24-foot bronze horse by the Duke of Sforza. Alas, the Horse was not to be. After much work, Leonardo completed a clay model, and the Horse was ready for casting. France invaded Milan, however, and French archers used the clay horse for target practice, reducing it to a clump of clay. It's said that Leonardo never got over the destruction of the Horse.

After reading an article in National Geographic entitled "The Horse That Never Was," Charles Dent was inspired to start a foundation to finish the horse.

Ironically, Dent died when the Horse was in the same stage of production (model completed and acclaimed, but not yet cast) as when it was destroyed by the French archers.

Before he died, the foundation promised Dent that The Horse would be completed.

On September 10, 1999, 500 years from the day the original model was destroyed, the dream became reality. Il Cavallo — The Statue of Liberty for Creativity — was reborn in Milan as a tribute to the da Vincian love of truth and beauty.

When a renaissance man's dream gallops through the mist of time and takes center stage in Milan, you know that ambidextrous men and women hold power in their hands.

An American Horse was also cast.

Note: I wrote this post four years ago. Now, in a world where change and uncertainty are accelerating, the ability to see patterns and make your vision come true are more relevant and powerful than ever.