Head’s Up: New IBM Study of Corporate Innovators

From time to time, I will let you know about a subject of possible interest.

The New Voice of the CIO: Insights from the Global Chief Information Officer Study is the title of an insightful forward thinking study just released by IBM. Although the focus is on identifying the personal best practices of highly innovative Chief Information Officers, the results of this study are eye-opening for all managers.

Researchers interviewed more than 2500 CIOs worldwide to compare and contrast the behaviors of low growth CIOs and their high growth colleagues. Key findings include:

• High growth CIOs devote 87 percent more of their time to enabling the business and corporate vision than do low growth CIOs

• High growth CIOs spend an impressive 55 percent of their time on activities that spur innovation. Low growth CIOs are mired in tactical execution and IT issues.

• Specific innovation activities include generating buy-in for innovative plans, implementing new technologies and managing non-technology issues.

• High growth CIOs spend 94 percent more time integrating business and technology to innovate than do low-growth CIOs

• High growth CIOs actively use collaboration and partnering technology within the IT organization 60 percent more often than low growth CIOs.

Although the research was confined to CIOs, you can use the report to challenge yourself and your thinking even if you’re in HR, logistics, purchasing, or payroll. How do these high growth CIOs find time for strategy and innovation while others are bogged down in the weeds of daily execution? How do they “decommoditize” the value they create for the organization and become indispensible? Read this report and you’ll find yourself taking notes and taking action!

A copy of the study can be obtained at http://www-935.ibm.com/services/us/cio/ciostudy/.

Interview: Rosabeth Moss Kanter

Rosabeth Moss Kanter

Kanter is the Ernest L. Arbuckle Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, specializing in strategy, innovation, and leadership for change. She advises major corporations and governments worldwide, and is the author or co-author of 18 books, including her most recently published SuperCorp: How Vanguard Companies Create Innovation, Profits, Growth, and Social Good, published by Crown Business, as well as Confidence: How Winning Streaks and Losing Streaks Begin and End, Evolve!: Succeeding in the Digital Culture of Tomorrow, Men & Women of the Corporation, The Change Masters, When Giants Learn to Dance, and World Class: Thriving Locally in the Global Economy.

Here is a brief excerpt from my interview of Kanter during which she discusses her most recent book, SuperCorp. The complete interview is also available.

Morris: What are the dominant characteristics of what you characterize as a “vanguard” company?

Kanter: First of all, they are literally “out in front” and leading the way, setting an example for other companies to follow. Their initiatives are guided and informed by well-articulated values that are essential to their business model. They use their unique strengths to provide innovative new solutions to societal challenges such as early childhood education, water safety and sanitation, employment for people with disabilities, small business development, energy conservation, and disaster relief. Their core values and principles include respect for people and concern for the environment. Overall, they derive substantial benefits in innovation and execution but – a key point – do so without direct profit motives. They have uncommonly high aspirations but even vanguard companies do not always meet their ideals all the time.

Morris: You discuss a number of exemplary companies, including Banco Real, Cemex, IBM, ICICI Bank, Omron, Procter & Gamble, Publicis Groupe, and Shirshan Bank. What business lessons can be learned from them?

Kanter: I’ve already indicated a few, notably the importance of having core values and principles that serve as a guidance system, a moral compass, literally a GPS for everyone involved. Also, the importance of respecting people as well as having a concern for the physical environment. These and other vanguard companies can serve as role models for how to establish and sustain mutually beneficial partnerships, not only between companies but also between companies and national governments and even local communities. These companies are determined to be what we would call “good citizens.” They strive to be global thinkers building global networks, in full partnership with anyone who shares their determination to respond to unmet human needs.

If you wish to read the complete interview, please contact me at interllect@mindspring.com.

You are invited to check out the resources at these Web sites:

http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/kanter/

http://hbswk.hbs.edu/faculty/rkanter.html

www.twitter.com/RosabethKanter

People do not come to you, You go out and find them — Wisdom from a book from the Nonprofit Sector

As I have shared before, I present a book synopsis monthly at the Urban Engagement Book Club for Central Dallas Ministries, led by Larry James.  This is a wonderful group – community leaders, nonprofit leaders, a few business folks, people from area churches, and a few folks just from the community.  It is the most amazing mix of people I have ever spoken to – and I love it.  (For information about these gatherings, go here).

with plenty of advice for building a larger customer base

Last week, I presented the synopsis of:  Tools for Radical Democracy:  How to Organize for Power in Your Community by Joan Minieri and Paul Getsos.  As they describe a step-by-step approach to organizing, they share some great wisdom for anyone trying to build a constituency/customer base.  Like this:

You do not wait for people to come to you.  You find partners, go out, listen, learn, and build a network of public relationships.
People do not come to you.  You go out and find them.

And when you find enough people/customers, your group grows:

You can never have too big a base.

And we all know about the need for a good elevator speech.  Here’s their description, though this would take a little longer than the 30 seconds for an elevator speech, and they use a different vocabulary:

Effective initial recruitment, the first time you talk with someone, is characterized by a strong rap.
A rap is the five-to-seven-minute conversation that introduces you and the organization.  It is your tool for approaching a person you don’t know and engaging him or her in a dialogue.

And last, some advice on how to approach issues, with a strong emphasis on “solutions” rather than on “problems:”

An issue is the solution to a problem.  A community power-building organization never organizes around the problems of individuals.  It organizes to advance solutions to collective problems that have a systemic cause.

The book has much more to offer, including the power of “groups” in an age that focuses so very much on individualism.  Though the book is very much focused on dealing with issues of societal change, there is plenty of good wisdom for any business or organization.  And if you work with people in the nonprofit sector, this is quite a valuable book.