Progress or Apocalypse?

Every generation has its world changing vs. world destroying technology.

  • In the 1800’s, it was the train. People genuinely believed that going that quickly would kill you in gruesome ways, such as your body melting.
  • In the 1960’s, we were told getting too close to a television or a microwave oven would give us cancer. More recently this same concern has arisen about mobile phones.
  • In the 1990’s, when Dolly the sheep was cloned, we became convinced that human cloning was months away.

The new battle is over Artificial Intelligence. Will it change the world as Mark Zuckerberg believes or will it destroy the world as Elon Musk believes?

As with previous inventions, AI will offer opportunities we can only dream of today. At the same time, prudence and regulation will be required as Musk suggests.

One thing that is certain, no matter who believes what or what the dangers are, AI is happening. And, those who figure out how to enhance their businesses by using AI, will be the beneficiaries.

For further reading/viewing on this topic…

We need to shift the conversation around AI before Elon Musk dooms us all

Don’t fear intelligent machines. Work with them

Why Vistage Works

Elisa K. Spain

Is it Time for a Different Approach to Strategic Planning?

This is the time of the year that most companies begin their strategic planning process.

While it’s fun to host and participate in an offsite, the end result sadly is often put on a shelf until next year.

Mostly the plan is a continuation of the last one, and mostly the plan calls for growth, usually growth that is based on internal expectations. And, unless the plan is translated into numbers and then becomes part of the budget, expectations are infrequently measured against actual outcome. No wonder the reality of strategic planning and the hope are often not aligned.

If you are interested in doing it differently this time… Chris Bradley of the McKinsey Consulting firm offers four practical suggestions to tackle the particular problem of bold forecasts and timid actions:

  1. Don’t hide the hairy back in the bottom drawer
  2. Calibrate your projected results to the outside view
  3. Build a momentum case
  4. Focus on moves, not promises

This short article Hockey Stick Dreams and Hairy Back Reality should be required reading for anyone who makes plans, or is charged with approving them.

 

Why Vistage Works

Elisa K. Spain

Why Do We Celebrate Labor Day?

When the first nationally recognized Labor Day was celebrated in 1894, the day consisted of a street parade sending up a message of “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations” (in the words of the AFL).

We have come a long way since then. Today most employers focus on offering opportunities and benefits to attract and retain talent; as a result, the need for unions has diminished and few remain.

Yet we still celebrate the day as a national holiday. Perhaps it is simply tradition, or the acknowledgment of the end of summer. Or a reminder to celebrate how far we have come as a nation of leaders and followers, where two-way communication has become much more the norm than work place “negotiations”.

So, as you enjoy your family barbecues, or however you celebrate the day, I encourage you to pause and ask yourself:

  • As a leader, what can I do tomorrow to let each member of my team know they are valued and are essential to our success?
  • As a follower, what I can do tomorrow to let my boss know what else I can do to add value to the success of our company?

Why Vistage Works

Elisa K. Spain