Picture - Trends for the 2010s

by Venessa Miemis

Here are a few recurring themes that have been popping up on my radar.
(click to enlarge)



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Venessa Miemis is a Media Studies graduate student at the New School in NYC, exploring what happens at the intersection of technology, culture, and communication. Connect with her at www.emergentbydesign.com and on Twitter @venessamiemis.

Welcome to 2010 - Now What?

by Steve McKee

The best thing about hope is that it springs eternal, especially at the beginning of a new year. 2009 is behind us, 2010 lies ahead and we have to believe that the coming year will be better than the last.

There is, of course, no telling. I recall in late 2008 looking forward to the calendar turning, hoping that with a new year the craziness of that fourth quarter would settle down and enable us to rebuild our economic prospects. Alas, the recession wore on. And on. The downturn has now lasted more than two years, and it simply has to be over. Doesn't it?

Time will tell. In the meantime, those of us who have any say over investment and job creation should go about our business with the intent of bringing about growth. We don't have any other choice, really - nor would we want to do anything else. As bad as last year was, we survived, and most of our companies are leaner and meaner for it. That's the silver lining.

So we get up, we go to work, we look ahead, we make decisions, we take risks. Just as we always have, and just as we always will. As I alluded to in my final FindYourNerve.com post, we are blessed to operate within the most productive, dynamic, and resilient economic system the world has ever seen. As each of us does our part, the whole will take care of itself.

Image Credit: Witness

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Steve McKee is a BusinessWeek.com columnist, marketing consultant, and author of "When Growth Stalls: How it Happens, Why You're Stuck, and What To Do About It." Learn more about him at www.WhenGrowthStalls.com and at http://twitter.com/whengrowthstall.

10 Lessons Learned from 2009

by Holly G. Green

Wow, what a year!

2009 has come and gone, and many of us are taking a huge sigh of relief. Going through one of the worst recessions in U.S. history will certainly take the wind out of your sails. But we appear to have weathered the worst of the storm. And while the economy might not rebound with the speed and vigor we would like, it at least appears to be heading in the right direction again.

So what did we learn from the trials and tribulations of the past year? And how can we apply those lessons going forward? Here are 10 things I believe that leaders need to do differently to position their businesses for success in 2010.

1. Get used to the likelihood there will be no normal anymore. The old business world that most of us knew and loved went away with the recession, and it's not coming back. To adapt to today's business realities, question all your beliefs and assumptions, get comfortable with uncertainty, and adjust your expectations. For most, the new 'normal' will be slow and sustained growth rather than a hockey-stick curve and it will continue to surprise us.


2. Break the rules. If you're not breaking rules on a regular basis, your customers and markets have probably already left you behind. The new rule for today's chaotic markets is to constantly challenge the status quo. Don't automatically assume that what made you successful in the past will continue to make you successful in the future.


3. Recognize and minimize your "MSUs." We all constantly MSU (make stuff up) about our company, industry, and markets. During the strategic planning process, put everyone's beliefs and assumptions out on the table and ask, "What do we think we know to be absolutely true about our customers, competitors and markets? Is it still true? If not, what has changed and how do we need to respond to that change?" Get data and question your long standing beliefs constantly.


4. Embrace social media. Embracing social media can be a real competitive advantage. In addition to instantly connecting you with customers, social media enables you to "mindshare" with industry peers, demonstrate thought leadership, recruit talent and more. Study the social media habits of your customers, and use the appropriate tools to make them part of your community.


5. Expect more transparency. With the advent of social media, you can no longer control public perception by limiting information about your company and products. When you withhold information, today's bloggers, twitterers and forum posters will make it up for you. The next generation of market leaders will excel at using social media to create transparency and build trust with their key stakeholders.


6. Communicate to fill the void. Today's employees are beset with doubts, uncertainties and fears about their jobs. If you don't tell them what is going on, they will fill the void with rumors and misinformation, usually negative. Constantly let employees know where the organization is going and what your plan for winning is. In today's world, you can't over-communicate.


7. Encourage strategic thinking. Strategic planning involves a formal process whereby senior management peers into the future and charts a course of action for the organization. Strategic thinking occurs when the entire organization begins to act in concert with the strategic plan. Teach your people to anticipate opportunities and threats while managing the day-to-day tasks that fall within their scope of responsibilities.


8. Make innovation a way of life. Innovation needs to become an integral part of the way you do business, not just a one-time event. Constantly challenge the way you do things, even when they have always worked well. Strive to create new products, services and ideas that have real value for stakeholders. Look for different and novel ways to deal with ongoing challenges. Constantly seek to implement new and better ways of achieving results.


9. Slow down to go fast. In times of uncertainty, prepare to pause, focus, and plan. Learn to anticipate the unanticipated by making scenario planning part of your daily routine rather than an afterthought when plans don't pan out. Take the time to consider multiple perspectives and engage others who have diverse views. This may feel like slowing down, but will actually help you get where you want to go much faster.


10. Get back to basics. When everything around you diverts you into complexity, get back to basics. Make strategic planning a way of life in your organization. Use a strategic planning framework to drive what you do and where you focus your energies. Constantly check for internal and external forces that may impact where you're going, what you need to do and how you need to do it. Organize your day around achieving your destination, and focus on informing, inspiring and engaging others in getting there.

Those are my top 10 tips for success in 2010. I'd love to hear what you plan to do differently going forward.

Here's wishing you clarity, focus, and great success in the New Year!

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Holly is the CEO of THE HUMAN FACTOR, Inc. (www.TheHumanFactor.biz) and is a highly sought after and acclaimed speaker, business consultant, and author. Her unique approach to creating strategic agility, helping others go slow to go fast, will change your thinking.

Keys to Growth for 2010

by Mike Myatt

While today's post is short, it truly merits the attention of anyone still grappling with 2010 budget concerns. I'm going to share something with you that you might not want to hear, and quite frankly, something that will likely send your CFO straight into apoplexy. You don't grow a business by shrinking it. The key to corporate growth is not to fall into decline; hopefully not by default, but certainly not by design. If your 2010 plan is one that involves constriction, contraction, shrinkage or retraction, you should note that this is not what your clients and prospects are looking for.

Do you think your clients will be impressed that you're cutting staff, shrinking marketing budgets, eliminating service lines or any other item that they perceive as a limiting factor in your ability to help or add value? Know this: your clients and prospects will never see any form of bunker mentality as being beneficial to them. One of the great business myths is the theory of "remaining flat" - it simply is not possible. A business grows or shrinks - it gains ground on competitors, or loses ground to them. So my question to you is this: What are you specifically going to do in 2010 to better serve your clients, to continue acquiring and developing talent, to build your brand, and to grow your business? General George C. Patton said it best: "Never defend, always attack."

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Mike Myatt, is a Top CEO Coach, author of "Leadership Matters...The CEO Survival Manual", and Managing Director of N2Growth.

Playing to Win in 2010

by Mike Myatt

Since we're about to flip the calendar and move into 2010, I thought I'd provide a bit of motivation to help focus your efforts as you prepare for the new business year ahead. Today's message is not likely to please the politically correct. I'm not going to talk about competing or playing nicely, rather I'm going to address the topic of winning. Want to succeed? It's easier than you might think...just don't quit. Strip away the excuses, rationalizations, and justifications and the only thing standing between you and the attainment of your objectives, is what you see staring back at you when you look in the mirror each morning. In today's post I'll examine the benefits of playing to win.

I'm a big fan of the Die Hard movies, and the one thing you have to admire about the main character, detective John McClain (played by Bruce Willis), is that regardless of the obstacles he encounters, he just won't quit. Granted, the aforementioned example of determination against all odds comes from a fictional character, but the fact of the matter is that successful people play to win. They don't indulge themselves in half-hearted attempts destined for failure, rather they choose to focus all their efforts and energies on accomplishing their mission.

My first football coach used to say: "Don't even bother showing up if you're not going to play to win..." Mind you I tend to be a bit competitive, but even so, that phrase has stuck with me my entire life. I don't often bother with taking on an endeavor unless I plan to accomplish the task at hand, and that means not quitting until I meet the objective. It is that "refuse to lose" and "never say die" attitude that I picked-up on the playing field, and had further reinforced during my time in the military that provides me with a competitive advantage.

I have found that dedication, determination, attention to detail, commitment, and focus are the traits that have been most valuable to me throughout the years, and are therefore the strengths that I tend to play to. The good news is this...if you examine the aforementioned traits you'll quickly see that I possess no special skill, and I have no secret tricks up my sleeve. Rather the things that have allowed me to serve my clients well, are things that anyone can harness and leverage if they have one thing...the desire to do so.

I could certainly paint a more complex picture of what it takes to be successful by citing esoteric management theories, but the truth of the matter is that I just don’t quit until I get the job done. I don't spend my time complaining about the challenges and obstacles, rather I spend my time solving problems and creating solutions. If my objective is to get to the other side of the wall, I don't really care if I go over the wall, under the wall, around the wall or through the wall...I just care that I get to the other side. While I might spend a bit of time evaluating the most efficient strategy for getting to the other side of said wall, it will ultimately be my focus on the tactical execution of conquering the challenge that will determine my success. A bias toward action is always a better path than falling prey to analysis paralysis.

I once played an entire half of a football game with a broken ankle, early on in my first entrepreneurial venture I found myself at a critical nexus and chose to liquidate personal assets to meet payroll, I've gone as many as 4 days in a row without sleeping to stay the course and solve a critical issue, I've led teams to achieve things that others said couldn't be accomplished, I've kept my family a priority having raised two wonderful children and having been married for 25 years and the list could go on...My point in describing these actions is not to pat myself on the back for anyone could have done these things, but the reality is that most people don't. They choose to accept defeat...they don't play to win...They aren't willing to do what it takes to be successful...they quit.

Quitting is a temptation that all of us are consistently confronted with. The reason that so many people become a casualty of giving up, is because they can. Put simply, quitting is one of the easiest things to do in life. If you take your eye off the ball, even if only momentarily, all it takes for most people to throw in the towel is a tinge of anger, humiliation, panic, rejection, stress, frustration, hurt, pain, jealousy, sorrow or anguish. Look back on your live, or the lives of others, and you'll find numerous instances of people who took the easy way out and just quit. You'll also find that it is those people who stayed the course, who overcame the challenges and barriers, and who stayed the course that have succeeded in life.

My message to you for as we enter 2010 is simply this: Play to win...Don't compromise your values, define your vision, refine your mission, architect your strategy, identify your objectives, set your goals, implement your tactics and engage in willful, purposeful action. Stay focused and do not quit until you've met your objectives...May your passion become your purpose, and I wish you the best of success in the year ahead.

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Mike Myatt, is a Top CEO Coach, author of "Leadership Matters...The CEO Survival Manual", and Managing Director of N2Growth.

Five Ways to Prepare for 2010

by Matt Heinz

I can't believe it's already December, and 2009 is almost gone. That means it won't be long before the holidays are over, and we're staring at a brand new month, quarter and year. Before January hits you unprepared, spend time in December both catching up and getting ready. Here are five specific things to get you started:

1. Read

• That backlog of blog posts sitting in your RSS Reader? The stack of magazines on your desk? Dig into them. You don't need to read every single article, but take time this month to catch up a bit on the reading you've wanted to do. I guarantee you'll find inspiration many times over.

2. Learn

• What skill have you wanted to learn? What new sales or marketing strategy have you wanted to get smarter about before testing for your organization? There's something youve been putting off, because you simply don't have time. What if you devoted the next 30 days to reading, practicing and testing that skill? How could that make you smarter and more successful in 2010?

3. Brainstorm

• Pick a handful of important problems or challenges. They can be things facing you personally or professionally, individually or with a group. Feel free to brainstorm on your own, but also pull friends, family or colleagues (whichever group is most appropriate) into a room with a white board to help. Even if you just take 30 minutes (our team takes as little as 10 minutes depending on the topic), with a bit of mental isolation and focus, you'll come up with something highly useful.

4. Secret Shop

• Which competitors - big or small - are creeping up on you? Which ahead of you might be within reach? How can you dig deeper, directly, into how they do business to learn what they're doing well, where they're weak, and what you can do differently to accelerate past (or further away from) them in the coming months?

5. Plan

• You've probably done some of this already for 2010, at least for your organization overall and/or for your department. But have you done it for yourself? For your career, or other professional and personal goals? What focus areas and milestones will be important to you in 2010, and what do you need to do starting in January to achieve them? Then, what do you need to do in December to hit the ground running?

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Matt Heinz is principal at Heinz Marketing, a sales & marketing consulting firm helping businesses increase customers and revenue. Contact Matt at matt@heinzmarketing.com or visit www.heinzmarketing.com.