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Hopefully, you are having a happy holiday season.

Technology is changing how I prepare this year.  A major portion of my gift purchases happened online, rather than in-person.  What about you?

 

I did go to the malls; and what I found was lots of parking spaces and deals that I could easily better with an internet connection.

It will be interesting to see how consumers spent, and which retailers were naughty and nice.

Here are a few of the other things I noticed recently.

The Christmas Lights Economic Indicator?

In past years, my neighborhood was a flashing Wonderland of Christmas lights.  This year, the displays are much more down-to-earth.  Are people feeling less jolly?  My guess is that fewer people chose to pay someone to hang the lights for them.

The Blockbuster Indicator?

When I went to see Avatar, on its opening day at the theater, a quarter of the seats were empty.   Box Office Mojo reports that the opening numbers were respectable, though not phenomenal.  The reviews have been great … so perhaps fewer people chose to pay the $3 per ticket premium to see this movie in 3D because they are more in touch with their budgets and spending limits.

Hopefully, you are having a happy holiday season.

Technology is changing how I prepare this year.  A major portion of my gift purchases happened online, rather than in-person.  What about you?

 

I did go to the malls; and what I found was lots of parking spaces and deals that I could easily better with an internet connection.

It will be interesting to see how consumers spent, and which retailers were naughty and nice.

Here are a few of the other things I noticed recently.

The Christmas Lights Economic Indicator?

In past years, my neighborhood was a flashing Wonderland of Christmas lights.  This year, the displays are much more down-to-earth.  Are people feeling less jolly?  My guess is that fewer people chose to pay someone to hang the lights for them.

The Blockbuster Indicator?

When I went to see Avatar, on its opening day at the theater, a quarter of the seats were empty.   Box Office Mojo reports that the opening numbers were respectable, though not phenomenal.  The reviews have been great … so perhaps fewer people chose to pay the $3 per ticket premium to see this movie in 3D because they are more in touch with their budgets and spending limits.

I highly recommend seeing James Cameron's new movie, Avatar, in 3-D.  It was terrific … much better than I hoped or expected.

It was so good that none of us would leave to refill the popcorn … And my wife didn't use the bathroom once (which means you should expect Avatar to win a bunch of Oscars).

The story and underlying message were good. Yet, that isn't why people will flock to see it. This is one of those
"you have to watch this on a big screen" movies. It is a spectacle.

Enjoy it for what it
is … And later, think about how many cool technologies you saw the
characters use that you can't wait for someone to develop in this
world.  Visionary and very cool.

Here is a short example of what to expect.

Not All 3-D is Created Equal.

The CGI effects were way better than I expected.  Frankly it was hard to tell what was "real" and what wasn't.  The unsung hero, though, was the 3-D technology.  It was far and away the best I've seen, because it seemed real and natural, rather than a gimmick.  It was so good, you forget it is in 3D.

In contrast, the Dallas Cowboys handed out the older blue and red filmed 3-D glasses at their game against the San Diego Chargers last week.  The idea was to use the giant screen to show 3-D replay highlights. 

Here is a picture of people trying to use them at the game.  At first, it was novel.  However, as you might have guessed, watching the live game with the glasses was almost impossible.  After a few minutes, the crowd started booing until the stadium switched back to regular graphics.

After watching Avatar, though, I expect to see a lot more 3-D content. Major manufacturers are betting on it too. The technology is getting better … And so is the experience.

Other Resources:

• Here is a link to the main Avatar Movie website.
• Here is a link to the Avatar Pandorapedia.  Yes, that's like Wikipedia for geeks.
• Here is a link to Avatar News and Trailers.
• Here are some reviews.

I highly recommend seeing James Cameron's new movie, Avatar, in 3-D.  It was terrific … much better than I hoped or expected.

It was so good that none of us would leave to refill the popcorn … And my wife didn't use the bathroom once (which means you should expect Avatar to win a bunch of Oscars).

The story and underlying message were good. Yet, that isn't why people will flock to see it. This is one of those
"you have to watch this on a big screen" movies. It is a spectacle.

Enjoy it for what it
is … And later, think about how many cool technologies you saw the
characters use that you can't wait for someone to develop in this
world.  Visionary and very cool.

Here is a short example of what to expect.

Not All 3-D is Created Equal.

The CGI effects were way better than I expected.  Frankly it was hard to tell what was "real" and what wasn't.  The unsung hero, though, was the 3-D technology.  It was far and away the best I've seen, because it seemed real and natural, rather than a gimmick.  It was so good, you forget it is in 3D.

In contrast, the Dallas Cowboys handed out the older blue and red filmed 3-D glasses at their game against the San Diego Chargers last week.  The idea was to use the giant screen to show 3-D replay highlights. 

Here is a picture of people trying to use them at the game.  At first, it was novel.  However, as you might have guessed, watching the live game with the glasses was almost impossible.  After a few minutes, the crowd started booing until the stadium switched back to regular graphics.

After watching Avatar, though, I expect to see a lot more 3-D content. Major manufacturers are betting on it too. The technology is getting better … And so is the experience.

Other Resources:

• Here is a link to the main Avatar Movie website.
• Here is a link to the Avatar Pandorapedia.  Yes, that's like Wikipedia for geeks.
• Here is a link to Avatar News and Trailers.
• Here are some reviews.

Two business thought leaders that I highly recommend are Verne Harnish and Jim Collins. 

They both wrote books I love.  Verne' "Rockefeller Habits" is terrific.  And Jim's "Good to Great" and "Built to Last" are both classics.

Recently, I heard Jim Collins talk about his new book, "How the Mighty Fall – And Why Some Companies Never Give In". It's a quick read makes a lot of sense.

Before I talk about the book, here are three things he said that caught my attention. Even out of context they are worth repeating:

1. It's better to be interested, than to be interesting.
2. Don't worry about survival or success; instead, wrestle with how to be useful.
3. Great leaders don't always know the answers … they are, however, great at knowing great questions.

The Point of the Book: Keep-Up the Disciplines that Make You Great.

One of the key points was to be terrified of your success. Not because success is bad, in-and-of-itself. Rather, because success often takes you away from the disciplines of building greatness.

The difference between good and great is often a culture of discipline and a focus on having the right people filling the key seats in the company.

It is One Thing to Have the Right People On the Bus … How Well Are Your "Key Seats" Filled?

How many "Key Seats" are there in your company? Perhaps more importantly, ask yourself what percent of these Key Seats do you have empirical proof, and confidence, that the right people are already in-place, doing the right job? Then, ask yourself whether the percentage is increasing, decreasing, or holding steady? 

If this is important to your company … what are you going to do about it?  And how often are you going to focus on this?

Most Companies Measure and Manage the Wrong Things.

Another point he stressed was that what gets measured, gets managed. However, one of the disciplines of greatness is to get beyond measuring what's easy, to define what needs measurement and management. Recognizing the key performance indicators in the key measures of success go a long way towards moving in the right direction, together, as a company.

Agree to A Committed Action.

He reminds that great companies are not without disagreement. Instead, they use it as a catalyst to see issues from different perspectives, to get tough conversations out into the open, and then commit to a course of action. Not everyone has to agree with the course of action; yet, everyone should have clarity about what they are agreeing to and what course of action will be.

"How the Mighty Fall – And Why Some Companies Never Give In"?

One of the main points of his new book is the downturns are predictable and to some extent, inevitable; however, it doesn't have to be fatal. In fact, it can be the catalyst to the next round of growth on the path to greatness.

He asks the question: "Why do truly great companies limit growth and set absolute minimum standards, which must be exceeded?" Here is a high-level view of the answer. 

• It ultimately comes down to rigorous strategic thinking.
• It means knowing what you do, and doing it well.
• It means having an important stretch goal, and pursuing it in a disciplined manner. 
• And it means doing all this with the right people, doing the right jobs, and great management.

Bottom Line: Stay disciplined … and keep the Main Thing, the main thing.

Two business thought leaders that I highly recommend are Verne Harnish and Jim Collins. 

They both wrote books I love.  Verne' "Rockefeller Habits" is terrific.  And Jim's "Good to Great" and "Built to Last" are both classics.

Recently, I heard Jim Collins talk about his new book, "How the Mighty Fall – And Why Some Companies Never Give In". It's a quick read makes a lot of sense.

Before I talk about the book, here are three things he said that caught my attention. Even out of context they are worth repeating:

1. It's better to be interested, than to be interesting.
2. Don't worry about survival or success; instead, wrestle with how to be useful.
3. Great leaders don't always know the answers … they are, however, great at knowing great questions.

The Point of the Book: Keep-Up the Disciplines that Make You Great.

One of the key points was to be terrified of your success. Not because success is bad, in-and-of-itself. Rather, because success often takes you away from the disciplines of building greatness.

The difference between good and great is often a culture of discipline and a focus on having the right people filling the key seats in the company.

It is One Thing to Have the Right People On the Bus … How Well Are Your "Key Seats" Filled?

How many "Key Seats" are there in your company? Perhaps more importantly, ask yourself what percent of these Key Seats do you have empirical proof, and confidence, that the right people are already in-place, doing the right job? Then, ask yourself whether the percentage is increasing, decreasing, or holding steady? 

If this is important to your company … what are you going to do about it?  And how often are you going to focus on this?

Most Companies Measure and Manage the Wrong Things.

Another point he stressed was that what gets measured, gets managed. However, one of the disciplines of greatness is to get beyond measuring what's easy, to define what needs measurement and management. Recognizing the key performance indicators in the key measures of success go a long way towards moving in the right direction, together, as a company.

Agree to A Committed Action.

He reminds that great companies are not without disagreement. Instead, they use it as a catalyst to see issues from different perspectives, to get tough conversations out into the open, and then commit to a course of action. Not everyone has to agree with the course of action; yet, everyone should have clarity about what they are agreeing to and what course of action will be.

"How the Mighty Fall – And Why Some Companies Never Give In"?

One of the main points of his new book is the downturns are predictable and to some extent, inevitable; however, it doesn't have to be fatal. In fact, it can be the catalyst to the next round of growth on the path to greatness.

He asks the question: "Why do truly great companies limit growth and set absolute minimum standards, which must be exceeded?" Here is a high-level view of the answer. 

• It ultimately comes down to rigorous strategic thinking.
• It means knowing what you do, and doing it well.
• It means having an important stretch goal, and pursuing it in a disciplined manner. 
• And it means doing all this with the right people, doing the right jobs, and great management.

Bottom Line: Stay disciplined … and keep the Main Thing, the main thing.

My son won't use e-mail the way I did. So how will people communicate and collaborate in the next wave of communications?

 Here is a peek into the difference that is taking hold.  I was looking at recent phone use.  The numbers you are about to see are from the first 20 days of our current billing cycle.

• My wife, Jennifer, has used 21 text messages and 38 MB of data.
• I have used 120 text messages and 29 MB of data.
• My son, at college, used 420 text messages, and is on a WiFi campus so doesn't use 3G data.
• My son, in high school, used 5,798 text messages and 472 MB of data.

How can that be?  That level of emotional sluttiness makes porn seem downright wholesome. 

But, of course, that isn't how he sees it.  He is holding many conversations at once.  Some are social; some are about the logistics of who, what, when, where and why … some are even about homework.  Yet, most don't use full sentences, let alone paragraphs.  There is near instant gratification.  And, the next generation of business people will consider this normal.

Is social media a fad? Or is it the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution?

Welcome to the World of Socialnomics.  This video has a bunch of interesting statistics … and is fun to watch. 

Other Resources:

• Here is a link to a short-version of this video.
• This reminds me of the "Shift Happens!" video.
• Worth Looking At … Here are the Stats.

My son won't use e-mail the way I did. So how will people communicate and collaborate in the next wave of communications?

 Here is a peek into the difference that is taking hold.  I was looking at recent phone use.  The numbers you are about to see are from the first 20 days of our current billing cycle.

• My wife, Jennifer, has used 21 text messages and 38 MB of data.
• I have used 120 text messages and 29 MB of data.
• My son, at college, used 420 text messages, and is on a WiFi campus so doesn't use 3G data.
• My son, in high school, used 5,798 text messages and 472 MB of data.

How can that be?  That level of emotional sluttiness makes porn seem downright wholesome. 

But, of course, that isn't how he sees it.  He is holding many conversations at once.  Some are social; some are about the logistics of who, what, when, where and why … some are even about homework.  Yet, most don't use full sentences, let alone paragraphs.  There is near instant gratification.  And, the next generation of business people will consider this normal.

Is social media a fad? Or is it the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution?

Welcome to the World of Socialnomics.  This video has a bunch of interesting statistics … and is fun to watch. 

Other Resources:

• Here is a link to a short-version of this video.
• This reminds me of the "Shift Happens!" video.
• Worth Looking At … Here are the Stats.

Do You Have a Habit of Creating Habits?

I do; I'm a creature of habit more often than I like to admit.

For example, I tend to order the same thing at restaurant each time I go there. So, when I want good pizza, I go to Parma's; and when I want a great burger, I go to Mooyah.

By the way, that is a picture of my son eating a 4-Stack, one-pound burger (and me remembering when I could do that too).

Habits happen at work too.  As a trader, I draw charts a certain way, prefer certain patterns, and respond predictably to certain emotional triggers.

What habits do you have?   Perhaps more important to ask is: What percent of your habits have become so habitual that you no longer notice that they are habits?

Relying On a Routine is a Blessing and a Curse.

I'm typically a happy person. I feel like I roll with the punches well. Part of that is "true"; and a bigger part is due to creating a routine that supports my natural rhythms.

An Exception Highlights the Rule: This week my brother had a baby, and I made a quick trip to LA with the family to celebrate. Even though it was a happy occasion, it is pretty clear that when I travel, and my routine is interrupted, I am much easier to upset.

On the other hand, I'm also much more likely to experience something new when I'm taken out of my routine.

Too Much of a Good Thing. How Can Relying On Your Best Qualities Hurt you?

How many opportunities to create something better do you miss because you like doing what you are doing?  A related question is how many opportunities do you miss because you don't recognize the rut you are in?

There are several types of progress; for example, Process Improvement and Discontiguous Innovation. In Process Improvement, creating habits and routines is the stated purpose … choosing the right ones is the art.  With Discontiguous Innovation, it is about leaving the old behind and simply finding a way to get a better result. In my experience the hardest part often simply is remembering that there might be a better way.

Routine is fine as long as it is a conscious choice.
Otherwise, it can limit your options unnecessarily.

Do You Have a Habit of Creating Habits?

I do; I'm a creature of habit more often than I like to admit.

For example, I tend to order the same thing at restaurant each time I go there. So, when I want good pizza, I go to Parma's; and when I want a great burger, I go to Mooyah.

By the way, that is a picture of my son eating a 4-Stack, one-pound burger (and me remembering when I could do that too).

Habits happen at work too.  As a trader, I draw charts a certain way, prefer certain patterns, and respond predictably to certain emotional triggers.

What habits do you have?   Perhaps more important to ask is: What percent of your habits have become so habitual that you no longer notice that they are habits?

Relying On a Routine is a Blessing and a Curse.

I'm typically a happy person. I feel like I roll with the punches well. Part of that is "true"; and a bigger part is due to creating a routine that supports my natural rhythms.

An Exception Highlights the Rule: This week my brother had a baby, and I made a quick trip to LA with the family to celebrate. Even though it was a happy occasion, it is pretty clear that when I travel, and my routine is interrupted, I am much easier to upset.

On the other hand, I'm also much more likely to experience something new when I'm taken out of my routine.

Too Much of a Good Thing. How Can Relying On Your Best Qualities Hurt you?

How many opportunities to create something better do you miss because you like doing what you are doing?  A related question is how many opportunities do you miss because you don't recognize the rut you are in?

There are several types of progress; for example, Process Improvement and Discontiguous Innovation. In Process Improvement, creating habits and routines is the stated purpose … choosing the right ones is the art.  With Discontiguous Innovation, it is about leaving the old behind and simply finding a way to get a better result. In my experience the hardest part often simply is remembering that there might be a better way.

Routine is fine as long as it is a conscious choice.
Otherwise, it can limit your options unnecessarily.