Drucker-Savvy “Leadership”

This week I will be participating in the Global Peter Drucker Forum (#GPDF17); dialoguing with speakers, participants and Drucker Challenge winners about the conference theme: Growth and Inclusive Prosperity. This is my third Drucker Forum and I am looking forward to learning and sharing insights with top management thinkers and practitioners: thought leaders, writers, consultants, CEOs, students, teachers and entrepreneurs.

I have written about the “cult of leadership” and I see it prevalent every day in organizations. My goal, this week, is to unpack more inclusive management practices as well as effective strategies for managing an organization in a world that is constantly changing. No geniuses, no “administration”, no so-called leaders; real human beings ensuring that real human beings can realize their full potential – and by extension their organization’s full potential – through solid yet iterative practices, processes and measurements.

My recent article for Forbes Mexico pulls ideas around social ecology, VUCA and the theme of the Drucker Forum together for a Latin American audience.

And growth and inclusion is really what needs to be talked about and implemented. Not just from “leaders” or “theorists” but as a question of  how we as managers and as organizational thinkers and doers can ensure that organizations don’t need geniuses or superhumans to manage it. Drucker said institutions  “must be organized in such a way as to be able to get along under a leadership composed of average human beings.”

Human beings. That is what we are. Take away titles and offices and paycheques. We must find better solutions for growth and learning by more effectively connecting interests, harnessing opportunities in our complex, ambiguous, volatile and uncertain environment, and creating organizations & mechanisms that solve problems through a human centered approach that thrives on creation of value.

EMC

Savvy Sunday June 11, 2017

“You don’t convince people by challenging their longest and most firmly held opinions. You find common ground and work from there. Or you look for leverage to make them listen. Or you create an alternative with so much support from other people that the opposition voluntarily abandons its views and joins your camp.”
— Ryan Holiday, The Obstacle Is the Way

Savvy Saturday April 1st, 2017

Leadership is absolutely about inspiring action, but it is also about guarding against mis-action. – Simon Sinek

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(Note: Today’s quote is about leadership in light of presidential elections tomorrow in Quito, Ecuador).

If you follow one blog…

“Care a little more.

Show up.

Embrace possibility.

Tell the truth.

Dive deeper.

Seek the truth behind the story.

Ask the difficult question.

Lend a hand.

Dance with fear.

Play the long game.

Say ‘no’ to hate.

Look for opportunities, especially when it seems like there aren’t any left.

Risk a bigger dream.

Take care of the little guy.

Offer a personal insight.

Build something magical.

Keep your promises.

Do work that matters.

Expect more.

Sign your work.

Be generous for no reason.

Give the benefit of the doubt.

Develop empathy.

Make your mom proud.

Take responsibility.

Give credit.

Play by a better set of rules.

Choose your customers.

Choose your reputation.

Choose your future.

Thank the ref.

Reward patience.

Leap.

Breathe.

Because we can.

It really is up to us. Which is great, because we’re capable of changing everything if we choose.

All we can do is all we can do, but maybe, all we can do is enough.”

I opened my email up this morning and found this inspiring message from Seth Godin. Subscribe to his blog, it is one of the best blogs that I follow!

-EMC

An end is a new beginning

“What feels like the end is often the beginning” or “one door closes, another door opens” are useful phrases to think about when a project meets its natural, or unnatural, conclusion.

With international projects, these phrases are particularly relevant. Often times we are met by closed doors on the path to success. It does not mean that the project is done but that it might need to be re-envisioned or changes in someway.

Life is dynamic. Business is always changing. So should our projects. A closed door or “end” is just an invitation to a new beginning.

-EMC

On Maneuver…

In international business, like in politics, local guides or experts are key to obtaining advantages in new markets. Here, two excerpts from the Art of War:

Sun Tzu:

Those who do not use local guides are unable to obtain the advantages of the ground.

Li Chang:

We should select the bravest officers and those who are most intelligent and keen, and using local guides, secretly traverse mountain and forest noiselessly and concealing our traces…we concentrate our wits so that we may snatch an opportunity.

Community is Viable

Now, more than ever, the power of collaboration is manifesting itself across space and time. Digital tools are helping us to create connections between seemingly disparate interests and to solve problems on a global scale. Nevertheless, in regions in development and, in particular, in Latin America, there exists a range of problems in the public and private sectors that could be solved through collaboration, innovation and excellence. Problems such as energy generation, response to natural disasters, and high school desertion to name just a few. Design thinkers say that collaboration is viable when there is a better understanding of users, a relevant place to prototype ideas and the built-in motivation to implement those ideas. If you turn this around, it holds true that if you don’t have these three elements, collaboration – and the viability of using “community” to solve problems – may just be impossible. What is happening in Latin America, then, to make “community” viable? Perhaps a closer look at these three elements can help us see why the region is falling short.

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First, when we better understand users, we can better address needs and design a product or service that fits those needs. Seems simple, but implementation of this element is difficult in high context cultures such as those that exist in the majority of countries in Latin America. In cultures that encourage alignment with social status and formal social rules, understanding users – and users in multiple interest groups – is a challenge. It involves using interviewing techniques and empathy to gain a complete understanding of stakeholders and usage. Understanding what question to ask and being able to bring the answer from various areas into context, helps form an accurate picture of users and their needs. Striving for a better understanding of users – and using multiple research methods in order to overcome cultural characteristics – is key in solving users’ problems.

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Second, designing solutions must be an interactive process. We will always need a place to work with stakeholders, test assumptions and take risks. This is why innovation centers sometimes fail: they need to work with community and not in isolation from them. Nevertheless, innovation centers in Latin America specifically are extremely useful in fostering more cross functional collaboration and mitigating some of the risks associated with large scale innovation investments in developing countries. Multinationals Dupont and BBVA as well as “multilatina” Stefanini have successfully gained insights and new products through their centers; illustrating that while innovation centers may have their drawbacks, they can be a relevant place to prototype ideas.

Finally, motivation must be present at the idea implementation phase. This means that while we may have a prototype or project, there is always more work to be done in implementing the idea. What can help with the successful implementation of the idea is community. As the old saying goes, people are more committed to that which they help build. If communities are collaborating on ideas that benefit them; they will have a higher successful implementation rate. There is also the possibility for the ideas that spread. Like a TED Talk, a good idea can spread and be implemented much faster when members of community that will benefit from the idea get involved and share their passion around a solution.

Is community viable? Yes it is. But seeing collaboration for what it is – working towards understanding users, engaging users and prototyping with users in the Prototype-Pilot-Product triad – makes community collaboration viable. In Latin America in particular, understanding these elements and their unique challenges in our region, is essential in community viability.

– EMC

Networks and Global Solutions

The first month of 2014 is drawing to a close. January has shaped up to be an interesting month for many of us. We have been able to “action” some of our New Years Resolutions and perhaps try something new in our business and in our community.

For Hipona Consulting, we are proud to be representing Scoopshot (P2S Media Solutions Ltd) in Latin America as their partner for the region.

It’s a wonderful gift to be able to combine what we love doing (connecting business and brands), with technology (the Scoopshot platform is amazing) and with our passion for building business in Latin America.

In celebration of our partnership with Scoopshot in the region and to the power of crowdsourcing – whether it be projects, ideas, design or photos – I am sharing with you an article that I wrote for America Economia on how the internet is facilitating global problem solving. The full article is available here.

Thanks for following our blog and looking forward to what the next month of 2014 has to bring!

EMC

Redes y Soluciones Globales
Por Esther Clark

¿Por qué miles de personas se organizan a través del internet para resolver un problema? ¿Significa esto que estamos viviendo un importante cambio estructural sobre cómo nos organizaremos en el futuro y del liderazgo en general?

En los últimos diez años han surgido varios proyectos, libros, talleres y presentaciones que analizan el uso del internet y de las redes para resolver problemas. No hablo de aplicaciones o de plataformas que nos ayudan a encontrar un bien o un servicio que necesitamos, sino de unos proyectos que concientizan el por qué de la colaboración online y del impacto de esta colaboración en nuestras vidas y en las vidas de los demás.

El mes pasado tuve la oportunidad de conversar con Don Tapscott, autor y co-autor de 15 libros, incluyendo Macrowikinomics: New Solutions for a Connected Planet (2010) y uno de los fundadores del proyecto Global Solution Networks (Twitter: @GlobalSN). Tapscott hizo una presentación durante el Peter Drucker Fórum en Viena donde explicaba que el internet está uniendo personas e inteligencia a nivel global. Dijo que no es una era de información sino de comunicación, colaboración, participación e inteligencia colectiva.

Lo que me fascina en este tema no es sólo cómo el internet está facilitando la comunicación de ideas sino cómo el liderazgo está cambiando. Como dice Rachel Botsman, autora de Mine Is Yours: The Rise of Collaborative Consumption (2012) y quien hizo famoso el “collaborative consumption” (consumo colaborativo), los términos como economía colaborativa, consumo colaborativo, economía de compartir, economía de pares (“peer economy” en inglés) son distintos pero tienen algo en común: el poder está siendo redistribuido a redes de individuos y comunidades. Eso hace que los consumidores ya no sean tan pasivos y tengan la posibilidad de ser creadores, colaboradores, financistas, productores, proveedores y líderes en estas comunidades a través de plataformas como kickstarter.com, scoopshot.com, o wikipedia.com. Los activos están siendo utilizados de una manera diferente, el poder del “crowd” tiene efecto y nuestra contribución a la definición de los líderes (empresas y personas) está cambiando también.

Una de las preguntas que Tapscott está explorando en el proyecto GSN es el futuro de estas redes. ¿Cómo pueden los pilares de la sociedad – gobierno, sociedad civil, empresas e individuos – unirse de mejor manera para tener las respuestas a los problemas globales – calentamiento global, pobreza, seguridad alimenticia etc.?

Les dejo con dos links de presentaciones en TED.com de Tapscott y Botsman, que hablan con ejemplos claros sobre este tema y los efectos y oportunidades de un mundo más conectado y colaborativo y, confiamos en que más inteligente.

Tapscott: http://www.ted.com/talks/don_tapscott_four_principles_for_the_open_world_1.html Botsman: http://www.ted.com/talks/rachel_botsman_the_currency_of_the_new_economy_is_trust.html

Walking with our ancestors: the ties that bind people and organizations

When I moved to Latin America over 10 years ago, I was told that my great grandfather (British) had travelled to Brazil from the UK over a hundred years before; it was my grandmother’s way of telling me that I was not the only one in my family to be attracted to South America and the great opportunities it held.

People and organizations are informed by the experiences of the people, companies and products that came before. We can’t help it. We walk with our ancestors every day in the conscious and subconscious choices we make and the languages we speak.

As a consultant, I have the opportunity to work with many different organizations and “walk with them” as they enter or expand their presence in Latin America.

One of the most important things I have learnt is to understand, at the outset, what ties the business to Latin America or the geographical markets they are entering. Even if the organization has no direct experience in the region, what is it in their DNA that makes them “Latin American” — able to be understood, respected, and sought out, by Latin Americans? I’m not talking about trying to transform companies into something they are not but rather looking for “relatable” stories that can be shared and enjoyed by future stakeholders.

I have seen companies with no local partners do very well — if and when they are able to tell a compelling story about their connection to Latin America or the country, city, community they are interacting with.

If you are interested in Latin America – or entering a new market – what stories do you have that tie you to that market?

Let me close this post on a personal note. Above, you will see a photo of my sister, Dr. Leah Clark and me in Pakistan in 2005. We are just outside Peshawar on the border with Afghanistan in the North West Frontier Province; where my father was born just before Partition in 1947. Below you will see a video by Google that has been shared widely in 2013.

When I talk about walking with our ancestors, I talk about finding out what makes us, them, the world “tick” so that we can create more valuable collaborative experiences.

Business, Negotiation and Fishing – ¿Qué tienen en común la pesca y los negocios?

Today I am posting my article published in AmericaEconomia.com earlier this year. It talks about the vital importance of humility and patience in business – two characteristics discussed during the Global Drucker Forum last week in Vienna, Austria. Here is the link to the article ¿Qué tienen en común la pesca y los negocios? and below is the article in full.

EMC

¿Qué tienen en común la pesca y los negocios?

En una escena de la película “La pesca del salmón en Yemen”, basada en la novela del mismo nombre escrita por Paul Torday, el doctor Alfred Jones, un científico especializado en piscicultura, conversa con un jeque yemenita sobre la pesca. El jeque explica por qué ama la pesca: “admiro a los pescadores. Sólo se preocupan de los peces, el río y el juego”. Más allá, dice, la pesca fomenta virtudes como la paciencia y la humildad.

Courtesy: fishingintheyemen.com

En la pesca se encuentran muchas similitudes con negocios internacionales. Para hacer este tipo de negocios, una organización tiene que salir a otros “aguas” y adaptarse a diferentes idiomas, culturas y prácticas de negocios. Los resultados publicados por las empresas internacionales en sus informes anuales muestran que las alianzas y fusiones corporativas en el extranjero tienen una tasa de fracaso del 40 al 80%, porque no logran los resultados esperados en términos de ingresos, creación de valor o reducción de costos. Una forma de mitigar el riesgo implícito al hacer negocios internacionales -como en la pesca-, es conocer el ámbito donde se quiere estar en la adquisición de información, conocimientos y experiencias a través de expertos locales.

Otra característica clave de los negocios internacionales de alto riesgo es que la empresa tiene que tener fe en que un premio importante le está esperando después de atravesar el proceso de identificación, negociación y cierre del negocio. Un pescador sueña con pescar el pez gordo después de invertir innumerables horas esperando que un pez se acerque y muerda el anzuelo. Lo mismo sucede con los atletas y equipos deportivos exitosos. Tienen que saborear la victoria y estar preparados para ella, puliendo sus hábitos de tal manera que sepan por instinto cómo actuar antes de que se acerquen sus competidores.

Wayne Gretsky, el atleta de mejor puntaje en la historia de la Liga Nacional de Hockey canadiense, decía: “un buen jugador de hockey va donde está el disco, un gran jugador de hockey va donde estará el disco”. Un proyecto internacional de éxito requiere de visión, práctica y acción oportuna.

Hay una similitud importante con la pesca durante la fase de negociación de un proyecto, que tiene que ver con aguas quietas y aguas turbulentas. Cuando el agua está quieta, los peces se toman más tiempo en estudiar la situación y probar el anzuelo. En cambio, cuando los peces se encuentran en aguas corrientes de ríos, riachuelos o torrentes, existe mayor probabilidad de que pierdan la oportunidad de comer si vacilan mucho tiempo. Los peces actúan rápidamente y sin reflexión en aguas turbulentas. Los negociadores internacionales usan como ventaja el sentido de urgencia en la identificación de factores en el ambiente y la manipulación de los mismos. Los negociadores exitosos pueden cambiar la percepción del ambiente para lograr los objetivos de la negociación o simplemente si sienten que el ambiente es demasiado cómodo. Para ellos, la negociación es un juego donde los cambios sutiles pueden afectar el resultado logrado.

¿Y vale la pena la pesca en otros “aguas”? Los mercados emergentes están creciendo el doble que los mercados desarrollados, por lo tanto, el mercado emergente es atractivo. Sin embargo, esto no significa que las empresas en los mercados emergentes no exploren oportunidades de expansión hacia mercados tradicionales.

De hecho, el Boston Consulting Group (BCG) publica cada año un estudio de “global challengers” (contendientes globales) de los mercados emergentes que están entrando con éxito a los mercados desarrollados, con creciente presencia de mercado o, a veces también, con la compra de empresas de dichos mercados. Un ejemplo estrella es el Grupo Bimbo que compró las operaciones norteamericanas de Sarah Lee’s y luego las de Weston Foods en los EE.UU., para convertirse en la mayor empresa de pan en Norteamérica, desde el año 2009.

Los proyectos internacionales, al igual que la pesca, requieren de fe, perseverancia y humildad. A veces se busca el premio en los mercados emergentes y a veces son las firmas latinoamericanas las que incursionan con firmeza en los mercados tradicionalmente establecidos y lo hacen con mucho éxito.