As seen at one of my 'gigs'

Just a reminder that I do undertake 'speaking engagements' (that normally revolve around 'over the horizon' opportunities and market development) and that I have an agent who will handle all the detail - but bear in mind that my diary is pretty full and that I speak at buisness and marketing events globally - so don't leave it too late (just drop me a line and I'll put you in touch with my agent).

A few weeks back I was speaking at an event (Matsoc Dinner) and used some slides that I have had requests for - so here they are...thanks by the way to the Materials Society President: Mr Mark Cichuta and the committee for the invitation to address guests and members.

Jonathan

Let the train take the strain...may be.

In recent weeks I have chosen to take the train for some cross country journeys as opposed to taking the car. This has been partly driven by thoughts about my growing carbon footprint and the allure of being able to catch up on reading and other work whilst achieving a terminal velocity of about 80MPH - something that is near impossible on any road (freeway or other) anywhere in the UK anymore.

So last week I duly met the train and found my reserved seat and settled in to a few hours of desk based work. But not for long - why is it that I appear to attract the 'social outcast' in ever carriage? Sat behind me (for nearly two and a half hours)was a real bore - should really prefix that with: self important. he trapped some poor unsuspecting guy and soon got into a rather loud and animated conversation about mobile telephone technology and the intricacies of data exchanges and microwave reach...all very interesting from a scientific point of view I'm sure...but did he really need to tell the rest of the carriage about it? Also did he really need to emphasis his huge importance by either telephoning 'the office' or taking calls from people he had obviously left overnight voice mails for (only then to tell them that he was on the way to a meeting at the 'house' which was a bit hush hush!) and ... and... stabbing the back of my seat with his finger to add some vitriol to his gesticulatory needs? What a bore - for fear of legal action I'll not print his name...because we (me and my fellow passengers) were quite acquainted with it after the first 30 mins - but lets say that he advises Government departments and has a problem keeping all these facts to himself.

As part of a global 'Top Management Programme' that we run out of the Newport Business School called 'Re-Thinking' - I talk to potential leaders of enterprise about the need for information security and the dangers of inadvertently leaking information out of organisations - indeed one of my PhD students has just completed an eye opening piece of work on the subject of Informational Competitive Advantage (remember where you heard this first!) - and yet this guy was freely sharing what appeared to be quite sensitive information and detail and not least a few names with nearly everyone within earshot...and you have to listen: don't you?

Any how - I did little work but arrived on time and ready for a days meetings and had used next to no carbon.

On lighter matters - and whilst still on the train - and actually what I started out to say in this post! On the return to Wales - which on the London train comes through the Severn Tunnel - I was saddened by the debris that litters the side of the track - it is not a welcome to Wales and a less than appealing advert for the country. Whats most disappointing is that this debris is the cast off and left over materials from the recent upgrading of the main line. I just hope that someone has the sense to tidy this up before the Ryder Cup - perhaps some of the Welsh MP's could take a view from the carriage window on their way home on a Thursday evening and make a few calls...it really does let the side down.

Jonathan

CASS Business School

Blue Sky Thinking...?

Over the past few weeks I appear to have spent at least two days a week in 'London town' - which for a boy from the backwoods is always a little strange - all of those people and all of that traffic...

Any how last week I spend two days at CASS Business School right in the heart of the city. As you can imagine - a school that is internationally recognised as one of the best in Europe is a pretty exciting and accommodating place to be invited to visit and speak at - and it was. I spent a few hours chatting to the students on the Entrepreneurship Masters programme and we discussed some of the concepts around market development for entrepreneurial firms, effectuation and tribal markets - but it was the questioning that I found the most interesting.

Gut Feel (GF)

The students were and are astute thinkers and one of the questions merits some discussion here. The question revolved around the concept of 'Gut Feel' (GF). This is an area that I have spoken about many times at gatherings of business and marketing people and an issue that causes some disquiet amongst potential investors. In reality I believe that there is no real concept of GF as the 'Business Intuition' that it refers to is in reality the unconscious side of our brains recalling a group of disparate but connected past experiences and behaviours that out conscious brain has long forgotten - in an instant we recall these past experiences and bring them to mind - but forget where they came from so in an attempt to ground them someplace we just say that it's intuition or GF. I was reflecting on this on my way home on the train last Wednesday afternoon and turned my attention to a copy of the Financial Times...low and behold there on page 14 (Luke Johnson FT 03.03.2010) was a very good discussion of the same - if you were in my session on Tuesday then get hold of a copy and take a look - interesting stuff. If you are a follower of my blog and are about to pitch to a potential investor - take a look...very valuable.

So to some extent today's blog is by way of a thank you to the fine students that are studying for their maters in Entrepreneurship at CASS (I'll be back soon - but keep sending the emails) and of course my old friend Professor Julie Logan for the invitation.

It makes a one time entrepreneur and now aging academic happy to know that the future of entrepreneurial business rests in some very capable hands.

Jonathan

I know, I know...

Update on the blog:

Look things have been a little hectic of late - like for the past few months...mainly caused by a student who sent me some work to read and sent it via a virus ridden source - enough said! killed most of my files and the server that runs most of the tech in my house.

Any how - I'll post a separate one about recent activities. By way of reparation the photo above is of a very short VW camper van - take a second look and no it's not a photoshop shot! Oh and it ran and was road legal.

Jonathan

The return of Agent Squirrel

Sorry!

Should have said in the last post that I have had a number (OK - not large...) of enquiries about Squirrel and his adventures in Business Intelligence. I have been working on some ideas and within the next week or so will share with you another episode...

Pic above: me with a Jeff Kooons sculpture taken by Dr Morrish - thank you! and no they are not my hands!

Jonathan

Tribes

TRIBES!

Over the past few years Jackie and I have been talking incessantly about tribes - especially types of consumer tribe and how they relate, react and interact with business development (and if you have not caught any of my lectures/talks or articles on this - check out the blog or send me an email via the Newport Business school). Well I thought I share with you two excellent examples of 'tribes' that I have been either part of or witnessed in the last few weeks. Firstly the 'Vanfest' pics (above and below). Vanfest is Europe's largest gathering of VW camper vans at Malvern every September - this year there was an estimated 50 thousand people attending but critically only about 10 thousand vans...which suggests that a lot of people are at the 'wannabe' stage of tribal membership. Similarly the 'HOGGING THE BRIDGE' event (October) - this is an event organised by the Harley-Davidson Owners Group (HOG) which comprises a 'ride' across the 'old' Severn bridge from England into Wales and back through the villages to Chepstow - the parade is a real spectacle and takes in excess of an hour to pass! It draws people from allover South wales as participants and spectators and this year an estimated 2 thousand HOGs took place but - and this is the bit - a further 2 thousand non HOG bikers...do they also want a HOG? So two pretty interesting examples of 'Tribes' - and I know I use these examples frequently - so for my MBA students this term - here are some photos! (there is even one that combines the tribes of VW and HOG!).

Jonathan

Ha! thought that I had forgotten all about the blog!

Well bloggers - sorry - I really do not have an excuse, except that I have been here, there and everywhere in the past few months - a new role in the University, quite a bit of TV and radio stuff and lots of fun being had in my VW van (which sounds a little rude but is not - honestish).

So for now a little note to say hello and that I'll be back in the grove over the next week or so.

Oh and here is a picture taken in Chicago this year...sort of self portrait if you can spot me (it's the BEAN in the millennium park BTW).

JHD