I Want That Job (FastTalk) (p. 51)
FC Article

• Hold a roundtable on dream jobs. Fill in the blanks-- 'I always wanted to ___, but I can't because ____.' Discount the near-impossibles (pro athlete, supermodel, etc.) and hone in on the most popular answers. What industry do they generally fall under? Ask your group members how their answers differ from what they used to say when asked 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' Try and find someone in your group who has contacts in the popular industries, or invite one to a meeting. Discuss options, besides a complete career change, to get involved in dream opportunities--such as volunteering or freelance work.

The Carly Chronicles (p. 66)
FC Article

• Carly Fiorina was on path to become the highest-profile CEO in history. Yet there is little mention of her gender in George Anders' excerpt of her. In conjunction with Anne Kreamer's column (see Next Steps), share theories and anecdotes within your group on the state of the 'glass ceiling.' Do you think Fiorina's gender had any impact on the expansive CEO search at HP, whether positive or negative. Brainstorm other examples that show business may be operating in the 'era of women.'
• One of Carly's first moves was to go back to the garage 'roots' of HP. Extend the roots analogy to your company, whether they lead to a physical or metaphorical location. If possible, bring in a founder or past president to address your employees about the beginnings of your corporate culture. If your offices used to be at a different location, arrange for a field trip to your old location and have a veteran member of the corporation describe the old office layout.
• Given the advantage we now have of hindsight, discuss the HP-Compaq merger. Was it the right move for the climate of HP and the overall economy at that time. What could Carly have done to convince David Woodley Packard to be on her side, and how can a CEO achieve balance with her decisions by making manager, directors and rank-and-file employees understand big decisions?
• If any of your group members routinely deal with HP-Compaq sales teams, have them talk about what differences they've noticed since the merger. If a company can win 'just by showing up,' what reason is there to create new and better products (i.e., Purple cows)? Share ideas on how market leaders can stay motivated to maintain their position.
• Finally, discuss the role of company culture in mergers or other big decisions like re-branding. How can employees NOT feel estranged after they have new letterhead, a new stock symbol, and 65,000 new coworkers. Does anyone in your group have horror stories on how their company ignored the aftershock of a big decision on its workers? Perhaps there are also good tips on how to ease employees into a transition period and prove that the choice was best for the company's future.

In Praise of the Purple Cow (p. 74)
FC Article

• In his search for 'purple cows,' Seth Godin began with the '5 P's' of marketing, though he admits they are interchangeable. Is there a 'checklist' strategy that your division--whether marketing or not--goes through before beginning a project? How could you add a 'Purple Cow' element to your project goals?
• Analyze the 'old' safe rules. Take a minute to think about the ruts you find yourself in and what you can do to move out of them. Pinpoint a 'remarkable' product, a Purple cow, in your industry, perhaps created by a competitor. What makes it superior to the industry standard. Try and work backward to deconstruct the thought process that went into creating and marketing that product. If the 'new rules' create Purple cows for the right people, where does this leave the regular consumer? Might too much specialization flush out the broader needs of society? Discuss the potential implications of this.
• Go through the 10 ways to raise a Purple cow on page 79. Simulate a version of the activity in # 3. What attitudes toward innovation develop within each group? Also pay special attention to # 8. Pick a handful of industries (i.e., fast food restaurants, IT, publishing, medicine, etc.) What things are 'just not done' in these industries and what would be creative, fun ways to implement them?
• So why are there so few Purple cows? Boring may lead to failure but creativity is by no means a path to success. Godin says marketing done right is where the product changes, not the ads. Discuss 'New Coke'--perhaps the classic example of a Purple Cow led astray--or other failed new products. What do you think industry as a whole learned from these disasters, anything positive? How can we spin the risk of failure into continued innovation?

Daniel Richards contributed this month's Flash Points.

February 2003 Connexus | Flash Points | Next Steps

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