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Ready to build an enterprise that endures the test of time and prevails in the future? Get organized to drive more cross-collaboration, creativity, sustained innovation, and digital transformation. If you could peer into a crystal ball and see how the world’s most successful companies were being run in 2029, what do you think you would see? I’ll hope what you see much of (unless something very drastic happens to the evolution of business over the next decade), and that’s organizational silos, manual processes, dependent employees, micromanagers, and the myriad of other business ills that companies are trying to solve right now. won’t Instead, your crystal ball should paint a picture of companies that thrive on collaboration, creativity, and innovation. By 2029, the leaders of these firms will have figured out the combination to fully leveraging these three qualities into successful, sustainable organizations. Here’s how they’ll do it: Max out both internal and external collaboration. They say no man is an island, and this is particularly true in the business arena, where we all rely on one another for ideas, insights, customers, sales, and everything else a company needs to thrive. So along with stoking internal collaboration among employees, the leader of the future has to broaden those networks outside of the company’s four walls. That means customers, suppliers, third-party providers, and other stakeholders will play a larger role in everycompany’s success (not just their own). team created a new WWII fighter jet in just 143 days — it’s one that begs to be rediscovered over and over. In the 1980s, Texas Instruments (TI), a leader in semiconductors, found itself lagging in its innovation. It formed an official collaborative development group, The Lunatic Fringe, tasked with bringing the company back from the brink. Today, the group’s mission is to continuously find new uses, opportunities, and ventures for TI technology. In 1943, Lockheed’s skunk works Cross-boundary collaboration happens in an environment where ideas are celebrated and anyone is welcome to contribute, regardless of their position or group, either within or outside the enterprise. Get behind creativity across the enterprise. entire You remember the story about the pair of 3M scientists who came up with idea for the Post-it® note, right? If not, here’s a quick refresh: In for his church’s upcoming service but needed a bookmark that would stick to the paper without damaging it; Spencer Silver was researching adhesives in the laboratory and discovered an adhesive that stuck lightly to surfaces but didn’t bond tightly to them. 1968 Art Fry was using small paper scraps to mark the hymns The rest, as they say, is history. The Post-it note has endured for more than 50 years, but this example shows just how valuable employee creativity can be for a company (Collectively, there are more than 4,000 Post-it products). In fact, an IBM poll reports that the majority of CEOs consider creativity to be a critical leadership skill (ranking higher than integrity and global thinking). The organization of the future will move even further down this path, ensuring that employees have the tools they need to be creative, and that leaders encourage it and support it. In return, companies see better team communications, improved collaboration among workers, higher sales and productivity, and a more engaged workforce. . Think, act, and do digital Technological transformations will continue to reshape the way the business world is organized. As information becomes more plentiful and less centralized, more organizations are likely to decentralize, too, in order to respond swiftly to it all. Digital transformation can be defined as a process whereby an organization shifts their business models, processes, and organizational culture with digital technologies to adapt to changing information flow. Picture how people in an organization use information. An executive studies a computer dashboard of operational data, an employee surfs the web, an administrative assistant sifts through the paper mail, a committee meets and hears a report, email flows endlessly, operational plans are printed and bound and put on a shelf, and on and on. New ideas float along these “flows” of information. And a leader’s task is twofold: Ensure that you have the right technology platform and flows in place, and create “filters” that capture the most valuable ideas while discarding the stuff that isn’t useful or relevant. How do you set up those filters? In general, information can be managed in three ways. One is through organizational structures, such as decision-making groups. Another is in processes — who hands off what information to whom. The other is through automation — technology that gathers and presents data, such as CRM data from a website. But while it’s vital to view your organization as an information collector, processor, and distributor all at once, it’s just as important to see and act upon something in all that information. This is what thinking, acting, and doing digital means. new Organize for sustained growth. Sustained growth is a holistic human endeavor that requires both left-brained (analytical) and right-brained (creative) talents. No single leader or group of decision-makers can manage sustained growth. Innovative enterprises build a culture that embraces a left-brain/right-brain approach to creative thinking, executing, and communicating. And successful innovation depends upon input from a wide range of people in collaboration, sharing ideas, comparing observations, offering wide-ranging perspectives from their diverse viewpoints, and brainstorming solutions to complex problems. I refer to these divergent perspectives as personas. Persona’s are people, inside and out-side of an organization, playing specific roles to achieve a specific outcome. Here are a few examples: keep an enterprise from being too internally focused and caught in their comfort zone. Learning personas move the innovation lifecycle forward; they are skilled at navigating processes, politics, and red tape to bring an innovation to market. Organizing personas are closest to the innovative action, establishing connections between the learning and organizing personas; they apply insights from the learning personas and channel empowerment from the organizing personas to facilitate innovation. Building personas Personas help challenge assumptions as the innovation lifecycle unfolds. Some are analytical, some are creative; others are a combination. Not all innovation teams require all personas, and teammates can adopt or change personas during the process. A holistic leader continuously enables organizations of personas to drive sustainable growth. In the same way that a farmer repeatedly tills the soil to help seeds germinate, a leader needs to till the workflow to allow meaningful progress and the engagement to take root. Where should you begin? The fact is that sustainable organizations are never one-time things. What matters is the basis upon where to begin, and determining that takes a little self-examination. Start by taking these steps: Closely examine your current strategy, right here in the present. How well is your team executing your current plan? What changes are needed today? Consider those execution methods from the perspective of your immediate situation to determine whether changing circumstances is likely to make your organization more or less effective. Analyze the impact of your current work of your team, partners, and customers. Where are the most obvious places your results can be improved or revenue increased? Evaluate your present capabilities for making those improvements. What assets and resources do you have at your command to try something new? If this sounds a little too present-focused, don’t worry. The assumptions you’re making about the future are embedded directly in the way you’re doing things right now. Closely reexamining your existing processes can make it easier to see the type of sustainable future that your current strategy assumes you’re heading toward. Copyright © 2019 by Faisal Hoque. All rights reserved. I am an . Founder of and other companies. Shadoka enables aspirations to lead, innovate, and transform. Shadoka’s accelerators and solutions bring together the management frameworks, digital platforms, and thought leadership to enable innovation, transformation, entrepreneurship, growth and social impact. entrepreneur and author SHADOKA Author of “ ” (McGraw Hill) and “ ” (Motivational Press). Follow me on Twitter . Everything Connects — How to Transform and Lead in the Age of Creativity, Innovation and Sustainability Survive to Thrive: 27 Practices of Resilient Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Leaders Faisal Hoque Use the Everything Connects leadership app and Suvvive to Thrive resiliancy app for free.

What You Must Do To Lead A Sustainable Organization

The next time you are ready to post something on your favorite social media platform, remember that there are no take backs on Internet. Your digital footprint will increasingly carry far more weight — perhaps even more than your resume. The recent poster child for bad behavior on the social media front serves as yet another example of how quickly one can find him or herself in hot water with just a few quick screen taps. This time for making jokes about pedophilia and rape on Twitter. “I used to make a lot of offensive jokes,” Gunn said via Twitter. “I don’t anymore. I don’t blame my past self for this, but I like myself more and feel like a more full human being and creator today.” Guardians of the Galaxy Director James Gunn was fired by Disney Gunn isn’t alone. Across most industries we’re seeing just how tricky it can be to navigate the intersection of career and social media. Just one politically-incorrect statement on Facebook, one combative tweet, or one offensive Instagram photo can create a virtual maelstrom of trouble. says building and managing a healthy identity (both online and offline) with integrity; understanding the nature of digital footprints (and their real-life consequences) and managing them responsibly; and being empathetic towards _one’s own and others’ needs and feelings online_are three of the best ways to teach children how to have positive digital footprints. The World Economic Forum (WEF) As adults, we could all learn a thing or two from this youth-focused advice from the WEF. Namely, how to conduct ourselves online in an era where many high-profile individuals are instead choosing to take the “low” road. Four Positive Principles to Follow Each time you post a tweet, upload a photo to Facebook, or share content online, remember, the Internet literally never forgets — any inappropriate photos, poorly thought out comments, or questionable content becomes part of your digital footprint. There are no “take backs” in social media, where even an errant tweet that’s quickly deleted can be screenshotted and shared with the world within seconds. Whether you are a student, or the head of a 5,000-employee enterprise, leading responsibility in the era of social media requires a focused, conscientious approach that’s rooted in these four principles: Post With Empathy The action of understanding, being innately aware of, sensitive to, and/or vicariously undergoing the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of another of either the past or present, empathy is particularly valuable during periods of disruption or uncertainty. That’s because empathy helps us be approachable, stokes open dialogue, and encourages high levels of sharing. A dose of empathy goes a long way in the world of social media, where the audience is both broad and diverse. Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes can open up new lines of communication, create new levels of understanding, and help everyone achieve common goals. He needs no introduction, and it’s no secret that the Dalai Lama is one leader whose contributions are highly inclusive by nature. It’s no different on Facebook: Be Inclusive An intention or policy of including people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, an inclusive approach goes a long way on social media, where being open to diverse perspectives is imperative. Twitter, Facebook, and other platforms can also help bring awareness to our diversity and our intent for inclusivity. With 17.7 million followers, Pope Francis has a lot of eyeballs waiting for his next tweet, most of which simply ooze inclusivity: Always Go For The High Moral Ground There’s a time and a place for arguing and defending your ground, and social media isn’t it. Getting into arguments in the virtual setting — where all eyes can see who’s saying what to whom — doesn’t fly. Aim for the higher ground by always maintaining a professional tone and keep the backbiting and insult-throwing out of the conversation. Politics in America is a deeply polarizing, divisive topic today, but Harvard Business School Professor and former Metronic CEO to address touchy topics in a diplomatic way: Bill George uses his articles “Much has been written about the harm that President Donald Trump’s trade wars will do to American farmers, manufacturers, and their employees. That is all true. But the real losers in this ‘America First’ initiative will be American consumers. If President Trump follows through on his threats, U.S. consumers will see rapid rises in the prices of everything from T-shirts to automobiles to new homes.” As with all situations, everything can’t be good all the time. But people will naturally look to others for guidance and support in both the good and the bad times. Don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo, share your mission, set boundaries, and/or stand behind your values. Display courage. With 350k plus Twitter followers and an active presence across numerous social media platforms, actress Ashley Judd boldly stands up for causes like the #MeToo movement and human rights: Eternal Footprints in the Digital Sand The next time you pull up your favorite social media platform online, remember that everything you do there will impact you and everyone around you. Just like you’d avoid a bar fight or a road rage incident in the real world, it is important to keep your image and reputation in mind in the virtual world. Let us use social media for what it was intended: to ‘engage’ with others, keep people informed, share your knowledge, and to create open communications. As tech journalist John Battelle told the New York Times, “We are living online, but have yet to fully realize the implications of doing so. One of those implications is that our tracks through the digital sand are eternal.” Copyright © 2018 by Faisal Hoque. All rights reserved. I am an . Founder of and other companies. Shadoka enables aspirations to lead, innovate, and transform. Shadoka’s accelerators and solutions bring together the management frameworks, digital platforms, and thought leadership to enable innovation, transformation, entrepreneurship, growth and social impact. entrepreneur and author SHADOKA Author of “ ” (McGraw Hill) and “ ” (Motivational Press). Follow me on Twitter . Everything Connects — How to Transform and Lead in the Age of Creativity, Innovation and Sustainability Survive to Thrive: 27 Practices of Resilient Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Leaders Faisal Hoque Use the Everything Connects leadership app and Suvvive to Thrive resiliancy app for free.

Don’t Let Social Media Ruin Your Life and Career

[Images: /Unsplash; Aleksei_Derin/iStock] Shalom Mwenesi As the Fourth Industrial Revolution advances, virtually all job openings will emphasize judgment and decision-making and an ability to manage people and resources. More and more we’re finding ourselves standing at the intersection of humanity and technology. Whether we’re working side-by-side with autonomous robots on the factory floor, spreading the happy news about a new addition to the family on Facebook, or asking Siri to help us get from point A to point B as quickly as possible, all aspects of our lives are closely connected to technology in one way or another. Some of those “connections” are downright threatening. , which includes developments in previously disjointed fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, robotics, nanotechnology, 3D printing, and genetics and biotechnology, is expected to cause widespread disruption not only to business models but also to labor markets over the next five years, the , with “enormous change predicted in the skill sets needed to thrive in the new landscape.” The Fourth Industrial Revolution World Economic Forum reports , developed nations can expect to see job loss rates of up to 47% within the next 25 years. Additionally, a Pew Research Center study found that “robotics and artificial intelligence will permeate wide segments of daily life by 2025, with huge implications for a range of industries such as healthcare, transport and logistics, customer service, and home maintenance.” According to an Oxford study Most of us are increasingly unprepared for this rapidly changing world of working. Should we all focus on enhancing our technical skills? What about those so called ‘soft skills,’ like critical thinking, communication, empathy, mindfulness, resiliency, decision-making, self-awareness, etc., that make us better leaders. In this era of technology and automation, where news articles foreshadow a time when robots will take over our jobs, technology vendors churn out new innovations on an almost-daily basis, and companies scramble to find alternative sources of labor, where do the humanities stand? In my view, the skills that come from a strong education in the humanities are becoming more important than ever. A recent , , has revealed that: RBC research paper Humans Wanted — How Canadian youth can thrive in the age of disruption Being ‘human’ will ensure resiliency in an era of disruption and artificial intelligence. Skills mobility — the ability to move from one job to another — will become a new competitive advantage. The demand for “human skills” will grow across all job sectors and will include critical thinking, coordination, social perceptiveness, active listening, and complex problem solving. Rather than a nation of coders, digital literacy — the ability to understand digital items, digital technologies or the internet fluently — will be necessary for all new jobs. Global competencies like cultural awareness, language, and adaptability will be in demand. Virtually all job openings will place significant importance on judgment and decision making and more than two thirds will value an ability to manage people and resources. In his book George Anders says: “You Can Do Anything: The Surprising Power of a ‘Useless’ Liberal Arts Education,” “Curiosity, creativity, and empathy aren’t unruly traits that must be reined in. You can be yourself, as an English major, and thrive in sales. You can segue from anthropology into the booming new field of user research; from classics into management consulting, and from philosophy into high-stakes investing. You can bring a humanist’s grace to our rapidly evolving high-tech future. And if you know how to attack the job market, your opportunities will be vast.” When I was a kid, I wanted to become an entrepreneur, engineer, and an inventor. And I have been passionately pursuing that dream since my teenage days. What I did not realize then is how much personal gratification I would get from writing. of those happy discoveries that has helped me to connect better with my purpose, myself, and my career goals. Writing has allowed me to find myself when I was looking for answers. The ability to write is a critical human skill. Writing is one I knew at the very beginning of my career in the early ’90s that technology would have a serious impact on socio-economic growth, individually and organizationally. What I had to learn is that there is a dividing line where automation ends, and basic humanities (or so called soft-skills) have to step up to the plate. Even that over-automation has hampered creativity and productivity at his company, which is well known for its innovative, out-of-the-box thinking on the automobile manufacturing front. In other words, where human interaction ends and full automation begins, ideas can die — maybe never to come back. Tesla’s Elon Musk admits The constant cascade of new technologies will continue to create a more empowered population. We will be increasingly connected and isolated at the same time. We will demand more self-expressions. Within this topsy-turvy context, we all will have to learn how to leverage humanities to connect, inspire, and influence others and ourselves. It will be our collective responsibility to realize that humans can’t be replaced by technology; we have to ensure exactly how the two will intersect and intertwine in our future world. Copyright © 2018 by Faisal Hoque. All rights reserved. Original article @FastCompany . I am an . Founder of and other companies. Shadoka enables aspirations to lead, innovate, and transform. Shadoka’s accelerators and solutions bring together the management frameworks, digital platforms, and thought leadership to enable innovation, transformation, entrepreneurship, growth and social impact. entrepreneur and author SHADOKA Author of “ ” (McGraw Hill) and “ ” (Motivational Press). Follow me on Twitter . Everything Connects — How to Transform and Lead in the Age of Creativity, Innovation and Sustainability Survive to Thrive: 27 Practices of Resilient Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Leaders Faisal Hoque Use the Everything Connects leadership app and Suvvive to Thrive resiliancy app for free.

The case for humanities in the era of AI, automation, and technology

The Ultimate Guide for Web Developers — Part I. Read part 2 here . Photo Credit: Denys Nevozhai “The Blockchain cannot be described just as a revolution. It is a tsunami-like phenomenon, slowly advancing and gradually enveloping everythingalong its way by the force of its progression.” — William Mougayar Origin Story We all know that every superhero has their own fascinating origin story. From how Bruce Wayne saw his parents being murdered before becoming to how Peter Parker got bitten by a radioactive spider and gained the superpowers that helped turn him into your friendly neighbourhood web-slinging . Batman Spiderman The blockchain is no different. It is undoubtably an ingenious invention, first conceptualized in it’s entirety by a mysterious person (or group of people) known as in 2008. Satoshi Nakamoto Even though it is now thought he may be worth in excess of $5Billion, still . nobody knows who he is The Blockchain was implemented the following year by Nakamoto as a core component of the cryptocurrency , where it serves as for all transactions on the network. Bitcoin the public ledger But since then, it has evolved into something much greater - some are even claiming that it will become the backbone for the . Internet of the Future By allowing digital information to be distributed but not copied, blockchain technology created the backbone of a new and much more powerful type of Internet. Decentralised And of course we all know — “with great power comes great responsibility!” Credit: Marvel Studios First, What Is This Blockchain Thing? Bitcoin’s extreme volatility makes predicting its future difficult, but it is blockchain — the technology that powers the currency, that is capturing the imagination of businesses across the world. In future posts I will be diving into a deeper technical discussion on Blockchain and it’s implementations. However, this post is intended to provide an and Software Engineers who are (and should be) interested in learning how to get into this exciting new paradigm of Web 3.0. introduction for Web Developers So for now we just need a short high level overview, and is one of the best ways to jump right in … this excellent 5 minute introduction by Simply Explaine d Credit: Simply Explained — Savjee Revolutionary Features of the Blockchain No single person or group holds authority over the entire network. Decentralised — Cuts out the requirement of any third party involvement by using the P2P network protocol (think file sharing like Napster) Peer-to-Peer — Once written on the blockchain data cannot be easily altered. A change in even one block changes it’s hash or “fingerprint”. As each block also stores the hash of its preceding block this will result in drastically changing all the following blocks in the chain too. Immutable — The immutability property makes it easier to detect tampering of any data. A change in even one single block or hash can be detected and dealt with. Tamper-Proof- Hence the data stored in a blockchain is and for all practical purposes inherently secure insusceptible to attack. Credit: Bill Nye/Giphy What are the benefits of blockchain technology? 1. Decentralization (Governance) There is no need for a trusted third party or intermediary to validate transactions. 2. Transparency and Trust (Provenance & Accountability) As blockchains are shared and everyone can see what is on the blockchain, this allows the system to be and as a result is established. transparent trust 3. Immutability (Auditible) Once the data has been written into the blockchain, it is extremely difficult to modify it or tamper with it. 4. High availability (Resilient) As the system is based on thousands of distributed nodes in a peer-to-peer network, where the data is replicated and updated on each and every node, the system becomes highly resiliant and available. 5. Highly secure (Security) All transactions on a blockchain are cryptographically secured and provide integrity. 6. Faster Transaction Settlement (Processing Speed) In the financial industry, blockchain can play a vital role by allowing the quicker settlement of trades as it does not require the normal lengthy processes of verification, reconciliation, and clearance. 7. Cost Saving (Efficiency) As no third party or clearing houses are required in the blockchain model, this can massively eliminate overhead and administration costs. Photo credit: NASA What are the Potential Use Cases to Industry? Beyond the obvious application of blockchain to cryptocurrencies there are many potential use cases. Here are some that are currently being explored: 1. Supply chain management. A blockchain can be used to reliably and transparently track the movement of goods, their origin, quantity and so forth. 2. Quality assurance. In industries such as food and pharmaceutical quality assurance is critical. If an irregularity is detected somewhere along the supply chain, a blockchain system can lead you all the way to its point of origin. 3. Accounting. Recording transactions through blockchain virtually eliminates human error and protects the data from possible tampering. In addition to the guaranteed accuracy of your records, such a process will leave a highly traceable audit trail. 4. Smart contracts. With smart contracts_,_ agreements can be automatically validated, signed and enforced through a blockchain construct. This eliminates the need for mediators and therefore saves the company time and money. 5. Voting. The promise of blockchains in voting all boils down to trust. It could significantly diminish the likelihood of electoral fraud, which is a hot issue for democracy in the world today. 6. Stock exchange. Australia’s stock exchange has already targeted and the Nasdaq has also piloted programs. Meanwhile fully decentralised exchanges on the blockchain ( ) are already a reality. switching to a blockchain-powered system such as 0x 7. Energy supply. Traditionally, renewable energy is tracked through through the grid using tradable certificates issued by governments but there are many administration and trust issues that blockchain would be able to solve inherently. 8. Fast peer-to-peer global transactions. Of course the meteoric rise of cryptocurrencies Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple in the market isn’t without merit. It has enabled amongst other things the fast, reliable, secure and cheap transfer of funds across the globe. All this looks great but why does any of this matter ? ….. Credit: NASA — Requests for on-demand blockchain talent are skyrocketing. 1. The Cryptocurrency Space is Growing Fast Money is pouring into cryptocurrency startups. More than through ICOs in the first half of this year alone. $6 billion has been raised According to , in the first half of 2017 there was more money invested in cryptocurrency startups than in all of 2016 combined. AngelList As cryptocurrency companies are growing, raising larger amounts of money, so are their hiring needs for finding top talent. As a result demand is off the charts for blockchain talent. An article published earlier this year by states there is a huge shortage of blockchain engineers: TechCrunch “At the moment there are now 14 job openings for every one blockchain developer.” Blockchain-related jobs are the fastest growing in today’s labor market The on AngelList by cryptocurrency companies have nearly number of job listings doubled in the last six months. Source: AngelList Data There are over in the US right now — a number that has increased 4-fold since 2017. 2,000 thousand blockchain vacancies advertised on LinkedIn Upwork is a freelance talent marketplace and last year it reported t out of more than 5,000. It’s growth exceeded 2,000**% for three quarters in a row.** blockchain rise to he fastest-growing skill According to the , which ranks the 20 fastest-growing skills for freelancers, Upwork Q1 2018 Skills Index Blockchain is on pace to be the new “Cloud” of the 21st Century. appears to be the next uncharted, highly talked about technology similar to what the “cloud” was back in the mid-2000’s.” “Blockchain According to another report by Burning Glass Technologies, there were calling for blockchain skills in the last 12 months, which represents a 5,743 full-time job openings growth of 320%. Source: burningglass.com 2. Blockchain Jobs: So Who Is hiring? There are indications that increased hiring is occurring in a variety of sectors and industry verticals. Large companies and startups alike are looking for developers and architects in the field of blockchain development in the US, Europe, and all over the world, While some industries have already started adopting blockchain in their businesses, many are still only just beginning to explore the best ways to begin. make up the biggest number of vacancies in this space — from those providing the foundation building blocks of the technology, such as to consortiums trying to create standards such as New York based . Blockchain startups Ethereum R3 such as Microsoft and IBM have been creating ‘blockchain-as-a-service’ tools built into their existing cloud portfolios. Others have joined the open source project including Fujitsu and Intel. Large Tech Firms Hyperledger like and have been particularly active in the blockchain space, alongside UBS, Santander, and . Banks and Payments Firms Barclays JP Morgan Bank of America Mastercard many use cases are being worked on such as tracking In Government student loan payments. All of the big consulting firms including , , and KPMG have built out blockchain teams. Professional Services Firms: Accenture PwC Capgemini was one of the first corporates to identify the potential of blockchain. It currently employs a team of 1,200 dedicated professionals across its US operations and hosts it Deloitte EMEA Blockchain Lab in Dublin. one of the biggest hitters in the industry is a software foundry formed to promote and develop decentralized software services and applications that operate on the Ethereum blockchain. It currently has hundreds of job vacancies advertised. Consensys, Similar to any other high-growth startups, cryptocurrency companies need to hire at job functions across the entire organization, and fast. There are positions for software developers, co-founders, technology directors, and designers among these vacancies. It goes without saying that experienced engineers who’ve worked on cryptocurrency projects are in high demand, but so are talented engineers with an interest in blockchain technologies. How Much Can You Earn as A Blockchain Developer? Credit: Ebay According to a , cryptocurrency startup salaries beat the industry norm by about 10–20% across the board. It is also worth noting that most cryptocurrency companies have great perks, including profit-sharing arrangements. report by AngelList Credit: AngelList Blockchain developers in the US earn , by estimates of compared with average salaries of $105 for software developers. In hi-tech regions of the US, such as Silicon Valley, New York, and Boston, this up to $130k a year Computerworld average annual wage is $158k. According to data was published , Blockchain development engineer consultants earn anywhere from in freelance markets. Burning Glass Technologies $50 to $100 per hour The country has seen a surge in blockchain companies setting up shop there thanks to the permissive approach of its regulator to a new form or fundraising using cryptocurrency tokens or “initial coin offerings” (ICOs). In Switzerland these figures are even higher. Thomas Bertani, the CEO of Switzerland-based startup Eidoo, that developers with expertise in blockchain technology, can command salaries of told Business Insider $120,000 to $180,000 a year. More Remote Flexibility Working in the cryptocurrency industry improves your chance of being able to land a remote gig by 22 percent. This doesn’t account for numerous cryptocurrency startups who have flexible work policies where you are only required to be at the office on certain days. Credit: AngelList Data Cryptocurrency employees are more likely to enjoy distributed working arrangements and are geographically disperse compared to traditional candidates. It’s interesting that within companies that focus on distributed technology the candidates are also so distributed. The Bottom Line: A Brave New World Canvas by Neil Hemsley As can be clearly seen, we are at the While the learning curves can be steep there are huge opportunities for those who are willing to embrace these new technologies. very nascent stages of a new paradigm. In future posts, I will be diving into more detail on the technology stacks and skills you need as a to acquire as well as exploring in depth such topics as Consensus Algorithms, the Scalability Trilemma and Coding in Solidity along with all the best up-to-date tools available for you to use right now to get started on your optimal path in going from being a Web Developer . to becoming a Web 3.0 Blockchain Engineer In the meantime you can head over to and check out the platform we are building to help you harness the power of accelerated learning to upskill for the new economy. www.optimizme.com The OptmizMe Platform Keep Reading _The Ultimate Guide for Web Developers — Part 2_hackernoon.com How to Land One Of The Best Jobs In The World (As A Blockchain Engineer)

How to Land One Of The Best Jobs In The World (As A Blockchain Engineer)

[Image Source: TechCrunch] An essential part of any future transition requires both left-brained (analytical) and right-brained (creative) talent and culture. Value creation process from Automation and AI is no different. Both nebulous and complicated by nature, AI and the movements that it’s fueling all require a highly specialized skillset. For it to work, people must connect the dots between the AI and how it can be effectively applied in the private or public sector. That’s not always easy to do — and the very notion of it may be scary to some who think that the day when machines “take over” may be far off. I belive, Automation and AI will allow us to do more meaningful and ‘Human’ work. And to do more ‘Human’ work, we have to double down on our humanity. We must learn: To be mindful, emphatic, and resilient To inspire, influence, and lead To champion creativity, diversity, and cross-border collaboration Value creartion begins with focusing on humanity. This was the topic of my recent keynote at the in Milano, Italy — in collaboration with my partners at : 2018 EU HR Director Summit Altea Federation Related Article: Future Of Work With AI, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning . Copyright © 2018 by Faisal Hoque. All rights reserved. #FutureOfWork #DigitalTransformation #Leadership #Management #HumanCapital #Empathy . . . . . . Founder of and other companies. Shadoka enables aspirations to lead, innovate, and transform. Working with select partners, Shadoka’s accelerators and solutions bring together the management frameworks, digital platforms, and thought leadership to enable innovation, transformation, entrepreneurship, growth and social impact. SHADOKA Author of “ ” and “ ”. Follow me on Twitter . Use the leadership app and resiliancy app for free. Everything Connects — How to Transform and Lead in the Age of Creativity, Innovation and Sustainability Survive to Thrive: 27 Practices of Resilient Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Leaders Faisal Hoque Everything Connects Suvvive to Thrive

The Promise and The Challenge of Automation and AI In The Workplace

Resilience is the universal human capacity to face, overcome, and even be strengthened by experiences of adversity — bending like bamboo instead of breaking. “Resiliency is an attitude; it’s your belief that you can conquer anything. It is the ability to go from days to weeks to months to years to reach your destination, defining and re-defining your personal goals along the way. At times, it means using adversity to find the opportunities that lead us to our true destiny.” — Survive to Thrive Creating your thoughts, following your own path, ignoring skeptics, and dusting yourself off every time you fall requires discipline over energy and drive. Often, that comes solely from within. How we cultivate that inner focus is by taking steps on our personal journey with resilience, which is the focus of this presentation. An authentic and inspiring purpose allows for: emotional engagement to claim our destiny focus by redefining our priorities pragmatic paths to move forward Copyright © 2018 by Faisal Hoque. All rights reserved. I am an . Founder of and other companies. Shadoka enables entrepreneurship, growth, and social impact. Author of “ ” (McGraw Hill) and “ ” (Motivational Press). Follow me on Twitter @ . entrepreneur and author SHADOKA Everything Connects — How to Transform and Lead in the Age of Creativity, Innovation and Sustainability Survive to Thrive: 27 Practices of Resilient Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Leaders Faisal Hoque Use the Everything Connects leadership app and Suvvive to Thrive resiliancy app for free.

How Highly Resilient People Survive to Thrive

Digital transformation can be defined as a process whereby an organization shifts their business models, processes, and organizational culture with digital technologies to adapt to changing customer behaviors. A digital transformation strategy aims to create the agile capabilities of fully leveraging the possibilities and opportunities of new technologies and their impact faster, better and in more innovative way in the future. However, a recent leadership study on digital transformation by Dell unveils most organizations are unprepared: 45% fear becoming obsolete in 3–5 years 48% are unaware of what their industry will look like in 3 years only 5% are classified as Digital Leaders Transformational journeys require acurate assessments, learning, growth, and monitoring of: People and Culture; Capacity and Capabilities; Innovation; and Technology. Copyright © 2018 by Faisal Hoque. All rights reserved. . . . . . I am an . Founder of and other companies. Shadoka enables entrepreneurship, growth, and social impact. Author of “ ” (McGraw Hill) and “ ” (Motivational Press). Follow me on Twitter @ . entrepreneur and author SHADOKA Everything Connects — How to Transform and Lead in the Age of Creativity, Innovation and Sustainability Survive to Thrive: 27 Practices of Resilient Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Leaders Faisal Hoque Use the Everything Connects leadership app and Suvvive to Thrive resiliancy app for free.

How To Lead Digital Transformations

[Photo by on ] rawpixel Unsplash A repeatable sales model builds the platform to scale, but it can take experimentation and intensive research before you hit on one that’s truly sustainable. Here’s how to do it. If your business-to-business (b2b) company’s revenue generation is built on converting a few random cold calls into prospects and/or selling the same stuff to the same customers over and over again, it’s time to do something different. You’ll know that you’ve created a scalable sales model when: You can add new hires at the same productivity level as the entrepreneur or the sales leader. You can increase the sources of your customer leads on a consistent basis. You have a sales conversion rate and revenue that can be forecasted consistently. The cost to acquire a new customer is significantly less than the amount you can earn from that customer over time. Customers get the right products in the right place and at the right time. The harsh reality is that the average U.S. company loses about 50% of its customer base which means creating a path forward that must include a plan for repeatable, sustainable b2b sales is no longer a luxury — it’s a must-have. every year, Here are four ways to start doing this today: Define and design your authentic purpose. Every company needs to pin down “why we do what we do.” That’s the company’s North Star, guiding every aspect from recruitment to customer management to product development and sales. A strong purpose drives growth and profitability. For instance, an investment in the (a list of the world’s 50 highest-performing companies) over the past 10 years would have been 400% more profitable than an investment in the S&P 500. Stengel 50 In order to achieve sustainable success, companies must repeatedly reexamine their sense of purpose and make sure the organization serves it well. An authentic and inspiring purpose allows for: A constant, consistent sense of focus A strong emotional engagement both within the company and with its customers and partners Continuous, pragmatic innovation Sales and marketing experts often talk about “unique selling propositions,” or “USP,” which as the “factor or consideration presented by a seller as the reason that one product or service is different from and better than that of the competition.” defines Entrepreneur A company’s authentic purpose gives rise to its USP. When a business has a clear vision, it’s easier to create products and services of value. Revlon founder Charles Revson, for instance, always used to say that he sold hope, not makeup. Start right now by examining your USP. Differentiation comes from packaging your know-how (i.e. your intellectual property) into repeatable products and services that solves critical customer problems. Take an honest look at your current sales process. “You can’t fix what you don’t know is broken,” is a quote found on motivational posters and mugs, and it’s very relevant for B2B companies that want repeatable sales, but that don’t know how to go about getting them. Take an honest look at what you’re doing now, including the last 7–10 deals that closed. Where did the customer come from? What steps were taken to close the deal? How did the customers interact with your company? How long did it take? How much time elapsed between each of those steps? Use the answers to analyze your process and ferret out the gaps (i.e., a lead nurturing and closing process that takes too much time, or not enough regular customer touchpoints). Then, come up with a plan that addresses these issues as a first step in the right direction. Start right now by assessing your current sales process, asking yourself the above questions, and honing your process in a way that better meets customers’ needs while also contributing to your firm’s bottom line. Energize your customer renewal and order upsell process. B2B companies have a stable of customers that they sell the same stuff to over and over again. In many cases, customers don’t even knowthat they could be buying more (and different products/services) from you because they have Unless he’s visiting your frequently-updated (uh-hem!) website on a regular basis, for example, that electrical contractor probably doesn’t realize that your distribution firm recently added kitting services to its lineup. Someone has to tell him, and that step should be part of your firm’s order upsell approach. no idea that you carry them. An often-overlooked aspect of the sales cycle, upsells and renewals are both strategic sales processes that help you grow revenue and gain more market share. Ignore this aspect of your B2B business and it will quickly fall prey to the statistics (50% of buyers exiting annually) and a host of competitors that are pretty good at bundling products, switching up their offerings, and upselling goods and services. Start right now by coming up with a list of additional products and services that can be upsold to customers who are already buying from your firm on a regular basis. Show-and-tell customers that you care about their businesses. Every B2B company is operating in a world where just “providing” products and services isn’t enough to create a sustainable sales channel. Where companies in the past may have been able to get away with putting their needs (e.g. revenue growth) ahead of their customers’ needs (e.g. current state and readiness), this attitude just doesn’t cut it anymore. To truly become your customers’ trusted advisor and partner — and to keep them coming back for more and referring your firm to others — you have to care about their business as much as you do yours (if not more than). When clients pick up on this, their loyalty levels rise exponentially and everyone wins. Start right now by reaching out to a handful of customers to ask them what their biggest pain points, and then think of three ways to either directly or indirectly help them address these issues. Copyright © 2018 by Faisal Hoque. All rights reserved. . . . . . I am an . Founder of and other companies. Shadoka enables entrepreneurship, growth, and social impact. Author of “ ” (McGraw Hill) and “ ” (Motivational Press). Follow me on Twitter @ . entrepreneur and author SHADOKA Everything Connects — How to Transform and Lead in the Age of Creativity, Innovation and Sustainability Survive to Thrive: 27 Practices of Resilient Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Leaders Faisal Hoque Use the Everything Connects leadership app and Suvvive to Thrive resiliancy app for free.

How To Make B2B Sales Sustainable

Losing your patience and beginning to tune out (or line up a snide rebuttal)? Try this instead. You don’t need to be convinced that empathy is a good thing– . While we’re still to “leave emotions out of it,” being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes is a hallmark of emotionally intelligent leadership, not to mention just being a good coworker. It can open up new lines of communication, create understanding, and help everyone achieve common goals. not just for ethical reasons but for practical ones, too often cautioned Of course, none of that means it’s easy. There are always going to be times when empathy is uniquely difficult to summon and sustain. When the going gets tough, your patience wears thin, and you can feel your frustration rising, it’s enormously difficult to take a deep breath and continue to listen with an open mind. Still, these four empathetic questions I’ve learned to ask in difficult situations have helped me keep my cool and get to the bottom of whatever the trouble might be. 1. “HOW IS THIS SITUATION AFFECTING YOU?” No matter how they answer, thank them for sharing their thoughts and let them know you’re going to take their point of view seriously. And as you listen to your direct report or colleague’s answer, , too. Then encourage the other person to share more specifics about the context or circumstances of their frustration or concern: “You seem upset about this. Could you tell me what initially happened that led to you feeling that way?” Then listen attentively to their feedback so you can try to piece together a causal timeline of events from their own point of view. take note of their body language 2. “HOW IS THIS KEEPING YOU FROM SUCCEEDING?” When employees, coworkers, or business partners know they can open up to you about their challenges, it’s easer to resolve those conflicts early and avoid losing your patience over a much bigger blow-up later. You’ll also help build an open work environment that maximizes everyone’s talents, rather than one suffused by complaints and paranoia. So if you’re feeling irritated by a coworker during a tough predicament, ask what roadblocks are standing in their way. When people feel valued for their contributions, they’ll also feel more comfortable explaining–without blame or anger–what’s from them contributing. preventing 3. WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD BE THE IDEAL OUTCOME? Even when an entire team or organization is working toward common ends, individuals still tend to nurture their own goals and aspirations–and that’s usually fine! One manager might have her eye on a more advanced leadership position, for example, while a top salesperson may be trying to work his way toward managing a huge account. When tensions run high, reconnecting with individuals’ separate goals can help you tap back into the empathy needed to keep everyone pulling together. Asking your colleagues how and why they would each prefer a certain outcome from the predicament you’re all in is a great way to do that. 4. WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THE LAST BIG HURDLE YOU CLEARED? Job interviewers love to ask this question, and for good reason–it helps them understand at least one obstacle that has stood in the candidate’s way, and how or she worked through it. You can adapt that same question to navigate stressful workplace scenarios, too. It’s a great way to keep your own emotions in check while asking somebody to reconnect with their own problem-solving skills. Rather than wallowing in the hazards of the present situation, you can make room for your coworker or team member to vent a bit–creating an outlet for their anxiety at the same time that you help them recall a template for solving the problem at hand. Here, too, tune into both their verbal and nonverbal cues so you can get a feel for how they’ve managed adversity in the past–this way you can coax them into re-adopting the best of those habits and leaving aside the not-so-productive ones. Empathetic listeners are quiet and patient–particularly when that’s hardest–and they avoid jumping in to fill gaps in the conversation or impose their own assumptions. It takes real effort not to let your own negative feelings overwhelm you in the process, but sometimes the best strategy is the simplest one: Just ask a question. Copyright © 2018 by Faisal Hoque. All rights reserved. Original article @FastCompany . I am the founder of and other companies. Shadoka enables aspirations to lead, innovate, and transform. Shadoka’s accelerators and solutions bring together the management frameworks, digital platforms, and thought leadership to enable innovation, transformation, entrepreneurship, growth and social impact. SHADOKA Author of “ ” and “ ”. Follow me on Twitter . Use the leadership app and resiliancy app for free. Everything Connects — How to Transform and Lead in the Age of Creativity, Innovation and Sustainability Survive to Thrive: 27 Practices of Resilient Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Leaders Faisal Hoque Everything Connects Suvvive to Thrive

Ask These 4 Empathetic Questions When You’re Struggling To Listen

[Image by Charles Deluvio on Unsplash ] Use this 7-step maturity model to find your organization’s current state, and then use it to define your roadmap for big data implementation. An often-misunderstood term that refers to the data sets whose size or type is when it comes to capturing, managing, and processing, big data is generated by sensors, devices, video/audio, networks, log files, transactional applications, web, and social media. Much of it is generated in real-time and on a very large scale, making it particularly onerous for organizations to wrap their arms around in today’s information-rich business environment. of traditional relational databases beyond the ability In its , BARC identifies the benefits of big data as better strategic decisions (69% of organizations say this is the top benefit); improved control of operational processes (54%), a better understanding of customers (52%); and cost reductions (47%). Furthermore, BARC says those organizations that can reported an average 8% increase in revenues and a 10% reduction in costs. most recent business intelligence (BI) survey quantify their gains from analyzing big data Where Do You Stand? So, are you ready to begin harnessing big data, and if so, just how can you best leverage it to your advantage and make those efforts worthwhile? According to the , the major challenges for the data management executives are as follows: CMMI Institute How do I get my arms around the problem? How do I educate and inform my multi-leveled audiences? How do I define and plan the high priority initiatives? How do I achieve commitment to build and sustain a successful data management program? What would help? A data management maturity (DMM) framework that allows an organization to: : Ask what specific organizational capabilities must be put in place for you to meet your short-term and long-term business goals and objectives. Step 1 : Prepare the processes to improve communications and educate the organization about interdependent business functions. Step 2 : Decide what internal and external capabilities you need to execute on defined business strategies. Step 3 : Understand and specify the business value to be pursued. Step 4 As a result, it creates a common language to help business leaders repeatedly make such decisions as: A common terminology Shared understanding among stakeholders A clear path to increasing capabilities Analyzing implications and impacts of potential initiatives Setting target allocations for investment categories Evaluating the health of organizational assets Determining appropriate sequencing of major initiatives Managing risk mitigation across the organization A real solution for achieving the elusive alignment and agreement between the business and technology Over the years, a number of DMM models emerged from the likes of CMMI Institute and other academia. From my own cross-industry work and research, I have published several of them in my own . books “The model is a process improvement and capability maturity framework for the management of an organization’s data assets and corresponding activities. It contains best practices for establishing, building, sustaining, and optimizing effective data management across the data lifecycle, from creation through delivery, maintenance, and archiving.” — — CMMI Institute Data Management Maturity (DMM) Below is a model that I have curated from various best practices that will help you understand where your organization’s capabilities are in terms of its usage of data and where it could go. Focused on seven dimensions (leadership, skills, culture, data, tools, uses, and analysis), a DMM model explores different levels of adoption — from “unaware” to “mastering” — and everything in between. Here’s how each dimension can be defined within the scope of a DMM model: Leadership When leaders are unaware of the usefulness of data, they aren’t interested in it nor do they invest in data and analytics. Those leaders who are learning the ropes realize that data is important, but they’re not entirely convinced, so they invest small amounts. Those who have mastered big data fully understand how to use it and they rely on it to help improve upon what their organizations are already doing. They use past, present, and forward-looking data for both business planning and decision-making. Know data is important, but not entirely convinced. Invest small amounts. Business plan with some defined and measurable targets though data collection/analysis may not align. Might use past and current data for decision making with some simple trends analysis, learning through experience, building adequate skills. Example of Level 3 Maturity — Learning: Skills Unaware and “nascent” organizations assign no staff to the task and don’t make any efforts to cultivate internal skills that will help the organization advance its big data efforts. Moving up the scale, organizations that are developing their strategies understand the different skill sets within data and analytics. They have dedicated, skilled analytics roles established, with several people responsible for data in different roles/teams. The most advanced organizations have high levels of staff commitment at senior, specialist, technical, and administrative levels. Dedicated person/team in charge of data as well as other skilled data people in different teams or roles. Adequate data analysis/reporting skills as part of their jobs with some investment in more advanced skills development. Fairly regular use of external support and advice, mostly around specific tools, systems or projects with some skills development. Example of Level 3 Maturity — Learning: Culture Organizations that are unaware of the power of data tend to be populated with leaders and employees who aren’t interested in data, which is generally only accessible to a single person or team (usually junior staff). In nascent organizations, data is seen as the responsibility of “someone else,” with the philosophy being that data should be collected (but it is not seen as a whole team activity). In organizations where big data strategies are already being developed, entire organizations are beginning to use and share data. People from different teams/levels regularly discuss what the data says and how to act on it, and specialist staff within specific teams is starting to use data to ask difficult questions. Data is seen as the responsibility of ‘someone else’. Recognition that data should be collected but it is not seen as whole team activity. Data mostly sought out and used to support and evidence what that organization already believes or knows. Organization’s culture doesn’t encourage data sharing across teams, though this may occur occasionally verbally or via reports. Basic policies for data protection and security may be in place but not monitored or enforced. Little/no staff/volunteer training. Example of Level 2 Maturity — Nascent: Data Organizations in the early stages of embracing and using data don’t collect much of it, nor do they check it for validity or accuracy. And while they may collect data manually for a specific purpose, they rarely update that data. Moving up the curve, organizations that are learning typically collect data and then review that data to determine whether it is meaningful, relevant, and useful (even if it may contain errors). At the mastering level, organizations have very high levels of confidence and trust in data quality, and they invest in resources to collect, clean, maintain, and manage that data well. Limited data (if any) collected. Not checked for validity or accuracy infrequently, if ever, updated. Collected manually for specific purpose. No external data sources used. Nobody is aware or interested in the data assets in the organization. Example of Level 1 Maturity — Unaware: Tools Nascent organizations are still using basic spreadsheets and paper to record data, and for basic analytical tasks. Their tools are limited and may not be up to date. Organizations in the learning stage are using databases, CRMs, and spreadsheets in an operational (versus analytic) fashion, with most of the data needing to be “extracted” for further analysis. Masters of big data will keep information on widely-accessible data sources and provide users with the tools they need to be able to directly access both internal and external data. Basic database, spreadsheets and paper used for recording data. Spreadsheets and reports in databases may be used for basic analytical tasks. Tools are limited. May not be up-to-date, don’t meet current needs, and may not be documented or supported. Example of Level 2 Maturity — Nascent: Uses Organizations that are unaware or nascent generally collect and use data for requisite purposes (e.g., legal, financial, or funder compliance), with most data being based around activities, outputs, and basic financial analysis and forecasts. Moving into the “learning” stage, organizations start to collect a lot of data on clients (and how they engage), and then focus on capturing some outcomes data. They use data for income generation and for the forecasting of sales and donations, thus resulting in more effective fundraising and/or commercial income. At the mastering level, organizations use data extensively and in interlinked, strategic ways for a wide range of purposes. Collect a lot of data on clients and how they engage. Capture some outcomes data. Historical service user/project level analysis to evaluate performance within depts. Use data for income generation and some forecasting of sales and donations leading to more effective fundraising and commercial income. Better able to adapt to changes in external environment. Able to demonstrate work being done for specific user groups in specific projects. Can start leading conversations with funders, partners, clients using data. Use own data as well external sources to evidence need and some outcomes and impact. Example of Maturity Level 3 — Learning: Analysis At the learning level, whole organization analyses are beginning to be performed on an ad-hoc basis, with reports collated manually using different sources of descriptive data. There may be some routing, automated analysis and reporting taking place, but for the most part data is arduously reworked for presentation in static reports (and for different internal/external audiences). As they develop their big data strategies, organizations become more consistent and regular in their approaches to data reporting and trends analysis. And at the mastering level, organizations are leveraging forecasting and predictive models to plan for the future needs of their stakeholders, customers, and bottom lines. Analyses starting to explore service users/customers and target audiences. Analyses may include external data e.g. to evidence scale of need/problems. Basic analysis, using counts and spreadsheets. Use of basic charts. Analysis and report creation skills variable. Example of Maturity Level 2 — Nascent: Daunting for a lot of organizations — and especially for those who fall into the unaware, nascent, and learning categories — data isn’t something you can ignore and hope that it just goes away. Cumulatively, we’re generating — a number that’s set to grow over the coming years. The organizations that will take the time to gather the data, analyze it, and turn it into actionable insights will gain a competitive advantage over those that don’t. roughly 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every day [Featured Image by Charles Deluvio on Unsplash ] Copyright © 2018 by Faisal Hoque. All rights reserved. I am the founder of and other companies. Shadoka enables aspirations to lead, innovate, and transform. Shadoka’s accelerators and solutions bring together the management frameworks, digital platforms, and thought leadership to enable innovation, transformation, entrepreneurship, growth and social impact. SHADOKA Author of “ ” and “ ”. Follow me on Twitter . Use the leadership app and resiliancy app for free. Everything Connects — How to Transform and Lead in the Age of Creativity, Innovation and Sustainability Survive to Thrive: 27 Practices of Resilient Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Leaders Faisal Hoque Everything Connects Suvvive to Thrive

Big Data: How To Know If Your Organization Is Ready

[Photo by on ] Benjamin Hung Unsplash How to create critical strategies, sustain innovation, apply cost competitiveness, and transform businesses. Insights from , , , and . Renee Mauborgne John Kao Steven Rattner Faisal Hoque All indicate that the China’s economy will surpass that of the U.S. before 2030 and India’s could be bigger before 2050. studies “In a tectonic shift, by 2030, Asia will have surpassed North America and Europe combined in terms of global power, based upon GDP, population size, military spending, and technological investment. China alone will probably have the largest economy, surpassing that of the United States a few years before 2030.” Does it matter? More importantly, what should you do to prepeare? Below are four key business fundamentals that can underpin a strategic and broad-based approach for sustained innovation and growth no matter what you are doing: Creating Critical Strategies What are the critical strategies businesses can use to create healthy and sustainable growth? (INSEAD strategy professor and co-author of the award-winning international best-selling book Blue Ocean Strategy): Renee Mauborgne For growth to be healthy and sustainable it must be profitable growth, not just growth. Almost all strategies aim to achieve this goal but not all of them can succeed, especially given the business situation around the world today–globalized production and trade as well as accelerated technological development that have improved industrial productivity, permitting suppliers to produce an unprecedented array of products and services while removing niche markets and monopoly havens, making competition in the global market more and more intense. At the same time, there is little evidence of any increase in demand. Sticking with conventional strategies of either pursuing differentiation or cost leadership is not likely to lead companies onto the path of profitable growth. By pursuing both differentiation and low cost, business must seek to break the value-cost trade-off of conventional strategies and create a leap in value for both buyers and the company. This is achieved by reconstructing market elements across conventional boundaries of competition to create new market space, thereby unlocking new demand, creating tidy profits and generating a growth momentum for the company that is healthy and sustainable. Sustaining Innovation Edge Why is America losing its innovation edge, why does it matter, and how do we get it back? (best-selling author of and chairman of the Global Advisory Council on Innovation of the World Economic Forum): John Kao Innovation Nation America leads any imaginable current ranking of innovation capability. However, all of her historical advantages have become relative as many countries seek the innovation high ground. The only absolute advantage that America enjoys–and it is still a decisive one–is a culture that celebrates risk-taking, forgiveness of failure, and wild unproven ideas. However, innovation is also a function of such variables as public education, infrastructure, investment in scientific research, and societal scale ‘grand projects.’ Evidence is accumulating about the eroding base for American innovation. This problem is compounded by the absence of a strong national strategy and stewardship function for developing innovation capability. While ample green shoots may be seen in such ‘innovations about innovation’ like lean startup and design thinking, the overall trend is worrisome. Applying Cost Competitiveness Why is cost competitiveness critical? What can we learn from the GM bailout? (head of the Obama Administration’s successful effort to restructure the automobile industry, author of ): Steven Rattner Overhaul: An Insider’s Account of the Obama Administration’s Emergency Rescue of the Auto Industry We live an intensely competitive world. Nowhere is this more true than in our manufacturing and auto industry. With the rising pressure of lower wages and higher productivity in developing countries, our auto industry must keep its costs low if it is to survive. That is exactly what it was unable to do in 2008 and succumbed to bankruptcy. After a government-led bailout, GM is back on its feet. It was able to do so through aggressively cutting its labor costs, reducing its U.S. hourly labor force, closing redundant plants, and streamlining its massive health and pension obligations. At the same time GM’s new management focused on improving its product portfolio to align it with consumer expectations. While GM’s example is extreme, its lessons apply to all U.S. industries. In an increasingly global marketplace, when your end product is basically a commodity, it is imperative to not only have a low cost structure but also one that is variable in nature and can easily adjust to declining demand or shocks to the system. Transforming to Grow and Innovate How do you drive a transformative journey for sustainable innovation and growth? (Founder of and other companies. Author of and other books): Faisal Hoque SHADOKA Everything Connects: How to Transform and Lead in the Age of Creativity, Innovation, and Sustainability The term ‘transformation’ originated with biology and genetics. In short, biological transformation refers to the introduction of something organic and systemic that can change the essential nature of a cell. Its purpose is to invoke change. The transformative process is nearly identical for every organization today: introduce a new goal, add the variable, and transform it into creativity and innovation. Transformation is driven by an acknowledged need to grow and change, followed by thinking differently about the old ways and means. Globalization and the power of access to enabling technologies have made the prevailing cause-and-effect narrowness of traditional economic theory outdated. In today’s environment, processes for transformation can be established with 3 core principles: When the business objectives are combined successfully with the appropriate technologies, the result is convergence, the seamless merging of both. Convergence makes it possible to create a viable economic model applying enabling technologies. Transformation occurs when the individual or enterprise has successfully embarked upon on the new course to achieve its goals. These processes are repeatable–in fact, it loops–continually transforming actions into creative, innovative, and sustainable goals and outcomes. Transformation for sustainable growth and innovation is not a one-time business function; it is a fundamental systemic and cultural shift in the individual or the institution and their worldview. It’s a continuous journey, not a destination. . Adapted from my article @FastCompany Copyright © 2018 by Faisal Hoque. All rights reserved. Founder of and other companies. Shadoka enables aspirations to lead, innovate, and transform. Shadoka’s accelerators and solutions bring together the management frameworks, digital platforms, and thought leadership to enable innovation, transformation, entrepreneurship, growth and social impact. SHADOKA Author of “ ” and “ ”. Follow me on Twitter . Use the leadership app and resiliancy app for free. Everything Connects — How to Transform and Lead in the Age of Creativity, Innovation and Sustainability Survive to Thrive: 27 Practices of Resilient Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Leaders Faisal Hoque Everything Connects Suvvive to Thrive

Can You Survive To Thrive In Ever Shifting Global Economy?

[Photo by on ] Thought Catalog Unsplash These low-tech habits can help you adapt and thrive at work when you’re strapped for resources. More help, more brainpower, more time, more cash: You may need all four to accomplish everything on your agenda this year, but chances are you aren’t going to get them all. No matter how big your ambitions or how efficiently you work, even the best-laid plans start to unravel when resources are short. But that doesn’t mean you’re fated to be less productive when you have less to work with. with big Fortune 50 corporations as well as mom-and-pop shops and have launched a few startups, too. Today I run a business, write, sit on multiple company boards, and invest in others. I know firsthand how limited resources can impact the way work gets done (or doesn’t) in all these environments, but I’ve picked up a few simple techniques for keeping productive nonetheless. Here are a few. I’ve worked 1. BE CHOOSIER ABOUT THE WORK YOU DO Translation: say “No.” Trying to execute too many things at once is a recipe for burnout and eventual failure. If you’re developing a product, for example, you have to think about research and development, marketing, distribution, sales, finance, and service, among other things. Ideally, you’d want people to build the product, other people to sell it, and still other people to service it–but you may not have the luxury of hiring or contracting them to do all that. So you try doing it all yourself–simultaneously–which often means things don’t get done very well or efficiently. It isn’t just startup founders who face this challenge, of course. So do employees with bosses to answer to. Ideally, good managers know their team members’ limits and don’t flinch when they . But even if your boss hasn’t encouraged you to say “no” when you need to, you’ve got to be able to communicate to higher-ups when you’re spread too thin ( for doing just that). decline too much work here are a few tips The fact is that “no” is healthy when it helps you stick to your principles and priorities, when it keeps you focused on your goals, and when you need to change directions. (It’s also a shield from abuse and exploitation by hard-driving employers.) When your resources tighten, use that as a cue to reprioritize and The bottom line: master the art of saying “no thanks” or “not right now.” 2. BUILD A PARTNER NETWORK It doesn’t matter how smart or savvy you are, or which amazing skills you might possess: Whatever your venture–personal, professional, philanthropic, political, or otherwise–you need partners who have a stake in your success. Nobody succeeds for long alone. As an enterprise software developer, for example, I decided that I wanted to sell only through my partners, and not directly to end customers. So I’ve begun building a global distribution network instead of hiring a team to sell my products. Not only does this let me do more with less, but it also takes less of my time because I’m not overseeing in-house sales and delivery teams. Actively recruit the right partners who can help you grow, whether it’s in business, life, or your career, and make sure you manage them well. (Hint: When it comes to career growth, this doesn’t necessarily mean finding a mentor– that leverage a different partner for a different career-related function.) The bottom line: here are a few alternatives 3. DON’T BUILD EVERYTHING FROM SCRATCH One of the best ways to maximize resources is to take what’s already been done and make it better. Whenever you can build onto something that’s already out there (or build on others’ ideas), you’ll save time and valuable resources. Some organizations have mastered the art of reuse; others do it without even realizing it. The Apples, Teslas, and Fords of the world understand how applying the principle of reuse can lead to resource-efficient iteration, and thus innovation. As an author, I first write small blog posts, some of which I turn into feature-length articles, and eventually a few of those articles form the basis of a new book. Reuse generates speed and efficiency in pretty much every work-related scenario that requires you to produce a new asset. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Leverage your own hard work and the work of those who came before you to get more done with less. The bottom line: 4. FOCUS ON ONE THING AT A TIME Want to build a new product? Then focus on building a new product. Want to bring a new service to market? Hone it and get it ready for prime time. While you do, don’t focus on anything else. Only when the product or service is finished should you move on to star targeting a customer base and asking for feedback (at which point it’s time to go back and ). Just don’t try to build-and-sell over and over again with limited resources. Doing one thing at a time will lead to higher-quality and, in many cases, faster output. tweak the offering based on that input : Stop trying to multitask, and instead practice focusing on one thing at a time– . The bottom line “monotasking” is a skill worth developing 5. COURT SERENDIPITY As they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained. that accidental occurrences can produce meaningful ideas and help you spot connections you’d otherwise miss–especially when you’re mindful about your options and possibilities. Research suggests Resource scarcity usually leads us to do the reverse, turning away from serendipitous discovery as a waste of time. But that’s when you’ll need it most. Every worthwhile undertaking requires a mix of curiosity and intent; before long that intent turns into a devoted, purposeful journey. Paradoxically, though, you have to let go in order to embark on it. Think of it like driving a car without worrying about the destination–you’re just on the road to enjoy the sights, scenes, and smells; pay attention to them, and you’ll begin to know where you’re heading. Let yourself zigzag a little and embrace happenstance. It’s not a wasteful luxury when resources are thin. The bottom line: 6. AVOID NEGATIVE PEOPLE AT ALL COSTS You’ve been around who leave you feeling exhausted and drained. When you’re trying to do more with less, these people will always get in your way. emotional vampires Sometimes the best course of action is simply to or professional acquaintance by managing their behavior and limiting your interactions as best you can. Not so when you’re working with scarce time or resources. The last thing you need is another constraint on your focus, energy, or schedule. Instead, you should make a deliberate effort to spend time only with people who uplift and strengthen you (like those partners of yours, in tip #2). deal with an annoying coworker Scrupulously avoid anyone who takes you backward and doesn’t empathize with what you’re trying to accomplish. The bottom line: Whether you’re part of a big company or an entrepreneur, there will always be conflicting interests, limited resources, and not enough hours in the day. It’s what you choose to do with those hours that matters. Copyright © 2018 by Faisal Hoque. All rights reserved. Original article @FastCompany . I am an . Founder of and other companies. Shadoka enables aspirations to lead, innovate, and transform. Shadoka’s accelerators and solutions bring together the management frameworks, digital platforms, and thought leadership to enable innovation, transformation, entrepreneurship, growth and social impact. entrepreneur and author SHADOKA Author of “ ” (McGraw Hill) and “ ” (Motivational Press). Follow me on Twitter . Everything Connects — How to Transform and Lead in the Age of Creativity, Innovation and Sustainability Survive to Thrive: 27 Practices of Resilient Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Leaders Faisal Hoque Use the Everything Connects leadership app and Suvvive to Thrive resiliancy app for free.

6 Ways To Do More With Less This Year (Without Breaking A Sweat)

[Photo by on ] John-Mark Kuznietsov Unsplash Our eye is intently focused on the finish line, while life is happening now. This “now” is flying by at lightning speed. Most of us are taught, from a very young age onward, to desire success. Success — the quest for it and the act of chasing our goals and dreams — can be a potent personal animator. We exert effort. We work hard. We hustle, hustle, and hustle some more. And if we are fortunate, we’re rewarded with the tangible gifts of our efforts. And yet, even during those times when the ride feels exactly like the exhilarating thrill we thought it would be, we have the occasional moment when we realize that all we’re really doing is working hard. We’re not so sure we are actually enjoying the pace of the ride. We’re not even sure we got on the right ride, in the first place. Moment by rushed moment, we have this eerie sense that life is slipping away from us. Our eye is intently focused on the finish line, while life is happening now. This “now” is flying by at lightning speed. Living in the moment doesn’t mean we don’t care about the future. It means that when we make the choice to do something, we focus solely on the act of doing it, rather than letting our mind wander into the future or the past. In college, at my janitorial graveyard shift, I had a supervisor who used to remind me every night to “be kind to the floor, buff her carefully — and then see how well she shines.” At those particular moments, nothing else mattered — only the shine on the buffed floor. It taught me to lose myself completely in an utterly mundane task. Being in the moment allows us to escape from adversity and conserve our inner energy. For a fast-paced entrepreneur like me, perhaps the most paradoxical lesson has been around the need to slow down to move forward. Slowing down is a deliberate choice that can lead to greater appreciation for life and a greater level of happiness, which yields better results in one’s endeavors. In the context of mindful living, slowing down does not imply taking a vacation every other month. It is what we must practice every day. It means taking the time to do whatever we’re doing. It means single-tasking rather than switching between a multitude of tasks and focusing on none of them. Several decades ago, the term “mindfulness” used to imply Eastern mysticism related to the spiritual journey of a person, following the teachings of Gautama Buddha. Buddhists believe that being “well, happy, and peaceful” comes from practicing mindful living. Today, from self-help gurus to business leaders, from scientists to politicians, many talk about mindfulness. And the scientific community now believes that by practicing daily mindfulness we can take advantage of the neuroplasticity of our brains and thereby improve the state of our lives. William James was one of the first psychologists to address the notion of neuroplasticity back in his groundbreaking 1890 text, . The central idea behind neuroplasticity is that our brain can restructure itself based on our perception and experience. The Principles of Psychology In our book we wrote: Everything Connects — How to Transform and Lead in the Age of Creativity, Innovation and Sustainability , “Bishop, the Canadian psychologist, supplies us a useful two-component definition of mindfulness: regulating our attention to maintain a focus on our immediate experience and approaching the phenomena of our experiences with curiosity, openness, and acceptance regardless of how desirable we find those phenomena to be. Mindfulness allows us to have a more nuanced, articulate understanding not only of the events happening outside of our bodies but of those happening within them.” When we are mindful, we begin to be a more objective witness of our own experiences: when placed into a situation where we would normally become aggravated, we can observe our aggravation as it arises. As a meditation teacher once told me, without mindfulness, we are reaction machines. But with mindfulness, we give ourselves some room to move. Instead of acting out of our long-held tendencies, biases, and patterns, we can act in a way that serves the situation and serves the people involved. These personal outcomes have major consequences for organizations, as well. If innovation and growth is something that arises from being able to see the same set of data in a new way, practices that allow us to approach new situations with a fresh, unbiased, and slightly less conditioned state of mind are an asset. If we rely on our colleagues to share the things that cure our blind spots, practices that deepen our relationships are an asset. If we need to be translating long-term goals into daily actions, practices that allow us to introspect with more accuracy are an asset. If we simply need to better navigate the stressful stimuli of our days, we need all the tools we can get. This is where the practice of daily mindfulness enters the picture. It shows us how to begin to stay more conscious in the present moment. It teaches us do so in the midst of a rapid pace that may, at times, be beyond our control. It also helps us to discover ways of slowing down so we may better savor life while it unfolds, moment by moment. It’s been said that the only two jobs of a Zen monk are sitting zazen (meditation) and sweeping. Cleaning is one of the daily rituals of a Zen monk, one of their most important daily practices. They sweep or rake, and they try to do nothing else in that moment. The next time you’re doing housework, try concentrating on the housework — on the dust, on the motion, on the sensation. Cooking and cleaning are often seen as boring chores, but actually they are both great ways to practice mindfulness — something I ritualistically try to do at least once or twice a week. Sounds simple, but it’s actually pretty hard. Go ahead and try it. I believe mindful living can be practiced in many forms. My friend Achim Nowak’s book takes a refreshing take on a mindful life. This is a book that squarely places you and me, the reader, into the world — our encounters with people, places, and things. Many of us yearn to live more fully “in the moment.” We don’t always know exactly what that means or what it may look like. The Moment is a great start toward creating a mindful life in a distracted world. The Moment Copyright © 2017 by Faisal Hoque. All rights reserved. I am an . Founder of and other companies. Shadoka enables aspirations to lead, innovate, and transform. Shadoka’s accelerators and solutions bring together the management frameworks, digital platforms, and thought leadership to enable innovation, transformation, entrepreneurship, growth and social impact. entrepreneur and author SHADOKA Author of “ ” (McGraw Hill) and “ ” (Motivational Press). Follow me on Twitter . Everything Connects — How to Transform and Lead in the Age of Creativity, Innovation and Sustainability Survive to Thrive: 27 Practices of Resilient Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Leaders Faisal Hoque Use the Everything Connects leadership app and Suvvive to Thrive resiliancy app for free.

Creating A Mindful Life In A Distracted World

[Photo by on ] freestocks.org Unsplash CVS is offering to pay $66 billion for Aetna — a blending that could turn local drugstores into health insurers. Assessing the impacts of the recent rash of mergers and takeovers in the healthcare field. The mega-marketplace revolution is in full swing across all industries right now. Amazon shelled out $13.7 billion for Whole Foods in an effort to gain a stronger foothold in the grocery industry, AT&T wants to buy Time Warner for $85 billion, UnitedHealth Group is acquiring DaVita Medical Group and the latter’s 300 doctors’ clinics for $4.9 billion, and CVS is offering to pay $66 billion for Aetna — a blending that could turn local drugstores into health insurers. These deals collectively paint a picture of a business environment that’s ripe for consolidation and ready to merge. Of particular interest to the healthcare industry — already grappling with changes and turmoil on many different fronts — the proposed CVS-Aetna deal could find the acquirer creating a unified, seamless benefits offering to customers (such as large employers). “The combined behemoth would also have a large and diversified store of health data, an important asset in today’s competitive environment,” the reports, noting that Amazon’s intention to “move into the pharmacy business helped spur CVS’ move on Aetna.” Wall Street Journal From this recent spate of mega-deals, the entities involved expect benefits like improved economies of scale (the “power of one” versus various, scattered entities), better profits (which, in turn, can fund R&D and other initiatives); and new faces on the newly-combined firm’s management and leadership teams. The disadvantages include, but aren’t limited to, difficulties coordinating and communicating across the combined entity and the length of time it takes to physically “merge” the two companies into a single, efficient organization. The question is, how will these combined superpowers impact their customers and their respective industries as a whole? Here are four ways things could play out: It could spawn a groundswell of mega-mergers and, subsequently, less competition. If the merger goes through, it could trigger another wave of takeovers. In fact, analysts feel it could cause a wave of industry consolidation, with Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) and Rite-Aid (RAD) currently seeking mergers or acquisitions with other major health insurers. This could give a smaller concentration of companies a bigger stronghold on the nation’s healthcare industry. Consumer options could be reduced and customers could be subjected to higher co-pays (i.e., if they select a non-CVS drugstore to fill an Aeta plan prescription). Healthcare is a fundamental service that’s comparable to cable, electricity, and telephones, all of which have been consolidated under mega brands and via mega-mergers. And while healthcare is a highly-regulated industry, the idea of only having one drugstore or one insurance provider to choose from could push prices up while whittling down choices. Better economies of scale could be in sight for healthcare insurers and other providers. Under pressure to address losses suffered from former President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, and then navigate the murky waters of Obamacare eradication, major health insurers have been grappling with reductions in program offerings. Health care mergers and acquisitions have been rampant over the last few years, making the savings associated with economies of scale that much more critical as margins tighten. In the CVS-Aetna deal, for example, the combined entity would also have more firepower against a giant e-tailer like Amazon — an advantage that companies across many industries are trying to figure out right now. In fact, the “Amazon Effect” is one of the drivers of healthcare mergers and the quest to provide a single point of service and information for customers. This, in turn, helps to reduce the cost of running the healthcare supply chain, the cost of customer acquisition, and the cost of healthcare delivery. Amazon is already leveraging these advantages in numerous marketplaces, and healthcare firms want to be able to replicate that in their own industry. Premiums may not get any lower. Seeking relief from rising insurance and healthcare bills, consumers are waiting for a miracle to come and lower their bills. The CVS-Aetna deal probably isn’t their knight in shining armor. In fact, there’s been no real impact on lowering premiums among beneficiaries due to health insurance mergers, according to a study. In fact, statistics show that less competition in the health payer market can result in higher monthly premiums for beneficiaries, and particularly for those in employer-sponsored, commercial health plans. But just because you merge an insurance company with the drugstore doesn’t mean consumers will be privy to lower prices. At a basic level, premiums really only go down if fewer people visit the doctor or hospital, and a mega-merger isn’t going to make that happen. Harvard Business Review Organizations may stop innovating. When was the last time your cable company introduced a groundbreaking, innovative product? Or your electric company rolled out a pioneering new service? The answer is probably “never,” and that’s because competition spawns innovation. In the absence of a competitor knocking on your customers’ doors, trying to sell them a newer, better, and more efficient product or service, the drive to innovate dwindles to zero. This could happen if we start to see more healthcare companies merging and creating less competition for themselves. Anytime you have a captive consumer, companies don’t think too hard about innovation. As more companies look to merge with one another in an effort to gain operational savings, reduce overhead, eliminate redundancies, and gain a foothold in new verticals, the underlying tenets of healthcare probably won’t change much — namely because transformation can’t happen unless we take a holistic view of the problem and fix all of the pain points within that larger picture. Because all of the systems that make up the bigger healthcare picture are interdependent, you can’t just fix one part and expect transformation to occur. In the end, preventative medicine is what’s going to reduce the cost of healthcare, and that’s both an individual and a social responsibility. Copyright © 2017 by Faisal Hoque. All rights reserved. I am an . Founder of and other companies. Shadoka enables aspirations to lead, innovate, and transform. Shadoka’s accelerators and solutions bring together the management frameworks, digital platforms, and thought leadership to enable innovation, transformation, entrepreneurship, growth and social impact. entrepreneur and author SHADOKA Author of “ ” (McGraw Hill) and “ ” (Motivational Press). Follow me on Twitter . Everything Connects — How to Transform and Lead in the Age of Creativity, Innovation and Sustainability Survive to Thrive: 27 Practices of Resilient Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Leaders Faisal Hoque Use the Everything Connects leadership app and Suvvive to Thrive resiliancy app for free.

The Rise of the Healthcare Mega-Marketplaces: What Does It Mean For You?

[Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash] A presentation on the fundamentals, roadmap, and capabilities needed for business transformation at the Nextea Innovation Gate Seminar in Milano, Italy. Operational excellence enables an enterprise and its leadership to continuously improve all areas of performance, including decision- making, ongoing investment, profitability, customer and partner services and human resources capabilities. Operationally excellent enterprises possess the processes and structures–or the “intangible assets”–that give them the visibility, control, tools, and management practices necessary to drive greater operational effectiveness and efficiency. Operational excellence had its genesis in manufacturing dating back to the pre-Industrial Revolution. In his 1776 magnum opus, , economist and philosopher Adam Smith was among the first great thinkers to define this now widely used concept. Smith famously described a small pin factory where 10 workers, each specializing in a different aspect of the job, could produce over 48,000 pins a day. Left to make a pin on his own, each of these workers might not have manufactured a single one in a day, and certainly not more than 20. The division of labor immensely increased the productivity of each worker. It’s still true today that assigning different roles and responsibilities across an enterprise enables scale, lowers costs and leads to greater operational efficiencies. The Wealth of Nations Delivering continuous improvement in the marketplace among competitors and customers requires enterprises to identify, understand and create the capabilities, behaviors and focuses necessary for repeatable, continuous and measurable operational improvement. Find out more from this presentation that I gave at a Event. Nextea Copyright © 2017 by Faisal Hoque. All rights reserved. . . . . . I am an . Founder of and other companies. Shadoka enables aspirations to lead, innovate, and transform. Shadoka’s accelerators and solutions bring together the management frameworks, digital platforms, and thought leadership to enable innovation, transformation, entrepreneurship, growth and social impact. entrepreneur and author SHADOKA Author of “ ” (McGraw Hill) and “ ” (Motivational Press). Follow me on Twitter . Use the leadership app and resiliancy app for free. Everything Connects — How to Transform and Lead in the Age of Creativity, Innovation and Sustainability Survive to Thrive: 27 Practices of Resilient Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Leaders Faisal Hoque Everything Connects Suvvive to Thrive

Achieving Operational Excellence With AI And Machine Learning

Still in the early stages of development and use, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning are already impacting how we live, work, and play. Is your organization ready to embrace and leverage these disruptive innovations? When it granted citizenship to Sophia, a robot manufactured by Hanson Robotics, to publicly embrace the close relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and “real life.” Designed in the image of Audrey Hepburn, this Saudi citizen has already become somewhat of a celebrity, appearing on the Tonight Show and at various global conferences. Saudi Arabia became the first country in the world Sophia isn’t alone. In fact, we’ve been using AI in our daily lives for decades. From voice recognition on all smartphones to robots that help you clean the house to virtual assistants that remind you about upcoming business meetings, AI has already proven itself to be a great provider of information, learning, reasoning, planning, and communicating. Defined as the effectively simulation of human intelligence processes by computers, AI also incorporates the concepts of machine learning and deep learning. The former comes into play when AI gives inanimate systems the ability to automatically learn and improve from experience (a very “humanlike” trait), while the latter gives computers the ability to learn without being explicitly programmed. Machine learning helps companies like Uber determine arrival times for rides, estimate meal delivery times on UberEATS, and compute optimal pickup locations. Google uses deep learning for voice and image recognition algorithms and Amazon employs it to help determine what customers want to watch or buy next. Three Ways AI Already Impacts Us Today Because AI, machine learning, and deep learning can all be loosely grouped under the same umbrella, its best to think of the trio working in concert to help organizations work smarter, better, and faster. And while all three are still in their infancies on the technological growth curve, it is already impacting in ways that we may not even realize. Here are three of them: According to a article, $62 billion is lost through poor customer service — a deficit that continues to increase with every passing year. AI can help plug that leak by going above and beyond what humans are able to do. Digital assistants have already become common and acceptable shoulders to lean on in daily life — and we can expect them to play an even larger role in our lives in the future — but they are just the beginning. A unveils that most consumers see AI simplifying their daily lives in the immediate future: Simplify our daily lives. Forbes recent PwC survey AI and machine learning have the potential to significantly reduce and contain ongoing operational costs for public sector agencies. Consider the following examples: Makes our governments more efficient. is developing wearable monitors that use a machine-learning algorithm to weigh the potential seriousness of wounds, to assist medics in prioritizing treatment or evacuation. The Army’s Medical Department and US Customs and Immigration Services use chatbots designed to answer basic questions and leave complicated responses to a human. The White House uses handwriting recognition to sort mail by ZIP code; some machines can process 18,000 pieces of mail an hour. The US Postal Service According to a recent , using AI to automate federal government tasks now performed by employees would save at least 96.7 million working hours a year, a cost savings of $3.3 billion. Combined with better, faster, and accurate services with the incentive to cost reduction will continue to drive adoption of AI in government sector. Deloitte study Take manufacturing industry as an example. Industrial revolutions have taken us from mass production to automation. It’s been more than half a century since the first robots worked on production lines. And now, manufacturing, dubbed as Indusry 4.0 is getting smarter as it adopts AI, machine learning, and the internet of things (IoT). Data from customers, partners, market, factory floors, and warehouses can be collected, integrated, analyzed, and predicted — allowing companies change the way they make and ship products and goods with efficiency and accuracy. Addresses business’ toughest challenges. Manufacturing is not the only example of AI usage; it has also been impacting every sector of the market to solve complex business problems. For example, many large financial institutions have invested in AI engines to assist with their investment practices. A report from highlights how wealth management company BlackRock’s AI engine, called Aladdin, is used internally to help inform investment decisions; its also offered to customers and nearly 30,000 people use the system. Aladdin has a wide range of functionalities including the use of natural language processing to read text such as news, broker reports, and social media feeds. The system then assists users with investment decisions. American Banker Where Should You Begin? Both nebulous and complicated by nature, AI and the movements that it’s fueling all require a highly specialized skillset. For it to work, people must connect the dots between the AI and how it can be effectively applied in the private or public sector. That’s not always easy to do — and the very notion of it may be scary to some who think that the day when machines “take over” isn’t that far off — but the positive results are already being documented and talked about. As AI, machine learning, and deep learning continue to evolve and mature, it’s time for every organization start experimenting with the many ways these technologies are helping organizations work smarter, better, and faster. So how do you get started? It starts with the business strategy. Your organization may not have a formal, codified method for making predictions about the future, but it definitely has a business strategy. Such strategies arise from some set of assumptions about what changes are afoot — accurate or otherwise. It that takes a self-examination. Start by taking these steps: Closely examine your current strategy, right here in the present. How well is your team executing your current plan? What changes are needed today? Consider those execution methods from the perspective of your immediate situation to determine whether utilizing AI is likely to make your organization more effective. Analyze the impact of your current work of your team, partners, and customers. Where are the most obvious places your results can be improved or revenue increased? Evaluate your present capabilities for making those improvements. What assets and resources do you have at your command to begin experimenting with AI? The assumptions you’re making about the future are embedded directly in the way you’re doing things right now. Closely reexamining your existing processes can make it easier to see the type of future that your current strategy assumes you’re heading toward. An essential part of any future transition requires both left-brained (analytical) and right-brained (creative) talent and culture. Value creation process from AI is no different. It begins with generating right ideas and ends with effective execution. Related: Four Questions To Turn Everyone In Your Company Into A Futurist Will Data Science Make Your Business Instincts Irrelevant? What This Video Of A Drone Fishing For Tuna Can Teach You About Disruption Copyright © 2017 by Faisal Hoque. All rights reserved. I am an . Founder of and other companies. Shadoka enables aspirations to lead, innovate, and transform. Shadoka’s accelerators and solutions bring together the management frameworks, digital platforms, and thought leadership to enable innovation, transformation, entrepreneurship, growth and social impact. entrepreneur and author SHADOKA Author of “ ” (McGraw Hill) and “ ” (Motivational Press). Follow me on Twitter . Everything Connects — How to Transform and Lead in the Age of Creativity, Innovation and Sustainability Survive to Thrive: 27 Practices of Resilient Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Leaders Faisal Hoque Use the Everything Connects leadership app and Suvvive to Thrive resiliancy app for free.

Future Of Work With AI, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning

[PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ] U.S. MARINES CORPS “Make It Happen” is a common mantra espoused by Marines, a code that every one of us should learn and apply in our daily lives. Life is about making it happen. A common mantra espoused by the U.S. Marines, “Make It Happen” guides troops when they are confronted with any challenging task: from conducting humanitarian and disaster relief operations and relieving suffering in the Philippines to taking down pirates off the coast of Somalia. Like the Marines, we too can learn and apply a code of conduct in our daily lives so that we can face our challenges head-on. Here are that can move each of us forward no matter what we do in life and help us make it happen. five fundamental Marine Corps values 1. KNOW YOURSELF AND SEEK SELF-IMPROVEMENT A Marine leader takes the time to learn and reflect upon her strengths and weaknesses and works tirelessly to continuously improve. Leaders are completely honest with themselves and develop the ability to pursue personal mastery with the understanding that it can never be fully attained. Leaders who seek self-improvement inspire those around them to do the same, resulting in higher productivity, which may include the development of a high-performance team, increased individual and organizational happiness, and the ability to make it happen regardless of what outsiders may perceive to be impossible goals. 2. BE TECHNICALLY AND TACTICALLY PROFICIENT Marines often work in volatile, uncertain, and complex environments around the world. Marine leaders must be experts in their line of work when lives are at stake. Your lives and workplace may be less frenetic, but the same principle applies. A baker, who has the “make it happen” mentality to create the best cupcakes by 6 a.m. each morning, will constantly seek new learning to hone her cupcake baking skills. She will put the knowledge gained into action by synthesizing the learning in a way that, perhaps, results in the development of a unique and differentiating recipe. In the Marine Corps, it is expected that leaders will be technically and tactically proficient and that they will maintain and enhance their capabilities by seeking out both formal and informal opportunities to learn. 3. DEVELOP A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY Interdependence in any group or team today is essential to success. We have all been impacted both positively and negatively when members of a group or team successfully pull their weight or fail to do so. Marines develop a sense of responsibility amongst subordinates by knowing what their intrinsic and extrinsic needs are and to find new ways to meet those needs by linking their attainment to the organization’s mission and purpose, which includes the words “serving others first.” For example, if you lead a team of customer service representatives in the health care industry and you received complaints from customers that they are being treated impersonally, instead of reacting by disciplining the team, as the leader you may consider speaking to each representative one-on-one in order to seek a way to match their known intrinsic needs with the organizational mission and purpose. 4. MAKE SOUND AND TIMELY DECISIONS Depending on the situation, especially in fast-paced work environments, leaders are required to make decisions with limited information. Through scenario-driven training, Marines are taught to make sound and timely decisions with limited information and in uncertain environments on a routine basis. This training involves systematically thinking through a problem in pursuit of mission accomplishment by applying the acronym “BAMCIS.” It stands for: Begin the Planning Arrange Reconnaissance Make Reconnaissance Complete the Planning Issue the Order Supervise This simple, yet effective, decision-making framework provides the foundation from which Marines can assess a problem and then rapidly make sound and timely decisions. 5. SET THE EXAMPLE The motto of the is Ductos Exemplo, Latin for . A leader of any organization will be well served to apply the Marine Corps Leadership Principle of “Set the example.” Marine Corps’ Officer Candidates School Lead by Example True leaders know they are doing the right thing when those they lead, to include cross-functional, cross-discipline teams, begin to model and follow the example they are setting. Leaders who espouse and practice ethical and responsible behavior are likely to inspire others to do the same. Marine leaders who consistently want to make things happen will set the example by leading from the front, yet putting the needs of others first. Hat tip: Lieutenant Colonel Raphael Hernandez, chief marketing officer of the Marine Corps Recruiting Command, contributed to the research of this story. Copyright © 2017 by Faisal Hoque. All rights reserved. I am an . Founder of and other companies. Shadoka enables aspirations to lead, innovate, and transform. Shadoka’s accelerators and solutions bring together the management frameworks, digital platforms, and thought leadership to enable innovation, transformation, entrepreneurship, growth and social impact. entrepreneur and author SHADOKA Author of “ ” (McGraw Hill) and “ ” (Motivational Press). Follow me on Twitter . Everything Connects — How to Transform and Lead in the Age of Creativity, Innovation and Sustainability Survive to Thrive: 27 Practices of Resilient Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Leaders Faisal Hoque Use the Everything Connects leadership app and Suvvive to Thrive resiliancy app for free.

5 Lessons In Self-Improvement We Can Learn From The Marines

Some leaders are better at motivating their teams than others. Here’s what it takes. Everyone should know a thing or two about how to inspire and motivate others. It’s an important skill that helps us not only take on leadership challenges but engage better with new people, build new relationships, and perform to the best of our potential. The first step in motivating people is to stop treating them just as employees, managers, CEOs, etc. — we’re more than the titles on our business cards! — and start treating others as humans. Sounds simple, but it isn’t all that easy in every situation. THEY COMMUNICATE OPENLY AND OFTEN When we communicate with others, we have to be clear about what we want. There’s no way to start working towards a common goal until everyone understands what it is and what’s expected of them to help achieve it. Motivational leaders should be approachable and open to dialogue so that everyone they’re trying to motivate can ask questions and share their own ideas. That isn’t shirking the duties of leadership — it’s what helps people connect with your leadership at a personal and emotional level. “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter — ’tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.” — Mark Twain “Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people.” — William Butler Yeats “Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy, and mutual valuing.” — Rollo May This communication style means not just clearly articulating your message, but also listening actively — without bias or judgment and with a real willingness to consider a different perspective. It’s about trading messages respectfully and accurately, not just delivering them. Paying heed to their factual as well as emotional content is what allows for better mutual understanding. Say for instance that an employee has just taken on a big new assignment when he already feels he has too much on his plate. When there’s open communication, he can feel comfortable approaching his manager about his concerns and ask for guidance. His manager, who’s listening actively, will hear that he’s genuinely concerned about being able to deliver at a high level and on time. She’ll be able to create an empathetic environment where the two of them are equally committed to finding the right solution, whatever it might be. THEY OFFER POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT Motivational leaders know how to create a sense of self-worth in their teams by making them feel good about the work they do. Offering well-placed praise is one way to let people know that you appreciate their efforts and acknowledge their progress. Those who are recognized and rewarded feel more confident, which helps them go above and beyond with each new challenge. Recognition also makes people more enthusiastic, cooperative, innovative, and open to change. “People thrive on positive reinforcement. They can take only a certain amount of criticism, and you may lose them altogether if you criticize them in a personal way . . . you can make a point without being personal. Don’t insult or belittle your people. Instead of getting more out of them you will get less.” — Bill Walsh “When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, youdon’t blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is notdoing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, orless sun. You never blame the lettuce.” — Thich Nhat Hanh “The way positive reinforcement is carried out is more important than the amount.” — B. F. Skinner Despite all the wisdom out there, positive reinforcement is harder to find than you may think. In his book , author Bob Nelson contends that the top two drivers of employee performance are being able to say, “I am able to make a difference at work” and “I have been recognized recently for what I do.” In Nelson’s research, money ranks a distant fifth place. Sadly, over 68% of the workers Nelson interviewed had never received even a simple thank-you. 1,001 Ways to Reward Employees Nelson also found that while employees rank positive feedback from their boss as their top motivator, supervisors don’t always believe positive reinforcement matters as much as it does. Leaders who truly inspire others understand its real worth. THEY WALK THE WALK Effective leaders set an example that others feel motivated to follow. Simply telling people what you expect of them or want them to do only goes so far. Being a compelling role model is the surest way to gain commitment from others — by personally demonstrating what you want from your team, not just dictating instructions. “Nothing so conclusively proves a man’s ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead himself.” — Thomas J. Watson “[The Master] doesn’t glitter like a jewel . . . [but is] as rugged and common as a stone.” — Lao Tzu “An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.” — Mahatma Gandhi Alan Deutschman, writing for Bloomburg Businessweek, these real-world examples of leaders who lead by example: recounts “In the early 1960s, when Warren Buffett was recruiting backers for one of his first investment partnerships, he plunged more than 90% of his personal savings into the fund . . . Whenever Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton traveled on business, he rented the same compact economy cars and stayed in the same inexpensive hotels as his employees . . . Ray Kroc picked up the wastepaper in the parking lot whenever he visited a McDonald’s to show cleanliness was a continual job for everyone — even the CEO.” The point is that knowing how to motivate and inspire other people is the key to connect with them. Without that connection, there’s no working together towards a common goal. And a leader who tries to do everything alone isn’t much of a leader at all. Copyright © 2017 by Faisal Hoque. All rights reserved. Originally published @FastCompany . I am an . Founder of and other companies. Shadoka enables aspirations to lead, innovate, and transform. Shadoka’s accelerators and solutions bring together the management frameworks, digital platforms, and thought leadership to enable innovation, transformation, entrepreneurship, growth and social impact. entrepreneur and author SHADOKA Author of “ ” (McGraw Hill) and “ ” (Motivational Press). Follow me on Twitter . Everything Connects — How to Transform and Lead in the Age of Creativity, Innovation and Sustainability Survive to Thrive: 27 Practices of Resilient Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Leaders Faisal Hoque Use the Everything Connects leadership app and Suvvive to Thrive resiliancy app for free.

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