The Change Dude’s Blog

What Gets You Up Every Day

Want to find out what’s bothering someone?  Just ask. What keeps you up at night?  A flurry of issues and concerns will come flooding forward.  As we enter 2011 my preference is to ask quite the opposing question.  What gets you up in the morning?  or as one of my entertainment clients likes to say “What geeks you out?”  Same point, more fun language.  So I’m going to use it.

I am totally geeked about 2011.  This past year had the entire world crawling back onto the shore from the shipwreck that was 2009.  Slowly individuals and companies walked onto the beach, dried off and began to get familiar with the new world.  A bit like exploring a new world.  Through the course of the year as everyone felt a bit more comfortable about the new world ideas began to pop.  Amazing to watch as my clients began to see the light after the eclipse.

2011 is the year to be geeked about for sure.  Orders are up in all industries from B2C to B2B, hiring in some sectors is picking up, services are seeing gains in momentum, and best of all it’s not an election year so Congress can sit down and get some real work done to support business in pushing the economy forward.

I’m geeked about 3 big things for 2011. 

1. Customers Rule: The rising tide of customer feedback through every means available has shaken every organization out its tree.  Every Fortune 10 conglomerates to small non-profits and even Congress has gotten the message about customers having a voice in how things are done.  2011 will see a deeper and greater demand for building understanding of what consumers want from their providers.

2. Forward Outlooks: Recovery is on the horizon.  Organizations feel the positive vibe rising.  2011 will be a festival of vision and forward thinking based on the new realities of the world economy.  Not looking back to evaluate the whys but looking forward to vision the what’s next.

3. Truly Virtual Companies: For over 10 years organizations of all types  have been moving further and further away from the vertically integrated model.  The past 24 months have shown that vertical integration isn’t the answer for the future.  You need not own the entire value chain to be successful just the customer’s heart. 

A striking example of this is the electronics manufacturer Vizio.  This company in Southern California with a mere 160 employees, over 50 percent of which are in customer service, has risen in 8 short years to become the first American brand in over a decade to lead in U.S. LCD HDTV sales.  Its success is a result of a passion to deliver the latest technologies at an affordable price.  Vizio is not vertically integrated, they are totally virtual, building synergistic partnerships with customers and suppliers to delight both.

As we enter 2011 ask yourself, What are you geeked about?  What gets you out of bed in the morning?

Have a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

December 29, 2010 Posted by thechangedude | Uncategorized | Leave a comment