Populacy

Populacy is an old word, with a new meaning.
Populacy is an opportunity for all people to have their say.
Populacy extends democracy to every issue.
Populacy recognises the importance of individuals.
Populacy is personal choice.
Populacy is possible now.

Overcoming CIPE via Symbiosis

Back in January I wrote about the Corporate Intellect Plateau Effect (CIPE). I always thought I would come back to the topic, and it was just the other day when watching a news report about the Clown Fish that my neurons connected. Here's my thoughts:
The clown fish has a symbiotic relationship with a particular type of sea anemone which protects it from predators. In turn, the clown fish protects the anemone from its predators. A similar (and somewhat more applicable) symbiosis occurs with the Acacia Tree and Acacia Ant. In their case, the tree provides a safe home and sustenance for the ant, and the ant protects the tree from other insects, and prevents other seeds germinating nearby.
So I got to thinking about my experience of how an organisation grows, and oftentimes it is through some form of merger or acquisition of another (smaller) organisation. And the common catch phrase is around better profitability due to the 'synergies' that can be created. Mostly, this is about distributing costs for shared internal services, such as IT, Admin, Finance, HR, Warehousing, etc. And in my industry, it will often mean a consolidation of product lines.
Sadly though, these types of 'synergistic' activities end up resulting in staff changes, as the businesses battle it out to determine what areas stay the same, and what parts have to change. This process is a catalyst for the ongoing exodus of experienced and hence high corporate intellect, individuals.
So how can this be stopped?
That is where Symbiosis comes in. Imagine if, rather than merging common internal services and product lines, each business was left entirely to operate independently from any of the others, but each were encouraged to 'work together' to support one another, and to fend off rival competitors. Any bonuses would be based primarily on the success of the individual organisation, with a smaller measure paid on the basis of the entire group succeeding.
Now I may have over-simplified this, but it is an interesting concept.
What do you think?
Stuart

The Defector

I was surprised to see a special mention on me in a post on Diversity yesterday, and then again today. (see here and here.)

Not that I know Ben, or he knows me, but today he said: "... As mentioned the other day, there have been a few rumblings from MYOB about SaaS - these have been hampered by the defection of their On-demand head to Xero ..."

Now another person might be offended by being labelled an 'On-demand head', particularly a defective one. But I tend to take these comments in my stride. In fact, to set the record straight, I was actually the 'Product Marketer' for MYOB BusinessBasics Online for New Zealand.

And while it is flattering to think that I am important, I certainly doubt that my departure 'hampered' MYOB's plans. I can say with confidence that the timeframes were set in place and the outcome was not dependant on any one person.

In Bens earlier post, he suggests that he might know the reason for me leaving MYOB. I'm not prepared to comment on what my reasons are in this blog, but what I can confirm is that the 'limb' Ben went out on was the wrong one. (Ben, flick me an email sometime if you want to know the background: stuart@xero.com).

(I'd also like to add that while Ben thinks this is MYOB's first SaaS offering, there have been others, but he just isn't aware of them, and I'm not interested enough to provide any details.)

Until next time,

Stuart

Wellington and Xero

So, here I am in Wellington, now working at Xero. Tomorrow will be three weeks from my last day at MYOB, and I already feel that I am part of a totally different world.

I have plenty of fond memories of my time at MYOB. I can see that Xero will give me plenty too.

Working with a team of online specialists is fantastic, and the focus and passion the team have makes every day exciting. And it shows in the quality of the product, and the eagerness to increase its functionality, something that is currently happening every month.

As I settle in here, I'll post more about how this actually impacts businesses in New Zealand, the UK, and elsewhere so stay tuned for more.

Until next time,

Stuart

Pooh Survivor (2004)

I know there are a few of my old MYOB colleagues that visit my site now and again, so while I was cleaning up my desk, I came across this movie I made for a competition I ran back in 2004 called Pooh Survivor. Take a look at it here on YouTube.

Stuart

What value is there in "Offline Google"?

The announcement by Google to support offline use of Google Docs (and other Google Apps in the future) will supposedly introduce some exciting possibilities.

From my viewoint, for all the reasons that I want to use Google Docs, offline access is not top of my list. In fact, I don't even think it is on my list.

I primarily use Google Docs for collaboration, centralised storage and for access from other PCs.

So on the collaboration front, I'll be keen to see how offline/online file synchronisation is handled. I have serious doubts.

And having a copy of the document locally on my PC, so I can edit it offline, now defeats the purpose of centralised storage, as how do I ensure that any changes I make, or new documents I create, are safe?

I certainly don't use Google Docs because it is free, as I use the much better and more powerful OpenOffice on my home PC.

So why do you use Google Docs, and is being offline a real benefit to you?

Stuart

Being Dad

While travelling this week, I was fortunate enough to meet a wonderful chap in Hamilton. Some will believe this to be an oxymoron, but he was an interesting accountant. He is heading off to Italy to see his daughter, who is due very soon with the first grandchild in the family, and we talked about what it is like being Dad.

Most of my friends are Dads, and I believe there is something that changes in your life when you become a Dad. One of my friends, before he became a Dad, said: "Kids don't change your life." Now he has three kids, and without a doubt, his life is significantly different than what it would be like without them.

So what really changes?

Well, there are definitely the horror stories that everyone talks about, such as the pooey nappies, the sleepless nights, the continual worry in case something bad happens, the realisation that you're now responsible for someone else for the rest of your life. But the other side is the smiles, the hugs, the giggles and laughs, the sharing, the admiration, the fun, and somehow for me, these are all the things I remember. That's the real change in your life, and what Being Dad is all about.

Stuart