The Greater IBM Connection - on the blog side

Career maintenance for a former IBMer

Hi. My name is Ruth, and I left IBM 6 months ago after working there for 4 years. While I was there I worked alongside Ethan who is now managing the IBM alumni effort. He asked me if I'd be interested in a little blogging, so here I am! We weren't sure what I'd blog about at first, so he sent me these two questions. As you can see below, I've tried to answer them to get the ball rolling.

What did you expect your career to look like when you joined IBM?
To be honest, when I joined IBM, I really needed a job! The offer came on the heels of 2 years of scattered freelance work and part-time grad school after the dot-com bubble burst. I was just thrilled to have been invited to work at a company like IBM. My first role was as the lead information architect for ibm.com's content standards; when I left I was the business owner for ibm.com's taxonomy standards and processes.

Once I settled in at IBM, I started to look for that vision of my career, but didn't figure it out. I did learn a lot about what I enjoyed doing -- the kinds of problems I liked solving, the kinds of relationships I was good at cultivating, the kinds of change I was capable of effecting. But I never really figured out what my future would or could look like. I could see a universe of possibilities -- both near and long-term, but I had trouble seeing a path.

Now that I'm outside of the IBM bubble, I see that I didn't really need to figure anything out. That's not to say that I'd be happy floundering in the same spot forever. I can just see that things can move forward in a positive direction, even if you're not directing every event. This is a good segue to the next question.

The conventional wisdom says that people in your age group will have many careers, not just one. How are you preparing for that?
It's funny. I feel as though I've already had a few careers -- experiences at a handful of companies, each distinct in my mind. But when I read my resume, it sounds as though I planned the whole thing as a natural progression, all focused on some aspect of working with web content. On many occasions, I have tried to get away from this niche -- to move towards product development or business development, but it seems to stick to me. What I've realized is that by starting in a young field, my career has had room to grow as the information and content industries have grown -- or, more to the point, invested in internet technologies, creating the need for people like myself and many of my colleagues. I feel a bit like a pioneer in web content strategy -- I can carve out space for myself, rather than migrate among predefined roles.

So to answer the 2nd part of the question -- everything I do to "prepare" for future career situations I do by garnering skills, expertise, and experience. I have stopped trying to look too far ahead, setting goals to inflect my career path. For me, attaining personal goals has become underwhelming. I'm trying to focus more on getting into a good mindset, and getting things done in my current job -- those accomplishments are the ones that lead to the next opportunities, which can't be foreseen.

Well, that wraps up the Q&A section of this blog post. I'll just say that I am so grateful to have been exposed to IBM's culture, and it's great to stay connected -- not just with my good friends, but with the broader community. Thanks, Ethan!

--Ruth Kaufman

The Wisdom of THIS Crowd

"The human resource...is, of all resources...the most productive, the most versatile, the most resourceful." 

--- Peter F. Drucker
"father of modern management"

Hello...
Everyday we have a stream of new members joining the Greater IBM Community. It is amazing to see IBMers showing up from every part of the world. Some are working in new companies; some are looking for new opportunities; leading their own organizations; stepping up after retiring wanting to stay connected and involved; or working on innovation that matters at IBM somewhere in the world today. Every day as more and more of you show up to join the community, I can't help thinking what will we do together? How will we redefine what it means to be productive, versatile and resourceful as a virtual community across the world?

What ideas do come up for you?

James Surowiecki, bestselling author of The Wisdom of Crowds, found that there are three conditions that bring out the best in a crowd: aggregation, diversity, and independence. Each one calls for a new mindset and day-to-day conscious collaboration. Let me share my interpretation of what I learned from his findings. If you see something different, I invite you to leave a comment to round out the learning for everyone:

1. Aggregation:
Forming judgments by combining the best of our opinions into better decisions than we might make by seeking consensus of one idea.

2. Diversity:
A group with a diversity of opinions, perspectives, and different problem-solving tools and methods.

3. Independence:
People acting independently; the individuals thinking for themselves and relying on their own information and ideas.

Surowiecki speaks of "cognitive diversity" as a kind of power tool for igniting the wisdom within a crowd. When I think about the Greater IBM community and all the knowledge, experience and wisdom that resonates from its collection of members, it is easy to see there is much to gain from us coming together. Think of all the unique perspectives that come from who we are as individuals --- representing a wide array of ethnic origins, cultural backgrounds, generational insight, thinking and problem-solving styles, global know-how, marketplace understanding, technological acumen, and all the dimensions of diversity that make us unique as individuals and give us a distinctive window into the world. There is the power tool for the Greater IBM community.

What possibilities do you see for putting the wisdom of THIS crowd together?

What experiences have you already had that support the wisdom of crowds?

I'd love to know what you think! ...and if you've not yet joined the Greater IBM Connection, we welcome you!

Debbe

Debbe Kennedy
Contributing Author, Greater IBM Connection
Founder, President & CEO
Global Dialogue Center and Leadership Solutions Companies
IBMer 1970-1991
Los Angeles; Anchorage; Seattle; San Francisco

A New Kind of EXCELLENCE for a New Time

Hello!  I’ve been thinking about all of you that might stop by. Then I found myself wondering where to start and how to make friends. If you are here, there is a reason --- and I wonder if yours may not be so far from mine --- or if it is, perhaps, you will tell us about it. Let me start the conversation by sharing a few things that have been in my mind...

There is something powerful about the potential of the Greater IBM Connection across the world. It’s hard not to imagine possibilities when so much talent is coming together. I admit that when I first heard about it, my pioneering spirit was moved. In this gathering, we might spark some new level of innovation or open a new pathway we might not have seen on our own --- perhaps even make the world a better place than we know today, because of just the right people finding one another.

I’ve had a grand time building a business and working to make a difference since I left IBM. No doubt many of you have unique stories and experiences that reflect significant achievements in your own right and I hope we get to learn more about where you been and what you've accomplished. I must admit I’ve become much more consciously grateful about all I learned and experienced at IBM, some of which wasn’t so obvious in the rush of business during the rewarding years that seemed to fly by.

There are many things about IBM that have grown and changed. It seems friendlier and more open. I love seeing the new values that have the fingerprints of IBM people all over them. It made me proud when I read about how it happened. If I were to pick out one IBM attribute that seems unchanged, it would be EXCELLENCE. It isn’t demonstrated so much in words, as it is in actions, execution, and people. My very first tour of Greater IBM in Second Life proved this point (If you've not yet visited, check it out on YouTube). Since then as I’ve watched and Debbe Dae (my avatar) has experienced its many innovations come to life through the mastery of its IBM creators --- in every way, the EXCELLENCE speaks for itself.

In reflection, the notion of EXCELLENCE was center stage in my leadership career with IBM. My mentors over the years clearly exemplified this belief in their work, lives and overall successes. Funny, as I’ve visited and gotten involved at the Greater IBM Connection, I’ve thought of many who inspired me. They helped me, by their example, see the difference between mediocrity and EXCELLENCE. While watching them, I observed that building a reputation for EXCELLENCE eliminates questions, opens doors, brings opportunities, and adds an element of integrity to one’s work and leadership that others notice and customers want.

A NEW KIND OF EXCELLENCE FOR A NEW TIME
New Questions to Consider... What do you think?
Whether you are new to IBM, seasoned, spent a long time or just a brief time, it seems collectively we have found ourselves at the threshold of a great opportunity to demonstrate a new kind of EXCELLENCE right here as part of the Greater IBM Community. A highly respected customer executive told me one time that leadership has a Germanic origin, meaning to “find a new path.” This seems to be the calling for all who show up here. The question waiting to be more fully answered is how will we come together across generations, cultures, differences and distance to contribute to a new kind of EXCELLENCE at a new time in history with all the talent showing up from every corner of the world?  What do you think about it?

What does excellence mean to you?

What possibilities do you see in what we could do together?

What makes you want to be part of it?

As I ponder these questions more myself, I hope you’ll share your thoughts. Make a connection.
Stop to say hello.

Best...
Debbe

Debbe Kennedy
Contributing Author
Greater IBM Connection
Founder, President & CEO
Global Dialogue Center and Leadership Solutions Companies
IBMer 1970 - 1991
Los Angeles; Anchorage; Seattle; San Francisco

Impressions of the Palo Alto event

Flor Estevez and Ethan McCarty just told me about this blog, and invited me to post here my impressions of the Greater IBM Connection Palo Alto dinner/event held at Il Fornaio Restaurant on September 20:

I found the Palo Alto event to be very interesting, enjoyable and worthwhile.  In many ways it exceeded my expectations.  But it was actually quite different from what I'd expected.

When I entered the restaurant, I was directed to one of their private back rooms.  I was initially disappointed, because the room was so small. (Actually, this was the same backroom that Jon Iwata had hosted a breakfast with Bay Area IBM communicators a decade or so ago.)   There were some tables set up ... in the middle with luscious, tasty hors d'ourves and to the side with beverages (good wine & beer and water). I was warmly greeted and given a nametag -- but the printing was rather small, so it was difficult to read anyone's name from a conversational distance. (Yep, a number of us suffer with bifocals these days.)

I introduced myself to the lady who checked in after me, and it was Debbe Kennedy, the very person who Flor has recommended that I be sure to meet at the event!! What a nice coincidence!  We had a great conversation then and also later in the evening.  She is doing high-level communications consulting for a couple of clients and also produces a Global Dialogue Center  that is designed to be "a virtual gathering place for people throughout the world with a focus on leadership, professional and personal development."  She is a very focused and interesting person.  She was very impressed with and still raves about the Habitat Jam.

After about 15-20 people had arrived, the hosts (from Global Services: David Linden and Ms. <?> Haeckel (sp?) ...sorry, I didn't note her name) introduced themselves and gave a brief introduction of the intention for the evening.  David then suggested that since the numbers were manageable, that we each introduce ourselves to the group and describe our our IBM histories/connections and present activities.  We were already arranged in a loose circle, so we did this in an orderly coutner-clockwise rotation. 

It was surprising and impressive that everyone seemed to have a different background: from executives to customer engineers; long-time IBMers to consultants who were with us for only a couple of years; hardware specialists to software gurus; those who left 20 years ago (like Debbe) to those who moved on (or retired) much more recently.  (Yours truly, in April '07).

I had been expecting that this event would include a sit-down dinner and probably some sort of IBM business-related speaker. But it turned out to be more of an informal mixer, with the personal introductions the only structured part of the evening.  I liked this, because I could then go around and talk to a wide variety of people whose self-descriptions interested me.  (If it had been a sit-down dinner, I would have been limited to those sitting near me at my table or whom I knew already.  The only person I knew at this event was through our children's school, not IBM.)  But it also meant that I had to manage eating, holding a plate and drink etc. while talking/listening/discussing etc., which can be physically awkard. (Try not to spill food or drink ... or talk with food in mouth etc. Ever since the first Rotary Club event I covered for the Beaumont, Texas, newspapers, I've wished I had three or four hands for just these sorts of events. Maybe the Innovation folks can work on it? ) While the room was small, it turned out to be appropriate for the number of people who attended.

Everyone was super-friendly and a delight to meet.  (One had been in retail-industry consulting and shared some excellent insights that should help my wife's new business of importing authentic, easy-to-use Malaysian spice-paste packets. When we exchanged cards, I noticed that he had the same phone exchange as mine.  Indeed, it turned out that he lives less than a mile from us in the Almaden Valley area of far south San Jose!)   This underscores the value of such an event: creating and fueling a network of interesting and capable people who share the common experience of having worked at IBM.

The hosts also had a feedback form.  Filling it out qualified us to get an IBM Cross pen ... one that had a rotating head to select one of three writing tips: black, red or pencil.  (Its box was very elaborate and intricate, considering that it held just one pen, however.)

The Greater IBM Connection is a great idea, and one that I hope can be sustained long-term.  All the IBM alums that I've mentioned this to are interested in participating. Now that I've been to this event, I can enthusiastically spread the word to others.   Next, I'll mention it to the IBM Retiree Club in San Jose, which has several hundred members.  Is there a web-based signup place?  There could be many dozen signups if they broadcast it to their membership.

Best wishes to all,

-- Mike Ross (IBM Research, Almaden Research Center, comunications: 1988-2007)

Intern Meet-Up at the MOMA

On Sunday, the Greater IBM Connection’s intern event I announced in my last blog entry, took place at the New York Museum of Modern Art. Even though I had invited over 100 current and former IBM interns living in the greater NYC area, but only nine showed up, we had an enjoyable international afternoon at the Museum. It was great to spend time with people who either like me were currently interning at IBM, or others who’d had an internship at IBM some time ago and are now employed at other companies. We saw different exhibitions before having some drinks at the Museum’s bar “The Modern”, and I would like to share some impressions of the MOMA with you.

In the MOMA’s Lobby before we got started:

The picture on the left shows Elyssa and Rachel, former IBM interns, in the background, with Jessy and Maik sitting in front of them. These last are co-op students from Germany who intern at IBM Somers and Armonk at the moment. On the right are Christian and me. Christian is a current intern of the IBM Software Group in Somers, NY.

In the Painting and Sculpture Gallery

In the Design Gallery:

Once an IBMer, always a Greater IBMer - Rachel and Daniel (both former interns) couldn’t stop playing with the computers at the entrance of the Design Gallery. :-) The picture on the right-hand side shows a smaller group of mostly male interns looking at a car, which was also part of an exhibition: Daniel, Maik, Christian and Rachel.

 

It was a great afternoon of culture and fun, and I am sure everyone enjoyed the Meet-Up  as much as I did. Thanks again for coming!

- Mona Lisa

Symphony office suite is free! That's music to my ears

Free is always nice - especially so when it offers something a lot of us have been wanting (namely, an alternative to dependence on the nearly ubiquitous MS Office suite of programs). That's just what IBM offered with a full-featured, Web 2.0 capable, suite of products dubbed "Symphony" -  IBM Lotus tools for creating and sharing documents, spreadsheets and presentations on Windows and Linux desktops.

And, did I mention that there is no charge for these tools?

Three core applications make up the Lotus Symphony tools: Lotus Symphony Documents, Lotus Symphony Spreadsheets and Lotus Symphony Presentations. Worried about compatibility? Lotus Symphony supports multiple file formats including Microsoft Office and Open Document Format, and also can output content in PDF format.

Why not take a look? You'll find the applications and instructions for getting a (free) copy for yourself at http://www.ibm.com/software/lotus/symphony

Take a look at what BusinessWeek Magazine had to say at http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/sep2007/id20070926_263070.htm

What's your reaction to products like this? Will you be giving it a try? Have you tried it? Would you recommend it for other Greater IBMers?

- Post submitted by Larry Phipps, a Greater IBMer and editor, The Greater IBM Connection