The Greater IBM Connection - on the blog side

RECOGNIZING POTENTIAL IN GREAT IDEAS

Recently, I was talking to long-time colleague, Dr. Alex Pattakos, founder of the Center for Meaning and author of Prisoners of Our Thoughts. We had a great chat about my experience of the Greater IBM Connection and the potential so many us see in this business and social networking IDEA. He immediately saw the possibilities for meaningful innovation by connecting all that IBM talent across the world.

Then he followed it up by saying, "You know, I have a connection to IBM, too!" He went on to tell me his story about how one of his creative ideas was showcased by IBM in a special program called INNOVATION IN ACADEMIC COMPUTING over 20 years ago. In the mini-podcast below, Alex shares his story of IBM recognizing the potential in his forwarding-thinking idea called the "Electronic Visiting Professor" that he brought to the University of Maine. Using IBM PCs, he was able to bring in faculty members from around the world into the rural campus in Orono, Maine, expanding the learning experience through technology. Alex also shares his perspective about the Greater IBM idea after hearing about it and visiting our blog and website.

My Talk with DR. ALEX PATTAKOS

download MP3

IBM's eye for recognizing the potential in a great idea isn't new. This is a quality I've learned to more fully appreciate as I've seen and experienced its reach over the years --- and it continues here at Greater IBM and in other initiatives. One of my personal favorites is the Global Innovation Outlook, where IBM is joining together with leaders from business, academia, and politics from around the world to create new opportunities for business and society.

Do you have a story to share from your own experience past or present?

debbe

Debbe Kennedy
Contributing Author
Greater IBM Connection
Founder, President & CEO
Global Dialogue Center and
Leadership Solutions Companies
www.globaldialoguecenter.com
author, Putting Our Differences to Work (Berrett-Koehler June 2008)
IBMer 1970 - 1991 L.A.; Anchorage; Seattle; San Francisco

Imagination in the Enterprise

Once, not too long ago in the Enterprise people found themselves working ever so diligently and thought everything was just honky dory thank you very much. Yet they were completely oblivious to the terrible neglect their creative souls were facing. They had forgotten how to imagine, they had stopped practicing the power of insight and ideas were fast becoming stale. The ability to create without inhibition had been lost. Day and night, they toiled over their business problems, trying to figure things out by themselves.

And then… information was given a name. Your name. Your face. Your likes and dislikes. People started using social media to share opinion and thoughts online. Previously suppressed ideas were openly expressed and socialized.  People began to find their unique voice once more. Authentic expression was embraced. The global drumbeat of new content creation was heard throughout the Enterprise as social networks were formed.

Stories of life, hope and tragedy were shared. People around the world were compelled to take action and quickly formed online communities. Creative souls were stirred to think about the possibilities. They began to imagine great things as ideas were shared from the inside out; as seemingly abstract concepts were externalized they were developed into innovative solutions, alongside others who saw their potential.

The people had found a way to connect and create, but most of all they now had confidence to express themselves and use their unique voice.

Image courtesy of Alice Bartlett

Social Computing has opened up new ways for people to solve problems, work with ideas and imagine great things. Have you given your team the opportunity to express themselves?

Jasmin Tragas aka Wonderwebby is a Managing Consultant at IBM working in the area of Knowledge, Collaboration and Learning Services, HCM, Australia.

What Do We Need in Our LEADERS?

Sometimes, when you hear and watch things over and over, it is easy to begin to believe in them as truth. Lately, it seems there is a lot of talk about "toughness" being an exemplary trait of LEADERSHIP. It seems to be popularly characterized, not by one's character and integrity as a leader, but in who can talk tough, be aggressive in their language, relying on the use of combative words, like "annihilate" and "destroy;" and always be first with a "surprise attack." When I flash on great leaders in history or even ones I worked for and with, I don't recall these qualities.

My questions for you... Is "toughness" what we need most in our leaders at all levels of business and society today? ...more aggression, more "toughness," more mean-spirited actions? Is it really "tough talk" that demonstrates a steadfast, committed, influential leader?

When I think about this question myself, I find myself drawn back to what I learned at IBM as a leader that has passed the test of time. One example: When IBM was beginning its transformation back in the 1990s, we used the results of a study shared in a now classic book entitled The Leadership Challenge . What I remember is there were four traits that people said they most admired in their leaders:

• Honesty
• Forward looking
• Competence
• Inspiration

How do you think these traits stack up today?

debbe

Debbe Kennedy
Contributing Author
Greater IBM Connection
Founder, President & CEO
Global Dialogue Center and
Leadership Solutions Companies
www.globaldialoguecenter.com
author, Putting Our Differences to Work (Berrett-Koehler June 2008)
IBMer 1970 - 1991 L.A.; Anchorage; Seattle; San Francisco

WHEN WOMEN GATHER

We did it! Last Friday at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time, Greater IBM women came together from around the world for our first Women's Leadership Gathering. It was an online dialogue event hosted by my company's Global Dialogue Center CONFERENCE CENTER. The theme for our first conversation was Leadership Lessons: Missteps, Miracles, and Milestones. Shara Sokol, Greater IBMer (1999-2004) from New York and president of s2 Creative Communications, joined me as co-host. We were also very blessed to have Nancy Margulies, who worked with us in the initial pilot (see "related article" below) and is well-know as "the godmother of graphic recording". She did live illustration to bring our dialogue to life. It wasn't just the two-hour conversation experience we shared together, there was a magic in the preparation in the days leading up to the event that counted too.

As women from around the world, including Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Spain, and from every region of the United States, made their way to the gathering, some were stepping up to put their fingerprints on our dialogue in meaningful ways long before the actual day. It started with three Greater IBM trailblazing women, who volunteered to serve as "conversation starters." Each of them found a unique way to share their thought-provoking messages.

Linda Griffin from Virginia started the dialogue by telling us, "I spent 30 wonderful years in my career with IBM. I loved my job!" She followed with her story of how she turned her experience into a leadership coaching career in 2006, as founder of ClearWind LLC. Her warm and generous sharing provided  "pearls of wisdom" for all of us to take home.

Orsoyla Selley, Greater IBMer from Hungary, wasn't able to be with us for the event. However, she gave me the honor of carrying a message from her to the meeting. This demonstrated how even when we can come to an event, we can still make a contribution by sharing ourselves.

Jane Scandurra, Greater IBMer from New York, and contributing author to the Greater IBM BLOG, wrote to say she wouldn't be able to attend as she was heading out on vacation --- but this didn't stop her from "being there" with us. You see, Jane Scandurra is owner of Go Pictures and Films, LLC with a new documentary film just launched, called "SINGLE". A few days before our Women's Leadership Gathering, a video arrived in my email from Jane. As I watched her clever message --- I was so touched at her efforts to support our first gathering. In the great tradition of IBMers, she "leaped over a few buildings" to deliver her brand of excellence as she talked with us via video at the event.

WHAT DID OTHER WOMEN HAVE TO SAY ?
Here is a small sampling of the words Greater IBM women chose to share about the experience before leaving the event...

-- "So refreshing to meet in a place where everyone had your best interest in mind."
-- "Gave me lots of food for thought when I really needed it!"
-- "Appreciate the experience so much. It was wonderful!"
-- "Invaluable. Please continue. Taking home some great pieces of wisdom."
-- "A suprise due to the original and fun format!!
I will promote this forum!!!
-- "Appreciate IBM offering us an opportunity to network with
IBM and IBM alumni women; we share a common link."

In one of my cherished books, I re-read this passage the week before our first Greater IBM Women's Leadership Gathering: "...miracles always will happen if you believe them to be possible." This was truly a small miracle for which I am so grateful to have been apart.

We recorded the event to share with other Greater IBM women. It will be available shortly for replay with visuals, video and audio too! Watch for an announcement on Greater IBM on Xing; I will post on our forum. Most of all, there will be more! This was just a first in a series. Our next event Greater IBM Women's Leadership Gathering will be announced shortly. It will have wonderful theme that emerged from ideas during our dialogue at the first event. You won't want to miss it!

Have joined the Great IBM Connection?
...our a business and social network for current and former IBMers

Debbe

Debbe Kennedy
Contributing Author
Greater IBM Connection
Founder, President & CEO
Global Dialogue Center and
Leadership Solutions Companies
www.globaldialoguecenter.com
author, Putting Our Differences to Work (Berrett-Koehler June 2008)
IBMer 1970 - 1991 L.A.; Anchorage; Seattle; San Francisco

RELATED ARTICLE:
"Women's Jam --- just a beginning of online synergy"
Greater IBM Connections eMagazine
http://www.ibm.com/ibm/greateribm/connections/connections_article24.shtml

Hello out there

Hello there. I'm Shara Sokol. It's great to be here on the Greater IBM Connection Blog. Fast introduction: I am a former IBMer. I worked for the company from September 1999 to January 2005 doing events (worked the IBM Surf Shack at the Sydney 2000 Olympics in Australia!), internal and executive communications, and w3 editorial.

Since 2005, I've been sole proprietor of my own marketing communications firm, s2 creative communications. Although born in Huntsville, Alabama (dad was on a short term assignment for NASA), I am a native New Yorker. I was raised in Queens (Bayside, New York), lived on Manhattan's Upper West Side as an adult, and currently live with my husband on the beautiful Hudson River in scenic Tarrytown, New York, about a half hour north of the city.

I'm really happy because it feels like spring is almost here. There is no place like New York, in or out of the city, in the spring. When I lived in Manhattan, there were many places that I would go to mark certain occasions. My favorite place to walk in the spring was (and is) the Bethesda Terrace in Central Park, where "The Angel of the Waters" bronze fountain (pictured here) stands.

It's a grand piece of public art that has some interesting history attached to it. The fountain was unveiled by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1873. In the dedication brochure, the fountain's sculptor, Emma Stebbens, likened the healing powers of the angel to that of the "clean and pure Croton water, cascading down the fountain," that brought health to the people of New York City.

I'm guessing, but I'll bet Stebbins was not only a talented artist, but a very smart woman, and a leader in her own right. As it was, she happened to be the sister of the President of the Board of the Commissioners of Central Park at the time. She also happened to be the first woman to receive a sculptural commission in New York City.

Needless to say, she knew how to "work" her connections. Being a entrpreneur these days, I can attest to the importance of making connections to keep my business successful. I'm working to help others do the same, and so is the Greater IBM Connection. I'll be co-hosting a special conference, the Greater IBM Women's Leadership Gathering, with GIBMer Debbe Kennedy this Friday, April 11 at 9:30 am, EDT.

We'll be sharing our collective stories and ideas about what it means to be a woman leader - the accomplishments, the missteps and the lessons learned. IBM women past and present are quite an impressive group. Please come and join us. Until next time ...

At the HEART of EXCELLENCE

I know that this is not the place to discuss politics, so I WON'T :-)

However, one truth that has come up for me in watching the political process here in the United States is worth mentioning, because I learned its lesson at IBM.

From the time of hire, it was instilled in me that disparaging one's competition wasn't aligned with our values of excellence at IBM --- and that selling based on the merits of the excellent products, services, and the brand that you offer is a differentiator that is hard to beat.

Over the years, especially since I founded my own business (now 17 years ago), I've learned that at the heart of EXCELLENCE ---this long-held value and standard of conduct has proved its worth.

When you meet a competitor at the intersection of your differences, there is something that feels good inside to have built capability, know-how, and conviction in living up to the promise of IBM values at work. It still remains with me. In reflection, I see that striving to be one of the best --- living up to the highest standards of excellence in all you deliver --- speaks for itself.

I found a quote from Thomas J. Watson, Jr. written in 1968 that was passed down to me as a new IBM manager. He was talking about not disparaging other people, products, or services.

“We always will depend for our success upon the excellence of our own products, our own services, our own people. That’s basic.”  --- Thomas J. Watson, Jr.  circa 1968

Related blog on Excellence

What's at the heart of EXCELLENCE in your work and life?
What lessons have your learned?

Debbe Kennedy
Contributing Author
Greater IBM Connection
Founder, President & CEO
Global Dialogue Center and
Leadership Solutions Companies
www.globaldialoguecenter.com
IBMer 1970 - 1991 L.A.; Anchorage; Seattle; San Francisco

   

Best Career Advice: What's Yours?

I’ve been thinking about Ruth’s message on "Career Maintenance"  for a week. It brought up an experience that influenced my career. I’m imagining many of you have your own tales to tell, too --- and I hope you will. Here is my story:

In a lifetime, there are a relatively few people that leave an enduring imprint, shaping your future so dramatically as to be considered for a "medal of honor" for best advice given. My choice is an IBM senior leader that I only personally met with one time. His name was Bookie.

I was a relatively new manager at IBM, just promoted to my first staff assignment in a regional marketing office. For reasons I can’t explain, Bookie called me into his office while I was visiting his location. “I want to pass along a little advice to you,” he offered unsolicited. He then shared his secrets to success:

“Jobs, missions, titles and organizations will come and go. Business is dynamic. It changes. Don’t focus your goals toward any of these. What you need to do is learn to master the skills that will allow you to work anywhere. There are four skills:

1. The ability to develop an idea.
2. The ability to effectively plan its implementation.
3. The ability to execute second-to-none.
4. The ability to achieve superior results time after time.

Seek jobs and opportunities with this in mind. Forget what others do. Work to be known for delivering excellence. It speaks for itself and it opens doors.”

Bookie’s words remain fresh in my mind. They were instrumental in shaping my direction, future and achievements. Over the years, I've passed them on to many others. He was right-on! I’ve always wished he knew how he influenced me. I keep wondering if he’ll show up at Greater IBM.

What is the “best-ever advice” someone gave you?

I hope you'll stop to share yours.

Best...
Debbe

Debbe Kennedy
Contributing Author
Greater IBM Connection
Founder, President & CEO
Global Dialogue Center and Leadership Solutions Companies
IBMer 1970 - 1991 L.A.; 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

From PartnerWorld 2007: Gateway to Growth

Kevin Clark, Global Network Leader, The Greater IBM Connection

Monday, April 30, St. Louis, Missouri, USA: The first main session presentations for PartnerWorld 2007 took place this morning, although many of Sunday's registrants took advantage of the Solutions Center demonstrations to begin exploring new opportunities and launching the networking that is part of the conference experience.

More than 4,500 professionals are registered this year for the show. This morning they heard from IBM executives Ravi Marwaha, Steve Mills, Val Rahmani, Marc Lautenbach, and business author and creativity and innovation thought-leader, Sir Ken Robinson. The theme of PartnerWorld 2007 is "Gateway to Growth."

Flashback: This morning during breakfast I ran into Wirt Cook, (vice president, Americas Sales West, IBM Sales & Distribution), who I worked with 25 years ago to help start the IBM Business Partner program. The roots of the IBM Business Partner program goes back to the decision to broadly sell IBM AS/400 computers through third parties. At the time I was in communications working with marketing to find the right name, value proposition, supporting programs, and launch plan that would become the IBM Business Partner program today. It was great to see you again, Wirt. Looking forward to catching up with you on my next trip to the U.S. west coast.

Fast forward to this morning and Ravi Marwaha's opening remarks. Marwaha is general manager, Global Business Partners for IBM. I've known Ravi for about ten years now; we both served in what was called the Personal Systems Group (PC Company, Printer Systems, Retail Store Systems). He stated IBM's commitment to growing business together, creating business opportunities, and sustaining strong relationships. "It all starts with partnership," says Marwaha, "we solve more problems for more clients than any other partner organization in our industry." He spoke about the ongoing quest to make it easier to work with IBM, including recent announcements simplifiying the bid process and deal process, and providing contracts in electronic form. See more about announcements made today from St. Louis in the article reposted from w3 (IBM's internal web service for employees).

Steve Mills talked about the challenges facing the US$1.2 trillion IT industry today. Mills is the senior vice president and general manager of Software Group for IBM. "We're in an era that's not about technology, it's a business and customer era," says Mills, "it's not about gadgets, its about value." He also points out that "labor dominates IT spending, with almost 50% of every dollar going to human talent," says Mills, "which is why we're relentless about skill building." He continued, "Our challenge is that nothing ever goes away in this industry with literally billions of applications running today, resulting in high levels of complexity" for businesses large and small. Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), is "the rallying point for legacy assets and applications," where we can find common ground for integration and elimination of redundancy. Mills offered the resources of the 60 software labs IBM has around the world as an asset to support clients and IBM Business Partners around the world.

Val Rahmani, general manager, Infrastructure Management Services, Global Technology Services (GTS) for IBM, followed Mills with news about "service products" for customers and IBM Business Partners. "Last year I said we want to do a lot more business with you, and I'm saying it again this year," says Rahmani. "A year ago I was told we had 1,000 service offerings for our customers. No one can understand 1,000 offerings. You didn't know how to work with us, and we didn't know how to work with you." Rahmani told the gathered partners about taking best-of-breed technology-based service offerings and packaging them in ways partners would recognize from our hardware and software business units. "You'll have all the pieces you expect from IBM, including hardened specifications and customer references, now in the services space," say Rahmani.

Marc Lautenbach, general manager, IBM Americas, gave the final executive presentations for the morning. He spoke of IBM's dedication to its economic future with IBM Business Partners. He also addressed the nature of value, pointing out that value is not static. We're all going to change along with our clients to be competitive. "Value vs. volume" is no longer an appropriate measure, "we should now organize and reward based on dedication to competencies," says Lautenbach. "One thing that nags at me is how to invest in skills as we struggle to deliver what all our customers expect. What really counts is what happens after we leave PartnerWorld and what we execute in the marketplace," says Lautenback, saying he has no doubt "our best days are ahead of us."

The morning concluded with Sir Ken Robinson, author and expert on creativity. He gave the audience a test by raise of hands rating themselves on creativity and then on intelligence. He said the outcome was predictable. "We give ourselves different marks for creativity and intelligence, says Robinson, yet "creativity is the highest skill and manifestation of intelligence." They are intrinsically linked. "Our formal education is a pivotal process issue in separating intelligence and creativity," says Robinson and he encourages all of us to integrate them again. He quotes Picasso as saying everyone is born creative, yet the spark is lost as we become adults. The key is to retain creative confidence as adults to fuel the growth and success of our organizations. "Imagination is the prerequisite to creativity, creativity is putting imagination to work," says Robinson, and "innovation is applying creativity for purpose."

Our next installment from PartnerWorld 2007 is tomorrow, Tuesday, May 1. Executive speakers will include Sam Palmisano, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of IBM -- Steve Solazzo, general manager, Global Small & Medium Business for IBM -- Rod Adkins, vice president, Development, Systems & Technology Group for IBM -- and guest speaker Dr. Laura D'Andrea Tyson, author and global economic advisor.

Additional details from PartnerWorld are availble here, on the Greater IBM portal. That’s all for now at PartnerWorld 2007. I’ll be back with another report as the conference continues:

Trippin' The Verse Podcast: Episode 1 What is the Metaverse?

(FYI: Trippin' the Verse is now hosted on Dogear Nation, where you'll be able to access all episodes.)

What is the Metaverse? Michael Welcomes Ian Hughes Metaverse Evangelist to explain what the Metaverse is.

Here's the latest installment of Greater IBMer, and fellow Virtual Worlds pioneer, Michael Rowe's podcast series, called Trippin' the Verse, which features tips and tricks on using the Metaverse (Second Life, There, etc.)  that we are proud to host on the Greater IBM blog.

Download 2006_12_15_trippin_the_verse_episode_1_.mp3

Also, see Ian Hughes and his merry band of virtual innovators blog Eightbar for more coverage of IBM's efforts to build eBusiness into vBusiness.

Do you have questions about Second Life, Entropia Universe, There.com or other virtual worlds? Please share them with Michael and us here so that he can take your queries up in future episodes.

To automatically get new episodes of Trippin' the Verse, click on Subscribe to my Podcast or in the link in the righthand column.