Thank's to ReadWriteWeb for this post introducing a new, useful way to track key competitor, customer, supplier execs. Likely to provide insights into activities, influencers, interests, etc. Next time you run a strategic planning or war game exercise, how about posting the influence map of key stakeholders in organizations of interest.
"RSSFriends offers an RSS feed of new people that any Twitter account begins following or anyone that stops following a designated account. Here are three ways I've begun using this service."
http://tinyurl.com/yjahpmn
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
CI and Return on Ignorance (ROI)
Thanks to Twitter post by @myprpro for this idea. ROI might better be used as acronym for Return on Ignorance. Disappointment with this metric usually leads to investment in resources behind CI. What don't you know?
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Careful who you connect with on geolocatable SM
Imagine all the corporate security managers dealing with this one.
"Location-based social networks like Foursquare, Gowalla, Brightkite and Google Buzz...mong the fastest growing new mobile services...all...have one thing in common: they encourage you to share your current location with the rest of the world."
"By doing this, though, you are also telling people where you are not: at home. A new site, PleaseRobMe, plays on this theme and displays real-time updates from Foursquare users who broadcast their check-ins on Twitter"
http://tinyurl.com/yf4yw79
"Location-based social networks like Foursquare, Gowalla, Brightkite and Google Buzz...mong the fastest growing new mobile services...all...have one thing in common: they encourage you to share your current location with the rest of the world."
"By doing this, though, you are also telling people where you are not: at home. A new site, PleaseRobMe, plays on this theme and displays real-time updates from Foursquare users who broadcast their check-ins on Twitter"
http://tinyurl.com/yf4yw79
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Is the future of CI the "conductor" of a customized search engine orchestra
Musing of the day...
Seems to me that the future of CI will revolve around a select few CI professionals who conduct an orchestra of proprietary search engines -> ones who deeply understand the operations, strategies/tactics, people, processes, mindset, psychology, culture, technology, data, etc. of the organization in a multi-disciplinary enough way so as to be able to direct and "tune" proprietary search engines against internal and external (www, subscription sources, all data formats) to extract and display (e.g. Tableau) actionable insights. As much of this will be qualitative (associations, adjacencies, vocab/neologism nuances, etc.).
Already we have so many enterprise-wide systems, but who is mining the patterns and the successes of their use to unpack them and accelerate search/reapply?
Multilingualism will be critical. Multi-industry understanding will be required as technology draws them together. Personal real-time best-in-class SME networks will be a prerequisite.
Seems to me that the future of CI will revolve around a select few CI professionals who conduct an orchestra of proprietary search engines -> ones who deeply understand the operations, strategies/tactics, people, processes, mindset, psychology, culture, technology, data, etc. of the organization in a multi-disciplinary enough way so as to be able to direct and "tune" proprietary search engines against internal and external (www, subscription sources, all data formats) to extract and display (e.g. Tableau) actionable insights. As much of this will be qualitative (associations, adjacencies, vocab/neologism nuances, etc.).
Already we have so many enterprise-wide systems, but who is mining the patterns and the successes of their use to unpack them and accelerate search/reapply?
Multilingualism will be critical. Multi-industry understanding will be required as technology draws them together. Personal real-time best-in-class SME networks will be a prerequisite.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Private Company Info in the US
I was reflecting recently on some of the ways to more deeply understand private companies in the US. Here is a summary of some of my thoughts. Be happy to discuss.
At one time or another I have found all of these helpful.
Key sources for private companies include:
1) Local press (local bus specialty press, microfiche local library, chamber pubs, e-zines, blogs/forums)
2) Subject matter experts (SME) - ex employees, suppliers, carriers, partners, customers, consultants, advisers (attorneys, CPAs, bus brokers, insurers, packaging material suppliers who are part of "integrated solution", bus park neighbors, supplier literature)
3) SBA, VC financing disclosures/records
4) Statehouse filings (principals, related names & companies, investors) and economic dev pubs (success stories)
5) Site visits - employment, busyness/shifts, carriers/suppliers, visible capabilities, some cities have traffic density data so you can estimate employment from number of cars, etc.
6) Directories - city, industry,chamber, etc.
7) Investment analysts covering an industry can have insight and networks into key private entities from their networks
8) Shows/events - local/regional/national, multi-industry
9) Adverts in local/trade press and SM presence
10) Building, zoning permits, tax assessments, EPA records, OSHA, water and air discharge permits, collective agreements & union officials...some of this under Federal FOI process
11) Local press reporters
12) What publicly traded companies they typically sell to are saying about their suppliers
13) Local academics/engineers/coops working as consultants
14) Local bus incubators, economic developers and their events
15) Personal networks
16) Bus/company/plant open houses
17) Food, beverage, hospitality, recreation establishments nearby key sites
18) Internal sales force needs to be enrolled and proactively directed
19) Off-shore folks interested in same (trade info)
20) Advocacy groups - e.g. environmentalists
21) Local charitable organizations they are involved with (boards, cont'ns, etc.)
Feel free to grow the list and elaborate any of the above from your experience or insight either privately or to the whole group.
At one time or another I have found all of these helpful.
Key sources for private companies include:
1) Local press (local bus specialty press, microfiche local library, chamber pubs, e-zines, blogs/forums)
2) Subject matter experts (SME) - ex employees, suppliers, carriers, partners, customers, consultants, advisers (attorneys, CPAs, bus brokers, insurers, packaging material suppliers who are part of "integrated solution", bus park neighbors, supplier literature)
3) SBA, VC financing disclosures/records
4) Statehouse filings (principals, related names & companies, investors) and economic dev pubs (success stories)
5) Site visits - employment, busyness/shifts, carriers/suppliers, visible capabilities, some cities have traffic density data so you can estimate employment from number of cars, etc.
6) Directories - city, industry,chamber, etc.
7) Investment analysts covering an industry can have insight and networks into key private entities from their networks
8) Shows/events - local/regional/national, multi-industry
9) Adverts in local/trade press and SM presence
10) Building, zoning permits, tax assessments, EPA records, OSHA, water and air discharge permits, collective agreements & union officials...some of this under Federal FOI process
11) Local press reporters
12) What publicly traded companies they typically sell to are saying about their suppliers
13) Local academics/engineers/coops working as consultants
14) Local bus incubators, economic developers and their events
15) Personal networks
16) Bus/company/plant open houses
17) Food, beverage, hospitality, recreation establishments nearby key sites
18) Internal sales force needs to be enrolled and proactively directed
19) Off-shore folks interested in same (trade info)
20) Advocacy groups - e.g. environmentalists
21) Local charitable organizations they are involved with (boards, cont'ns, etc.)
Feel free to grow the list and elaborate any of the above from your experience or insight either privately or to the whole group.
Friday, February 5, 2010
In Praise of Middle Age Brains
From an HBR blog today (Barbara Strauch), this is really encouraging for those of us who realize our brains work if anything better after 2 or 3 decades of professional life in many important ways.
No reason this can't and doesn't apply in full force in the CI space. I have found it to be true allowing me also to easily span multiple industries.
"By midlife our brains have developed a whole host of talents that are, in the end, just as well suited to navigating the modern, complex workplace. As we age, we get better at seeing the possible.
Younger brains, predictably, are set up to focus on the negative and potential trouble. Older brains, studies show, often reach solutions faster, in part, because they focus on what can be done.
By the time we reach middle age, millions of patterns have been established in our brains, and these connected pathways provide invaluable perspective — even when it's subconscious. For instance, some middle-aged managers I've spoken with talked about how solutions seem to "pop'' into their heads "like magic.''
It doesn't come from magic, of course, but from the very real — and often unappreciated — talents of our middle-aged brains."
Thanks Barbara.
http://tinyurl.com/yhso9qx
No reason this can't and doesn't apply in full force in the CI space. I have found it to be true allowing me also to easily span multiple industries.
"By midlife our brains have developed a whole host of talents that are, in the end, just as well suited to navigating the modern, complex workplace. As we age, we get better at seeing the possible.
Younger brains, predictably, are set up to focus on the negative and potential trouble. Older brains, studies show, often reach solutions faster, in part, because they focus on what can be done.
By the time we reach middle age, millions of patterns have been established in our brains, and these connected pathways provide invaluable perspective — even when it's subconscious. For instance, some middle-aged managers I've spoken with talked about how solutions seem to "pop'' into their heads "like magic.''
It doesn't come from magic, of course, but from the very real — and often unappreciated — talents of our middle-aged brains."
Thanks Barbara.
http://tinyurl.com/yhso9qx
IPhone CI - build your filters now
Powerful new technology per Mashable post today: http://mashable.com/2010/02/05/siri-assistant/ Conjures up many scenarios of how employees enterprise wide will be able to self serve. The idea of tuning such apps in the CI context to ensure best sources are filtered for will become important in a VUCA world.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Biz analytics or CI - let the quants do the quants
My terabytes are better than your terabytes...on and on it goes.Technology in processing complex data, non-formated data, powerful visualization, etc. is all wonderful and helpful. Where CI fills the gap is in getting the data or data equivalent before it is written down anywhere. Anything written down is inherently obsolete with a lot of variability in the timeline between awareness, authorship and publication. Much more qualitative. Let the quants do the quants. Use the quants stuff but do the rest too and usually first.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Dear CI Vendor - How to Sell
When I held the purse strings and vendors would knock on my door, I was reluctant to book time to see their slides or webinars. I found it more productive to get a brief description of the data, the kinds of things they thought it could be used for, the general pricing regimen and then I'd ask them to demo a value-added solution.
Specifically I'd pick one or more actual projects I was then working on and ask them to demonstrate their product's value by answering a specific question requiring a specific usually formatted presentable output and compare it to the ones I was generating already using other approaches or sources. I'd also ask them to compare their product to its competitors in terms of methodology, timeliness, qualifications and continuity of the compilers, etc. If that went well enough, then I'd see the webinar and make a final determination. Most didn't know their competitors. Words rarely matched performance.
The selling process has to be about first deeply understanding the clients' specific needs, decision process and industry dynamics. Don't sell to clients who don't know that information. They have to be close to the pain and the action. If the product works well in solving real problems and making them a more viable competitor in their industry, it sells itself. The budget will be found.
Specifically I'd pick one or more actual projects I was then working on and ask them to demonstrate their product's value by answering a specific question requiring a specific usually formatted presentable output and compare it to the ones I was generating already using other approaches or sources. I'd also ask them to compare their product to its competitors in terms of methodology, timeliness, qualifications and continuity of the compilers, etc. If that went well enough, then I'd see the webinar and make a final determination. Most didn't know their competitors. Words rarely matched performance.
The selling process has to be about first deeply understanding the clients' specific needs, decision process and industry dynamics. Don't sell to clients who don't know that information. They have to be close to the pain and the action. If the product works well in solving real problems and making them a more viable competitor in their industry, it sells itself. The budget will be found.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Bill Gates & CI in the not-for-profit sector
There is reason to believe that the demand for CI skills will grow in the not-for-profit, social enterprise, NGO space as people like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet dedicate their considerable resources and talents to innovative and choiceful solutions to major world problems of poverty, hunger, pre-mature death/poor QOL, access to education, etc. See Bill Gates 2nd Annual Letter re his foundation.
http://tinyurl.com/ybo2ysu
http://tinyurl.com/ybo2ysu
Sunday, January 24, 2010
CI literacy in remote corners
When CI isn't mainstream but you know it's worth it...
This is from a description of how literacy developed in mid 1500's England as the result of the first English Bible becoming available in print following the martyrdom of William Tyndale who was responsible for much of this. CI will perhaps always be led and practiced by passionate people in remote corners who grasp its value as an article of faith. Also interesting metaphor for CI literacy and how it grows when people see the light for themselves.
“It was a wonderful thing to see. Whoever possessed the means, bought the book and read it or had it read to him by others. Aged persons learnt their letters in order to study the...scriptures. In many places there were meetings for reading; poor people dubbed their savings together and purchased a (copy), and then in some remote corner of the church, they formed a modest circle, and read (it) between them. A crowd of men, women, and young folks, disgusted with the barren pomp of the altars, and with the worship of dumb images, would gather round them to taste the precious promises...God himself spoke under the arched roofs of those old chapels or time-worn cathedrals, where for generations nothing had been heard but masses and litanies.” (History of the Reformation in Europe in the Time of Calvin, pub 1880 by J. H. Merle D’Aubigne)
This is from a description of how literacy developed in mid 1500's England as the result of the first English Bible becoming available in print following the martyrdom of William Tyndale who was responsible for much of this. CI will perhaps always be led and practiced by passionate people in remote corners who grasp its value as an article of faith. Also interesting metaphor for CI literacy and how it grows when people see the light for themselves.
“It was a wonderful thing to see. Whoever possessed the means, bought the book and read it or had it read to him by others. Aged persons learnt their letters in order to study the...scriptures. In many places there were meetings for reading; poor people dubbed their savings together and purchased a (copy), and then in some remote corner of the church, they formed a modest circle, and read (it) between them. A crowd of men, women, and young folks, disgusted with the barren pomp of the altars, and with the worship of dumb images, would gather round them to taste the precious promises...God himself spoke under the arched roofs of those old chapels or time-worn cathedrals, where for generations nothing had been heard but masses and litanies.” (History of the Reformation in Europe in the Time of Calvin, pub 1880 by J. H. Merle D’Aubigne)
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Lessons from National Enquirer
Interesting recap today in WSJ about how National Enquirer nailed the truth about Senator John Edwards. http://tinyurl.com/ylguxvr
Sometimes as CI professionals you get in this "I told you so" situation. Your customer doesn't believe you and perhaps even publically eviscerates the argument you present. Been there?
My advice:
1) If it's material to the success of your organization, remind that you are of a different opinion and go about your business. Continue to probe and gain additional confirmations using all available means. If it's not material move on. You won't be right all the time and everyone knows that.
2) Identify, engage, equip allies in your organization and network to help find the truth. Be at the right events, follow the right news nodes/forums, call on the right customers, ask provocative/ballparking questions to people closest to the action. Your real investigative team is probably still pumped...just like at the Enquirer.
One time I needed pictures of the newly produced item being loaded into a truck to nail the case. (no, no trespassing was involved)
3) Build part of your intelligence effort around addressing the biggest objections of the naysayers. Compare those closely to the assumptions vs. data which will condition you being correct. Work quietly until you have it nailed. Stick to the facts and most plausible scenarios cognizant always of competition's financial & marketing models & relationships.
4) Use overwhelming force to make the case a final definitive time. This could be a critical meeting where the decison will go one way or the other depending on your information. It could be use of SM and the rumor mill of your organization. It could be jumping ranks over the normal chain of command to the person most at risk/reward if/when you are right.
Hope you win your "confession".
Sometimes as CI professionals you get in this "I told you so" situation. Your customer doesn't believe you and perhaps even publically eviscerates the argument you present. Been there?
My advice:
1) If it's material to the success of your organization, remind that you are of a different opinion and go about your business. Continue to probe and gain additional confirmations using all available means. If it's not material move on. You won't be right all the time and everyone knows that.
2) Identify, engage, equip allies in your organization and network to help find the truth. Be at the right events, follow the right news nodes/forums, call on the right customers, ask provocative/ballparking questions to people closest to the action. Your real investigative team is probably still pumped...just like at the Enquirer.
One time I needed pictures of the newly produced item being loaded into a truck to nail the case. (no, no trespassing was involved)
3) Build part of your intelligence effort around addressing the biggest objections of the naysayers. Compare those closely to the assumptions vs. data which will condition you being correct. Work quietly until you have it nailed. Stick to the facts and most plausible scenarios cognizant always of competition's financial & marketing models & relationships.
4) Use overwhelming force to make the case a final definitive time. This could be a critical meeting where the decison will go one way or the other depending on your information. It could be use of SM and the rumor mill of your organization. It could be jumping ranks over the normal chain of command to the person most at risk/reward if/when you are right.
Hope you win your "confession".
Friday, January 22, 2010
Making the tough sale...in CI and life
My wife says honey attracts more flies than vinegar. This elaborates on that: Predicting who will make the pitch, raise donations, preach the most influential sermon, make the sale. Some of this can be learned. Some probably not. http://tinyurl.com/ycstfh4
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Carrier pigeons and CI management
From the Rothschild stories:Carefully train & develop your courier pigeons (for e.g. field sales) to gain first mover advantage; use misinformation wisely to throw competition off track(e.g. manipulate CEO travel schedule during M&A) and play your cards closer to the chest (e.g. keep it in a small circle of associates in a world of no secrets). Hedge your bets by benefiting from multiple outcomes (sequence, segment, know your markets). Lend to governments...they can usually raise taxes to pay you back! http://tinyurl.com/y8l8y49
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Are you ready to decipher voiced info
As more and more communications transition to voice from text with improvements in voice recognition software and improved connectivity with other devices, it will likely become necessary for CI professionals to improve skills in "capturing" data in this new voice environment: Everyone on Bluetooth equivalent, talking up a storm complete with use of code words for security enhancement. Could be another opportunity, as when cold war melted in the 80's, for intel/national security types to migrate into private sector in a new wave.
http://tinyurl.com/ylou8oz
http://tinyurl.com/ylou8oz
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Passion over perfection
Passion/persistence >> perfection even in BI & CI. Fishermen know this too. See metaphor of ratty flies: http://tinyurl.com/yju3eqh
Monday, January 18, 2010
Robustness in putting the pieces together
You may not be a nerd, but you are a node and node creator/operator if you are a good CI, BI professional. NYTimes profiles US intel failures re X-mas day attempt by Nigerian to blow up airliner flying to the US. Sounds strangely familiar with what I have experienced in the corporate intel world. Especially in big complex companies.
See: http://tinyurl.com/yf6r2sv
First and foremost as a CI, BI you must create and operate the vision of all critical information flowing through a CI, BI node. That is probably you. It's endlessly time consuming to keep this vision fresh as people come and go but what are the options. You don't want 20/20 vision to be only in hindsight.
Those field sales people, those logistics experts, those visionary marketers and product developers, those number crunchers, those deal doers, etc. They all have a contribution to make to your understanding of the market, the competition, the invention space. Lead them.
See: http://tinyurl.com/yf6r2sv
First and foremost as a CI, BI you must create and operate the vision of all critical information flowing through a CI, BI node. That is probably you. It's endlessly time consuming to keep this vision fresh as people come and go but what are the options. You don't want 20/20 vision to be only in hindsight.
Those field sales people, those logistics experts, those visionary marketers and product developers, those number crunchers, those deal doers, etc. They all have a contribution to make to your understanding of the market, the competition, the invention space. Lead them.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Recent research on BI and social media, 2010 trends for BI professionals
From MarketingCharts.com new info on how bus intel professionals see recent trends in their space including importance of SM. 63% undecided about value of SM sites. Many feel pressure for showing more rapid results to justify their pay checks. As needed data bus model expected to continue to grow. 49% say BI is becoming more appreciated.
Original research done globally (n>125) by Kognito and Baseline Consulting. http://tinyurl.com/ygmnpal
Be interesting to cross-tab output with degree of expertise by BI professionals in SM and related and emerging tools like Twendly for locating SMEs. http://tinyurl.com/yjfc7t3
Original research done globally (n>125) by Kognito and Baseline Consulting. http://tinyurl.com/ygmnpal
Be interesting to cross-tab output with degree of expertise by BI professionals in SM and related and emerging tools like Twendly for locating SMEs. http://tinyurl.com/yjfc7t3
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Diversity and CI
As diversity extends beyond demographics, one can envision a day where everyone is a minority and the cycle starts all over. As the www/SM fosters more and more affinity groups and micro-segmentation, probably need to get SCIP to lobby defining CI as a minority deserving recognition within corporate/societal diversity programs :-)
http://tinyurl.com/yff7l92
http://tinyurl.com/yff7l92
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Business & competitive intel as a gadfly
Don't kill the gadflies.
Intel - It is… a matter of experience, intellect, initiative and judgment, nurtured within institutions that welcome gadflies in their midst. http://tinyurl.com/yhzj4et
From Wikipeida on "gadfly": "During his defense when on trial for his life, Socrates, according to Plato's writings, pointed out that dissent, like the tiny (relative to the size of a horse) gadfly, was easy to swat, but the cost to society of silencing individuals who were irritating could be very high. "If you kill a man like me, you will injure yourselves more than you will injure me," because his role was that of a gadfly, "to sting people and whip them into a fury, all in the service of truth."
Intel - It is… a matter of experience, intellect, initiative and judgment, nurtured within institutions that welcome gadflies in their midst. http://tinyurl.com/yhzj4et
From Wikipeida on "gadfly": "During his defense when on trial for his life, Socrates, according to Plato's writings, pointed out that dissent, like the tiny (relative to the size of a horse) gadfly, was easy to swat, but the cost to society of silencing individuals who were irritating could be very high. "If you kill a man like me, you will injure yourselves more than you will injure me," because his role was that of a gadfly, "to sting people and whip them into a fury, all in the service of truth."
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