On a flight to Denver recently, I was thinking about the world we live in; the world that I consult in. It is a world that is inherently more mobile, social and visual than the world of only a few years past.
I believe that Charles Darwin foreshadowed this more than 150 years ago in his well-known description of natural selection: "It is not the strongest of the species that survives; nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change."
When I think of our current business world, I think about adapting to change much like the species Darwin so meticulously studied. Today’s business models are adapting at an unheard-of rate of change, with social and mobile technologies leading the charge. A few stats to ponder:
- Facebook users in 2006:10 million; Facebook users in 2011: 800 million. (See the Facebook S-1 filing.)
- Mobile sales on EBAY in 2009: $600 million; mobile sales on EBAY in 2011: $5 billion. (Source)
- Apple in their most recent quarter sold over 15 million iPads, and 37 million iPhones—devices that took the market by storm just two and five years ago, respectively.
- There are 85 million iCloud users. Last year, this service didn’t exist.
Times, They Are A’Changin’
If you don't believe that we are living in the post-PC world, you’re wrong. If you believe that tablets, social media, and video are fads, you’re wrong. If you don't begin to embrace these technologies, learn to be nimble, and be willing to adapt to change, chances are your company won't be around (or at least won’t be growing) by the time I write my next blog post.
As business leaders, we are constantly under pressure to learn new concepts and adapt to change.
As a member of Generation X, my career has constantly been in flux. I have been an accountant, actuarian, consultant, IT director, e-strategist, researcher, CIO, CFO, small business owner, president of a business unit, and now the CTO here at MCPc. I have worked for a big company, a non-profit, a global organization, privately held companies, my own company, and consulted in the energy, technology, manufacturing and airline industries.
And guess what? Those changes were not over the course of a 40-year career; they occurred over a period of 16 years. Why the volatility? Because I, like many of my peers, have an insatiable appetite to learn and grow, and experience all I can in this world.
And here’s the scary part: the generations coming behind mine are even more unsettled and less tolerant of the status quo of a static, 40-year career.
They want to embrace an experience, feel it out, and move on to the next opportunity that invigorates them. They yearn to use mobile and social technologies. They value connectivity over traditional benefits and higher salaries.
My 5-year-old daughter already deems a restaurant or hotel as sub-standard if there is no wireless network for her to connect her iPad to! How are we going to support her generation? One that, even in kindergarten, understands: email, texting, being constantly connected, how to communicate via video, Facebook, and new content delivery methods such as Netflix.
What Are You Doing About It?
So, with this tsunami of change, how is your company embracing mobile, social, and video technologies? I would love to hear your thoughts on these, and how your organization is adapting to change. Please share your comments below.
If you’re interested, we can also discuss how MCPc Collaborative Consulting Services can help you navigate these treacherous waters.
 | Darin Haines is Group President of MCPc's Advanced Technology Group, focusing on solution delivery, and has over 16 years of experience in leading the technology function in mid-sized and enterprise-level organizations. Connect with Darin on LinkedIn. |
Stay Connected with MCPc: Subscribe to the blog; follow us on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.
image credit: erix!
No comments:
Post a Comment