The Word "mentor" and what I have learned rom them

By Karen Roter Davis - San Francisco

The word “mentor,” given its origin story, has grown to hold so much weight.

Brief background - and my excuse to talk about mythology

“Mentor” was the name of a character in Homer’s Odyssey, or nowadays what we’d call The Iliad II: The Return of Odysseus. When Odysseus left for the Trojan War in The Iliad, he asked Mentor, and old friend, to look after his household and his son, Telemachus.

Because it took so long for King Odysseus to get back, the townsfolk assumed he was dead, and moved to split up his large estate. Telemachus, his rightful heir, was too young to defend his property. So it was up to Mentor to protect their interests. The goddess Athena decided to intervene, and disguised herself as Mentor, helping to guide Telemachus on his journey to find his father -- or, at minimum, news of him -- while Mentor stayed back home to protect the proverbial ranch. Odysseus finally returned, disguised as a beggar, only recognized by Penelope, his wife, who agreed to grant the kingdom to the winner of an archery contest using Odysseus’ bow. Guess who won? A battle ensued for control, and unsurprisingly, Odysseus, with Athena’s and Mentor’s help, emerged victorious. At the end of the story, Athena advised Odysseus -- in the form of Mentor -- to end the civil war.

What does this story tell us, apart from the fact that I enjoy mythology?

1. You have many unofficial mentors, most of whom aren’t assigned to you or defined as such outright. Mentor was Telemachus’ “Official Mentor.” But Odysseus and Athena were instrumental in his protection and education as well. And Penelope, Odysseus’ wife, was critical in enabling her husband to recapture his crown, for himself and Telemachus.

1. These mentors have different skill sets and weaknesses. Like Mentor, one may be a really good teacher. Another may help you navigate politically, like Athena did with Telemachus. And another may pave the way for your promotion like Penelope. Each would have been less effective in her counterparts' roles. So have a portfolio approach. It’s not likely that all the disparate skills you need can be found in one person. Also, people (and even Greek gods) aren’t perfect. With a portfolio approach, you can learn a huge amount by observing where, when, why, and how those unofficial, or even “stealth” mentors are successful or unsuccessful in various situations. So mentors can be instructive in what not to do as well.

1. To achieve your calling, your mentors may change, but their messages remain. Practically speaking, it can be hard to remain a mentee forever -- or at least a mentee to your current set of mentors -- and accomplish your objectives. Author and comparative mythologist Joseph Campbell calls this the “hero’s journey,” upon which a huge amount of our books and movies, like Star Wars, Big Hero 6, and Harry Potter are based. The mentor (spoiler alert!) dies in each of these stories, but it doesn’t need to be that extreme. Mentorship wasn’t originally and shouldn’t be an occupational hazard.

Your mentors inevitably evolve alongside your career growth. Athena had advised Odysseus directly during his journey, but took the form of Mentor to assist in the kingdom’s reconciliation. And Zeus helped Odysseus during his travels; but when it came time for him to regain his kingdom, it was Penelope who facilitated his victory. Even when you and your mentors part, their valuable lessons stay with you, giving you guidance and strength to achieve your goals. (“Luke, trust your feelings!”)

Some learnings from my mentor portfolio

So with all of that, here is just a small sampling of things I’ve learned over the years from my portfolio of mentors -- a heartfelt thank you to each of them:

1. I learned how too much thought and not enough action eventually catches up with you. And vice versa.
2. I learned how communication and expectation-setting leads to happier and more successful teams, customers, and relationships.
3. I learned to know when to hold 'em, when to fold ‘em, when to walk away, and when to run.
4. I learned it’s not good for you or anyone else to poop where you eat.
5. I learned that taking time to focus on good form, presentation, and timing leads to better outcomes.
6. I learned that command and control leads to frustration and stagnation.
7. I learned how to say more with less, and when and why people do the opposite.
8. I learned that before you’re the first person to talk about the elephant in the room, you should make sure you know why said elephant is grazing there.
9. I learned what kind of person I am, and where it’s best to for me to be that person.
10. I learned how to graciously enter a room, stand in a circle, take a seat at a table, and exit.
11. I learned that sometimes, when you need that extra push over the cliff, you put it up to eleven.

http://www.twitter.com/kroterd

Why I do what I do

By my good friend Brad Horwath 

In the decade since I last had a full-time role I’ve often been asked what I do. It used to be an easy answer – freelance journalist. Over time however the list of services I find myself providing has blossomed – author, speaker, facilitator, host, communications trainer, analyst, writer, consultant, etc – to the point where I pretty much have no idea how to succinctly explain  what I do. It is on the whole probably a good problem to have.

But it is worth thinking about the question itself. ‘What do you do’ is a question that provides an easy way to define us, but it doesn’t really do many people justice now, especially when many of us are doing more than one thing. Describing what you do gives only the slightest inkling of what it is you can do – and in a world where increasingly I feel that we are making it up as we go along (I’ll explain what I mean by that in another post soon), skills and potential count for a lot.

Partly as a result of a project that I am working on now (and yes, that will be the subject of yet another blog post) I started to realise that there is a far more interesting question waiting to be answered – ‘why do you do what you do?’. I’ve tried it a few times and the answers have been surprising.

So here is my answer – ‘why I do what I do’.

Firstly – the heart of my motivation. I have a strong belief that the Australian economy is poised for an unhealthy future. Too much focus on (based on previous success) in mining has left us lagging in other sectors – especially in information-based industries. We are vulnerable to encroachment from foreign competitors – both online and off – and too few of our traditional successful domestic companies have parlayed that success on to the international stage. Our boards lack courage and vision – and are too hampered by the need to return shareholder value in the short term to take the steps they need to if they are to ensure their long term future.

The answer? In short, I believe we need to make more ‘things’ (including intellectual property) that people in other parts of the world need (or at least are willing to buy), lest we fall behind emerging nations and find ourselves with a declining standard of living.

It is a sentiment that is echoed in numerous reports, including Accenture’s report For Richer, For Poorer, released last year, which found: if the government in Australia does not respond with urgency and decisiveness to address the fundamental challenges in its labour market, the country will see declining levels of productivity growth rates and overall shrinkage of the workforce. That, in turn, will result in a decline in the living standards in Australia.

More starkly,  earlier this year PwC released its World in 2050 report which suggested Australia would slip from 19th place in 2014 to 28th in 2050, behind Bangladesh and Iran. Go Team Australia …

There is no end of reports that suggest similar futures. There is also no surplus of ideas of how to turn our progress around.

So back to the question – why do I do what I do.

For starters, I am a passionate believer that for a country to succeed then it needs everyone – EVERYONE – working together to achieve growth (in whatever metric you consider important). Perhaps it is the bias that comes from more than two decades researching the impact of internet/digital technologies on Australian business and society, but my own conclusion is that a more digitally-capable Australian society is a key ingredient in our long term competitiveness. That means raising the digital skills of EVERYONE.

Hence I am working with groups such as the Broadband for the Bush Alliance, which seeks to improve access to and utilisation of digital services in remote and regional Australia (please join us in Darwin in July for the next annual Forum, for which I am an ambassador). I am also lending some effort to the Australian Smart Communities Association, which will be holding its inaugural convention in 2016, and aims to showcase the work to improve digital services in communities around Australia.

I’ve also spent much of the last few years speaking at events in locations ranging from Longreach to Mount Gambier, helping to raise digital awareness and skills. This work will continue to be a focus for me, and it is my hope that in future situations I might be able to do more than just raise awareness. Have a look at Infoxchange’s Go Digi program as an example of a program that I fully support and will be looking to promote further.

But it is not enough just to be smart users of technology – we have to be smart creators too. That means more start-ups. Start-ups do amazing things. They create new markets, and improve old ones. The show how inefficiencies can be stripped out. They incubate new processes and new ways of running businesses (cloud computing, agile development and dev ops, etc), the socialise new working models (flexible working, remote working), and so on. And occasionally they go on to become multi-billion dollar employers in their own right. These companies quickly outgrow their domestic market, and we need to be generating a lot more of them if we are to have a healthy future.

Many of these companies are founded purely off the cleverness of the people at their core (not off a mineral resource) and no country has exclusivity in smart people. Hence the more we can do to bring people into digital careers and support start-ups and entrepreneurs, the better. This will be the focus for another project in 2015 (and yes, another blog post).

I also am convinced that having smart users and smart creators in the same environment benefits both groups – one can learn from the other – and hence both are needed for long-term sustainable success.

This also leads me to believe that if Australia is to have a successful future in digital technologies than we can’t afford to leave half of our potential talent out of the game. Australia already suffers from too few high school students choosing careers as digital creators (hence my support of initiatives such as Digital Careers). The need to get more women into the IT industry is critical.

A lot this work is realised through writing and speaking, and the occasional direct engagement. Its what I refer to as ‘working from the edge inwards’ – and is based on what I saw in Africa a decade ago, where you can do a lot more for a village with $1000 and a few shovels – more seemingly than you can do with a million dollar aid budget. Making the digging of clean wells work at scale however is a difficult exercise.

I’ve also done the odd spot of work with larger organisations, helping to seed and stimulate ideas of what the future holds and how they might not just adapt to it, but anticipate and profit from it. I am constantly seeking an answer to the question of whether large organisations can innovate at the pace required to compete with digital upstarts or changing customer preferences – and if so, whether the formula can be distilled and administered  elsewhere. The jury is still out on that one, with the exception of a handful of examples.

But ultimately – why do I do what I do? Because I have two little girls whom I want to see grow up leading the best possible life that can be provided for them, with options in what they choose to ‘do’. If I can contribute to a better future and pull other people with similar goals together to work towards that future, then I know I will have done all that I can.

A lot of my thinking still needs fleshing out, but this is a start.

Hence when it all gets stripped down to the things that I earn money from, I am more likely to accept those commissions that see me building towards the goals listed above. If it is a task through which I can help individuals become more aware and capable regarding the tools that are available to them, then I am more likely to be interested. If I can contribute to the success of Australia’s entrepreneurial community, then I am more likely to be interested. If I can help larger businesses successfully transform and ensure their long term survival, then I am interested. Even if I am only the smallest part of the process.

Fingers crossed, maybe writing it all down might help me realise some of my whys 

“Learn fast to succeed early.” Yes. “Fail fast to succeed early.” No!

From Curtis R Carlson, Ph.D.

Founder and CEO, Practice of Innovation

Former President and CEO of SRI International, 1998-2014

Website: www.practiceofinnovation.com

“Our most important innovation is the way we work."

By Lonni Sue Johnson

“Learn fast to succeed early.”  Yes.
 “Fail fast to succeed early.”      No!

The right words move us forward.  The wrong words hold us back.

In Silicon Valley it is often said, “You must fail fast to succeed early.”  

That is tragically wrong.  The goal is never to fail fast.  It is also demoralizing.  

Particularly in Asia and many parts of Europe, “failing” can be traumatic.  When failure is demanded from would-be innovators, many show concern and doubt, wondering if they can do what is required.

In fairness to those who say this, what they mean is that you have to be aggressive about getting the answers needed.  Whatever the plan, it will change as an innovator moves forward because little is known at the start.  And, of course, no matter how smart and diligent an innovator is, the market is constantly changing, endlessly demanding, and often unpredictable, so success is seldom certain.  As is similarly said about war, “No business plan survives contact with the market.”

Value creation — the development of a new innovation, is a learning process, not a failing process.  When this is pointed out, most people show relief and enthusiasm because learning is a known skill.  Of course, like with all learning, mistakes are made.  But at no point is failure the objective.  And, as with all deep learning, like that required to be a successful innovator, the goal is to master the concepts so well that one’s creativity is unleashed.

Thomas Edison deeply understood this.  He famously said, “I have not failed.  I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”  Hundreds of experiments were often performed to learn what worked, or not, and to inspire his creativity.  He believed in rapid, urgent, discovery and learning.  Edison was unrelenting in his quest for new knowledge to address important societal needs.

Once value creation is accepted as a learning process, the next logical question is, “How do we learn and create the best?”  The learning sciences tell us what works: doing the task, real-time feedback, multiple representations, working in teams, having a mentor, and using motivating incentives. In addition, learning must be focused on the few “big ideas” and the entire process integrated into an effective learning system.  

Innovation, like all intellectual disciplines, has its own language, concepts, and conceptual frameworks. In addition it is experiential.  You can only become an expert innovator by doing it.  In this, it has much in common with becoming an accomplished musician.  

All the elements listed are required to create an effective value creation system.  Over time, each of these topics will be covered in detail at the Practice of Innovation.  Experience proves that when these fundamentals of innovation are properly implemented, innovative performance is profoundly improved.

7 things you need to innovate and 3 things to avoid

by Ingrid Gattari 

Problem solving takes creative thinking and confidence to try a different way. Innovative problem solving can be applied in almost any situation: with systems, people, products, technology, venues. 

It takes tenacity and perseverance to push through to the solution.

7 Ways To Discover New Ideas:

• See problems as an opportunity and problem solve.
• Prioritise thinking time, get a pen and paper and let your imagination fly.
• Know where you gain your inspiration from and be inspired.
• Brainstorm with others to overcome challenges as this is part of the development process.
• Try out your new ideas remembering failure is part of the journey.
• Move forward cautiously and market test the idea.
• Know when to abandon ship if the idea is not floating. Sometimes it’s a timing issue, sometimes it’s a method to market issue. Whatever the reason why the new idea is not selling through, knowing your exit strategy is just as important as the innovative idea. 

3 Things To Avoid When Developing New Ideas:

• Beware of the detracting comments. The comments are likely to come from those close to you. Know they will come, but don’t be deterred.
• Discouragement is a killer of new ideas. It lurks close by and can creep into our thinking without us even aware we are discouraged.
• Avoid stupidity. Don’t bet your bank balance on an untested idea. Large companies have a Research and Development budget which is part of the whole, not the entire kit and caboodle.

Research company, The Hay Group reports on the top companies worldwide, and they found that when the leadership of a company see problems as opportunities, it is those companies that eventually top the list for the Best Companies in their market space.

About Ingrid Gattari, Achievers Group

Ingrid Gattari is the wife of Tony Gattari. She is executive director at Achievers Group. Ingrid has a wealth of experience across a number of industries and has worked in the fields of journalism, public relations, counselling and administration. Ingrid is highly qualified and has a degree in communication (journalism), a diploma in public relations and community services. Ingrid specialises as a trainer, facilitator and coach is the areas of team work, personal development and conflict resolution.

SOME GEMS FROM PAUL DUNN

It's not what you do - its why and how you do it
It's about connection connection connection
connect to your marketplace
connect to your team
cennect to yourself
It's about the little things that make a difference 
Its about giving that creates that connection 

Stuff from Seth Godin to create connection
Trust - earn ir or burn it!
Collaborate
Support
Engage
Trust = Connection

Looking forward to Paul presenting at our Entrepreneurs Master Forum on Friday 20 June from 12:30 - 2pm

Retail needs to entertain and keynect with their customers to survive

Retailers that survive will be more about experiences and less about selling a product.

 When it comes to shopping, more people are doing this by smartphones or tablets .... It's so much easier .

People wiil want to visit the retailer - for entertainment and to be keynected !

 Think: Apple stores.

"Physical shopping will become a lot more fun because it's going to have to be," retail futurist Doug Stephens says.

How's this for retail innovation!

Hointers

A woman demonstrates Hointer's shopping technology. Hointer, a Seattle store displays clothing not in piles or on racks but as one piece hanging at a time, like a gallery. Shoppers just touch their smartphones to a coded tag on the item and then select a color and size via their phone. Technology in the store keeps track of the items, and by the time a shopper is ready to try them on, they're already at the dressing room. 

If the shopper doesn't like an item, he tosses it down a chute, which automatically removes the item from the shopper's online shopping cart. The shopper keeps the items that he or she wants, which are purchased automatically when leaving the store, no checkout involved.

Nadia Shouraboura, Hointer's CEO, says once shoppers get used to the process, they're hooked.

On-demand coupons, beacons Aura and Keynected 

 Australian company Aura and Keynected are leading the field ....they can communicate directly with your cellphone using beacons to offer discounts and rewards directing you to a desired product or store.

For example, you can walk into a westfield. Aura would recognize your smartphone, connect it with brands that you like from your Keynected app and send you a text or email with a coupon a product or service that you love!

If the brand knows what you are interested in - they could offer you a reward for being an advocate. 

The key is to get that data - keynected!

Keynected is on beta right now (you can download from the App Store - 

It plans to launch in June 2014!

3-D Printing

Make your product from home - economically viable ? 

Fantasy or reality?

My view? There are better uses for 3d printing than manufacturing consumer goods

Holograms

EBay recently bought PhiSix, a company working on creating life-size 3-D models of clothing that can be used in dressing rooms to instantly try on different colors of clothing or different styles. 

You can see 30 or 40 items of clothing realistically without physically trying them on - showing what the clothes look like when you are, say, walking down the street or hitting a golf club.

British digital agency Engage created a Virtual Style Pod that scanned shoppers and created a life-size image onto which luxury clothing from brands like Alexander McQueen and DKNY were projected. 

The Pod was displayed in shopping centers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.