Weekly Pulse is content curation and highlights from readings, books, podcasts, insights, ramblings, and other interesting things I discovered and digested during the week.
So, let's go with some discoveries from the week!
#1 - Which Kind of Collaboration Is Right For You
#2 - What Parents Need to Know About the Coming Metaverse
#3 - No boss? No Thanks
#4 - Where Did the Long Tail Go?
#5 - Reinventing Your Personal Brand
#6 - What Is Program Management
#7 - Book Notes: 4 Disciplines of Execution
#2 - What Parents Need to Know About the Coming Metaverse
#3 - No boss? No Thanks
#4 - Where Did the Long Tail Go?
#5 - Reinventing Your Personal Brand
#6 - What Is Program Management
#7 - Book Notes: 4 Disciplines of Execution
Which Kind of Collaboration Is Right For You
Source: Harvard Business ReviewAuthor: Gary P. Pisano and Roberto Verganti
Year: 2008
Summary: Nowadays, virtually no companies innovate alone. Firms team up with a variety of partners, in a wide number of ways, to create new technologies, products, and services. But what is the best way to leverage the power of outsiders? To help executives answer that question, Pisano, of Harvard Business School, and Verganti, of Politecnico di Milano, developed a simple framework focused on two questions: Given your strategy, how open or closed should your network of collaborators be? And who should decide which problems to tackle and which solutions to adopt?
3 Highlights:
"... No one approach is superior; each involves strategic trade-offs. When choosing among modes, firms must weigh their advantages and challenges, and assess which will work best with their strategy, capabilities, structure, and assets..."
"... As potential innovation partners and ways to collaborate with them proliferate, it’s tough deciding how best to leverage outsiders’ power..."
"... Choose modes best suited to your capabilities. For instance, if you can evaluate ideas cheaply but no single participant has all the necessary expertise to shape the innovation, use an open, flat collaboration..."
What Parents Need to Know About the Coming Metaverse
Source: World Economic ForumAuthor: Adario Strange
Year: 2021
Summary: As parents attempt to guide their families into a safety-first version of the metaverse, it might be helpful to understand what games are actually in the immersive component of the metaverse. Any attempt to apply a rigid definition for what is and isn’t “metaverse” is tricky because it’s more of an abstract concept that continues to evolve rather than a finite destination. It's important that parents understand what exactly 'metaverse' means, and any potential risks for children's neurodevelopment.
3 Highlights:
"... It’s already hard to monitor what your kids are doing, but at least you can look over their shoulder at a screen. When they’re in VR, they’re blocked off, you can’t really see what they’re doing. Parents need to understand kids’ games, what they’re playing, why they’re playing them, and who they’re playing them with. You have to be an informed consumer right along with them..."
"... How children react to media is of particular concern because their prefrontal cortex, the area that is associated with emotion and behavior regulation, is not completely developed..."
"... As families transition along with Facebook and other Big Tech companies from traditional online interactions to fully immersive metaverse experiences, having a better handle on the differences can help parents better navigate this often mysterious landscape as it evolves..."
No boss? No Thanks
Source: AeonAuthor: Nicolai Foss, Peter Klein and Sam Haselby
Year: 2019
Summary: In other words, the new narrative on the firm organization is not an irrelevant academic discussion or fluffy consultant talk with no serious implications for business. On the contrary, these are ideas that truly matter – and they are already reshaping business. This movement is gaining steam for a couple of reasons.
3 Highlights:
"... Democratic decision-making is inefficient when each decision affects another..."
"... In short, today’s business landscape features exciting developments in information technology, networking, and collaboration that have led to new forms of organization, production, and distribution..."
"... Teams and activities must be coordinated so that everything works together..."
Where Did the Long Tail Go?
Source: The Honest BrokerAuthor: Ted Gioia
Year: 2021
Summary: 'The Long Tail' was supposed to boost alternative voices in music, movies, and books—but the exact opposite happened. If there really is no economic support for the Long Tail, our opportunities to nurture alternative voices are severely constrained. The downsides of living in a society without a healthy counterculture deserve our closest attention, so I will probably address this issue again in the future.
3 Highlights:
"... The digital world hardly changes this equation. Even if Amazon doesn’t operate stores, it still has expenses (rent, labor, etc.), not much different than a bookstore. In addition, digital merchants have variable costs that other retailers can avoid, most notably all those picking, packing, shipping, and delivery costs. They may still want to offer a full line of products for various reasons, but more as a competitive barrier than a genuine business proposition..."
"... Surely Chris Anderson knew all this when he wrote The Long Tail. He must have learned about the Pareto Principle somewhere along the way. And in fact, he admits as much in the book. But he immediately counters the 80/20 rule with his own discovery, which he calls the 98% rule..."
"... But even the people behind the Long Tail book want to operate on the short end of the distribution curve. Bestsellers are a bad bet, the book claims—except on the front and back cover..."
Reinventing Your Personal Brand
Source: Harvard Business ReviewAuthor: Dorie Clark
Year: 2021
Summary: People reinvent themselves all the time—they may want a new challenge, a new line of work, or a new image among their colleagues. Taking control of your brand can mean the difference between an unfulfilling job and a rewarding career. But how can you persuade others to take the reinvented you seriously? The author presents a five-step approach.
3 Highlights:
"... Define your destination. Check out industry trade journals, do informational interviews, and even try an internship. See if your company offers shadow programs or sabbaticals. Then build the skills necessary for your new path..."
"... Develop a narrative. Learn to communicate exactly how your past fits into the present, and focus on the value your experience brings (rather than on your own interests) when explaining your transition...."
"... Prove your worth. Use the internet to create and share your content. Associate with the leading organizations in your field. Be consistent and committed as you move forward..."
What Is Program Management
Source: Article of the Week
Program management is the process of managing several related projects, with the intention of improving performance and collecting benefits.
A program is a coordinated group of related projects that can be executed simultaneously and share resources, activities, and stakeholders.
In program management, multiple related projects are executed and controlled strategically. The program manager must be an integral part of the organization's strategic business.
Book Notes: 4 Disciplines of Execution
Source: Book Notes of the WeekDo you remember the last major initiative you watched die in your organization?
Did it go down with a loud crash or was it slowly and quietly suffocated by other competing priorities?
By the time it finally disappeared, it’s likely no one even noticed. What happened?
By following the 4 Disciplines of Execution, leaders can produce breakthrough results, with a significant change in behavior from their teams.
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