It has been a year already.

A year ago today, my father-in-law Roy McGonnell passed away at the young age of 69.
69 is way to young to die.

Roy was quite a guy.

He was a husband, a brother, father of three, proud grandfather of 7, a multi sport Canada games level athlete, policeman turned postman, umpire, story teller, literally every ones friend, the caregiver of his disabled wife for over 12 years.

As we say in in Atlantic Canada "Roy was a real character".

Roy was a person who constantly told stories. As I think back, these stories were Roy's way of sharing his views on everything from sports, to politics, to family matters. I never heard him say an unkind word about anyone.

Suffering from cancer for over a year, I never heard him complain once. Except for the night before he died he was watching harness racing on TV and expected to see 5 races not 4. He was pissed ;)

Some thoughts about Roy as we approached his anniversary;

1. Roy read the local paper every day from cover to cover. He especially read the sports section scores as statistics. I would hear him discussing the latest sports scores, players, issues with friends...he would catch people off guard when he even new who got what penalties for what in games across North America, but also the actual attendance of the game ie: "there was only 17,235 people at the game in San Jose on Tuesday night."

2. My youngest daughter always enjoyed getting an offer of a "freezy" when we visited Roy. It felt a little strange however to get the offer in February when it was -25C ;)

3. Roy often asked us all, if we felt we were "dressed up" even if we weren't really "If we were going to a beauty contest ?"

I and my three children have had the pleasure to know such a man.

They don't make many like Roy anymore.

Rest in peace Roy.

Dan MacDonald

Where is the bottom ?

November and December 2008 will go down as one of the most dramatic economic downturns in history. Yet depending on which type of business you are in and or where you are located, you may not have even felt it yet.

All indications are that virtually every business will be impacted in someway, some severely others less so.

It will be amazing to look back after the inevitable recovery to analyze the impact of the media on this economic downturn compared to others. If one was to read and view the news these days, which I for one find it hard not to, it is gloom and doom 24hrs a day.

The markets are directly impacted by our overall confidence. It is critical that we remain both optimistic and realistic.

I believe strongly that this is the time for us to maximize the efficiency of our businesses, to constructively challenge status quo thinking, to provide support for better methods, to ensure regular honest communications with customers, staff, suppliers and partners.

So where is the bottom ?
No one knows for sure, but by most accounts it will be in the next 6 to 12 months.

The best strategy is to be lean, mean, and fit to ride the inevitable recovery better and stronger than ever.

Dan MacDonald

The State and Future of IT - Panel November 14, 2008

Speaking notes from
"The State and Future of IT - Panel Discussion" November 14, 2008 - Halifax Club

1. What will be the impact of Information Technology on business in the next five years?

IT will continue to be important to companies. It is still very relevant and one of the easiest ways to drive productivity. Many companies will be consolidating, merging, and acquiring over the next two years. The rationalization of the resulting business IT systems and ensuring maximum productivity will be key.

That being said, while the CIO, IT staff and partners attempt to get all of that right, we will see the return of the rogue IT systems of the mid nineties when work group networks and applications popped up everywhere as the main frame glass house was changing to client server.

This time it will not be PC hardware and unsupported desktop apps, it will be web based services and applications purchased\acquired underneath the radar by work groups and business units. Why ? They need to be competitive and will not wait for IT to deliver.
The gen Y's will fuel this kind of IT revolution

IT departments will have their hands full to ensure the security policy and overall integrity of this activity.

Mobilization of apps, access, data will further enable users and challenge IT

I believe that all of this anarchy will actually result in higher productivity for everyone except the IT staff. They will need to adapt, add value, and ultimately deliver an affordable supportable IT system.

2. What do businesses and the IT sector need to do in the near-term to capitalize on these opportunities?

From a professional services point of view, there will be a considerable opportunities in scoping, designing, implementing and supporting all of the IT related to company consolidation and M&A activity. This is a 1 to 3 year horizon

I believe that businesses in the IT sector need to balance the input and feedback from their classic customers ie: enterprises, CIO’s, IT departments with the reality of what is happening at the user/consumer/prosumer level.

I believe that if we only listen to the classic voices, then we will quickly become out of touch even extinct.

There will be opportunity in the professional services related to establishing sanity and integrity of the classic IT domain and that of the web 2.0 world.

3. What will the office of the future look like? What will tomorrow's business-person be able to do (say, in 5-10 years) that they can't do now?


The Office of the future is not an office.
Work will not be a place, it will be where ever you need to be. Home, at a customer site, at a project meeting, in a hotel, wherever you are.

Many of us will be independent contractors and or will be working with independent contractors


We will have a highly effective/efficient mobile device which will rival today’s portable computer

We will be increasingly mobile, and wireless


Like many of us do already today, the royal we will be looking for a compfortable, fast, free/inexpensive, and appropriately secure network from which we can work for 30 minutes of 3 or 4 hours, and then we will move on.

In the five year horizon, tomorrow's business person will be able to do what only early adaptors do today. Be highly productive, any place any time. This means of course that a business person in this horizon will find it very difficult to disconnect so as to concentrate on other important things ~ ie: life.

Finally we will live in a "paperless'ish office" mostly because when we are mobile we tend not to print ;)

Dan MacDonald

National Angel Organization: Vetting Early Stage Investment Opportunities

2008 National Angel SummitOctober 16-17, 2008
"Networking, Strategy, Leadership: A Forum for Smart Investing."
The event focused on a variety of angel-specific topics, including bridging funding gaps: idea to exit, best practices version 2.0, global angel access, and much more.

InNOVAcorp’s Dan MacDonald kicked-off the event as the morning keynote speaker on October 17. (To watch a video of Dan's presentation, "Vetting Early Stage Investment Opportunities," visit goldencoast.ca/2008/nao.)

For more information visit angelinvestor.ca.

Why bother greening your business?

Why bother greening your business?

You would have to be living on Mars over the past couple of years not to be aware of the “greening” of virtually everything in the name of environmental sustainability and cost savings.

As an individual, I am genuinely worried about climate change, the continuing damage to our environment, the ugly legacy we will leave our children and grandchildren, and the 100 year storms which seem to happen every couple of years now. Fuel costs have risen to a point where energy is a material portion of our family expenses. We recently traded our SUV for a smaller sedan and around the house we are more conscious of the principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle. We know we can do more and we understand it is up to us to make it happen.

As a business leader however, I and probably many others like me are not so confident on the logical steps required to “green our business”. While I am clearly not an expert in this area, I have given this some thought, conducted some basic research and would like to share some insights on the topic of “greening our businesses” in the form of a FAQ.

1. Why bother greening your business?
2. If oil prices drop to $100 again will all this green stuff blow over?
3. Is there a return on investment (ROI)?
4. Do customers really care about green?
5. Will customers pay more for green products and services?
6. How green is the business now?
7. What is “green washing”? What is “green sheen”?
8. How green do we need to be?
9. How might we create a green culture?
10. What is some good greening the business resources?

1. Why bother greening your business?
Many, including our customers would say this is a rather silly question at this point given all we know now. We must green our businesses because; it is the right thing to do, our employees (existing and even more so recruits) will expect it, our customers and partners will soon (if not already) ask us to prove it, and because there can be a return on investment. I wonder if General Motors debated “green” in the board room over the past couple of years.

2. If oil prices drop to $100 again will all this green stuff blow over?
No. The price of oil may drop some; it might even drop to close to $100. While possible, this is not likely to cause the green stuff to blow over. High oil prices are with out a doubt a key catalyst for every thing green because the impact is so universal, but I believe the green thing is more fundamental now. We all have a responsibility to lessen our impact on the environment and our purchasing power will increasingly only go to those we believe are on the same green page as we are.

3. Is there a return on Investment (ROI)?
Yes. But when a business looks at “green” in terms of getting off the grid by implementing for example a windmill, an energy savings based ROI can be measured in a decade or more. This ROI timeline is neither compelling nor practical for most small and medium sized businesses. This is not the way to think though. Many of the greening methods and initiatives do not require big capital expenditures. The ROI of “greening your business” should be measured in improved top and bottom line, improved employee and customer loyalty, market expansion, and yes reduced energy costs. Further, there is likely a financial risk in not being green because being so will have the opposite effects.

4. Do customers really care about green?
Yes. In business to business segments it is becoming common place for companies to demand their partners and suppliers are green. This in fact is essential for them to be green. Corporate responsibility, including being green, will become a common procurement specification.
In business to consumer segments, one could argue that the expectations here will rise even faster. Corporate brand managers are very concerned about their companies green reputation. Those businesses targeting customers which fall into the gen x and y categories had better be green or going that way.

5. Yes but will customers pay more for green?
Yes and No. In the short term, B2B and B2C companies will be able to charge a 5 to 10% premium, but not in the medium long term. Quality control and ISO certification were key business initiatives in the 80’s and 90’s. They were differentiators at first, but over time they became table stakes, part of the cost of doing business.
Green however I believe is different. Quality and ISO affected the delivery of your products and services only, not our environment which could affect us all.
When it comes to green, customers will look for the high value products and services which are also green (read will not buy your products and services unless they are green). While customers do in one way or another pay for quality, it is now table stakes and they have come to expect it. The same will go for green. For the next 5 to 10 years businesses will be able to differentiate by offering excellent products which are also green.

6. How green is the business now?
This is a tough question to answer. With out some type globally accepted or defacto neither green measurement nor documented comparables how can we tell how green we are. For now, beyond some rudimentary carbon footprint/green house gas emission calculators, we are sort of on our own. I wouldn’t try this as an excuse though. We need to proactively baseline “our greenness” in order to truly make measureable improvements and obtain a measureable return on investment. Every business needs a green plan of some kind and need to continually refine it over time. This does not have to be complicated. More on this later.



7. What is “green washing”? What is “green sheen”?
Green washing is a term used to describe the perception of consumers that they are being misled by a company regarding the environmental practices of the company or the environmental benefits of a product or service. The term green sheen has similarly been used to describe organizations which attempt to appear that they are adopting practices beneficial to the environment. Source: Wikipedia
It should go with out saying that neither green washing or green sheen would help the brand of any organization.

8. How green do we need to be?
I believe that we are all expected to understand where we are right now, and use best efforts over time toward greening our business. No one is expecting an overnight green makeover, just as no one will tolerate a total disregard for green. A business must make a genuine effort and be able to share with key stakeholders how they are approaching greening the business.
Share? Yes share, via a simple list of things which have been done, are being done, and will be looked into in the future. Employee involvement is key to making sure the maximum impact is felt.
When it comes to key B2B customers, a proactive review of their website to better understand published policies relating to green (environmental, carbon foot print, green practices, etc) will give you perspective on how green you will need to be.

9. How might we create a green culture in our business?
Be genuine. Share with the staff that you would are looking for ways to green the business and that everyone is responsible for making it happen. Set clear high level guidelines that green initiatives which cost more than $X to implement or will affect the performance of the business relating to customer satisfaction must be first approved. Make a list of greening opportunities and when implemented, list the persons who came up with the idea and those who implemented.

10. What are some good greening the business resources?
- Good ideas for the home and office: http://www.greenlivingideas.com/
- Calculating carbon footprint: http://www.carbonfootprint.com/
- Helpful information as well as incentives to green your home and business: http://www.conservens.ca/
- Information on carbon offsets: http://www.v-c-s.org/
- Information on ISO green standards such as ISO14064: http://www.iso.org/
- Resource for both businesses and individuals who want to be environmentally proactive and www.upongreen.com

Dan MacDonald

P.S. While we can all do our part in to green our homes and businesses in some meaningful way, we all need to be aware that many families are struggling to manage their finances especially high energy costs. A large percentage of these families are essentially unable to make some of the “green choices” many of us take for granted such as trade their vehicle for a more efficient one or use mass transit.

Call to Action for Exporters

Call to Action for Exporters

We should all be proud of Canada's economic track record. Several years of federal budget surpluses, debt maintenance, low interest rates, commodity price strength, and political stability position Canada as one of the world's strongest economies. Further, I must admit the strength of the Canadian dollar against the US dollar feels pretty good after decades of silly jokes about our weak loonie from my US colleagues.

That being said, exporters in the business community are aware of the now seemingly unavoidable impact of the weakening US economy on Canada. There is a “perfect storm analogy” for every difficult situation these days, and it is hard not to employ that overused term here.

The US downturn, like every other in history, will correct itself in time. However, the impact of the US subprime fiasco, the ongoing cost of war(s), the uncertainty of whether McCain or Obama policies will rule post November ’08, and the crushing debt are expected to make this downturn last longer than most. The US Federal Reserve is attempting to sound calm and confident, and politicians are even spending billions to artificially prop up the capital markets; however, any measureable positive impact seems to have a shelf life measured in hours.

The US is by far Canada’s largest trading partner. Exporters have been dealing with the effects of the high Canadian dollar for several quarters now. As the Canadian dollar rose to new heights, some “experts” said this was a wake up call for Canadian exporters that have long enjoyed the leverage of a weak dollar and now must become more competitive and productive to survive. I am not sure these same experts appreciated the difficult economic factors to come.

Canadian exporters are already facing slowed decision making, extreme price pressure resulting in a weaker bottom line due to reduced buying power of the US dollar, and creeping protectionism, all combined with the multidimensional impact of skyrocketing energy prices. By all accounts, exporters are facing very challenging top and bottom line pressures.

The prevailing wisdom among exporters seems to include the reworking of short and medium term financial assumptions airing conservatively that the Canadian dollar will continue at par, that sales cycles for certain product/service categories will lengthen, that the sales and value propositions of those same offerings must deliver a return on investment (ROI) in under 12 months, and that customer relationship management to ensure a keen awareness of the customer’s/partner’s overall situation is paramount.

Simultaneously, exporters are busy tuning up their go-to-market strategies aimed to attack the world’s growing markets, including Europe, China, South America and India. For many exporters that have until now ignored or only dabbled in overseas markets, diversifying beyond the US is now a necessity.

Many business people in Canada have always considered the US market to be the prime market. The large size and influence of the US market, its close proximity, shared language and business culture made it the logical place for most companies to enter first, launch in first, expand in first. Time may prove that this will continue to be the case, but for the next two to five years, exporters may want to seriously consider a balance or even a shift. Depending on the type of product or service, exporters may for the first time look to overseas markets first.

The costs of doing business overseas will be significant. Beyond the soft costs of gaining critical knowledge of the target foreign market, differences in language and business culture, and currency complexity, there will be hard costs related to navigating legislation, shipping, communications, and business travel. All these factors will need to be baked into the business case. Obviously exporters, which are typically highly creative and effective businesses, will figure this all out one way or another.

Early stage companies (aka “start-ups”) entering export markets for the first time will need to look carefully at their go-to-market strategies to maximize the leverage of their modest funds. Start-ups, which typically refine their sales and value propositions as they enter the market, will face an even tougher situation. They will be looking to establish credibility and mindshare in a very tough market. The prevailing wisdom here is to enter the export market with the highest probability of business success, and which best represents or can influence the other markets to be entered in the future. Further, savvy market validation research will be required to ensure start-ups are truly hitting the sweet spots of the market. For some start-ups these sweet spots will still be in the US, for others they will not.

Many in the business community will need to exercise export market business skills which may have become a little out of shape or perhaps were never used while the US was booming. Now would be a perfect time to engage the help of professionals who are from or understand these foreign markets, including people new to our community. It will be important to network and leverage the expertise of others who have successfully entered markets, and to tap into programs such as those offered by Export Development Canada and various Canadian Consulates around the world.

We should be proud of the Canadian economy’s strength. We should be confident about Canada’s future. We should also be highly aware of the inevitable impact the US economic downturn will have on Canada and work strategically and tactfully to minimize it. All of this is easier said that done, but is now absolutely necessary.


Dan MacDonald

Dan MacDonald is the president and CEO of InNOVAcorp based in Halifax. www.innovacorp.ca

A Great Dad

I wrote this after Dad passed away a a few years ago.
As we approach Father's Day, I thought I would share.
Feel free to pass on to others.
Have a good one !

A Great Dad

It's easy to be a great dad if you have known one, spent time with one, been close to one.

It's easy to be a great dad if you have played with one, shared a laugh with one, celebrated a win with one.

It's easy to be a great dad if you have argued with - then made up with one, been respected by one, learned from one.

It's easy to be a great dad if you have been supported by one, cried with one,supported one.

It's easy to be a great dad if you have been the child of one, grown up with one, you want to be one.

People say that I'm a great dad.

It's been easy for me.

Dan MacDonald - November'2001

Innovation and the story of Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Est. 1902

Innovation and the story of Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing, Est. 1902

Innovation is about creating business value out of new ideas, whether it’s new ways of doing things, new products, or new services.
Organizations must continually innovate to remain competitive, let alone grow. Failure to innovate inevitably causes organizational malaise, and invites the competition to come and take market share.

Innovation – straight forward, right? For many organizations, it is not so straight forward.

As organizations grow, many migrate from being the challenger attacker to being challenged and attacked. The problem usually lies in inadvertently allowing a culture to emerge that does not foster innovation. Strict policies, procedures, and product and project management styles put in place in the name of consistency and best practice often lead to a culture of risk aversion and dampened creativity.

In 1948, William L. McKnight, then president of Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing, directed the management of his company as follows:

"As our business grows, it becomes increasingly necessary to delegate responsibility. This requires considerable tolerance and mistakes will be made. Management that is destructively critical when mistakes are made will kill initiative. It's essential that we have many people with initiative if we are to continue to grow.”

While many turn to the latest best selling business books and industry gurus for advice on just about everything, Mr. McKnight’s wisdom after 50 years still makes good common sense.

Later renamed 3M, Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing’s innovative culture is today the envy of companies around the world. From Post-it Notes, to Scotch tape, to health care and highway safety, to office products and optical films for LCD displays, 3M’s annual revenue tops $24.5 billion USD and its market capitalization is $52.72 billion. Mr. McKnight’s focus on creating and maintaining a culture of innovation is core to 3M’s continued success.

Businesses of all sizes need to enable a culture where innovation is encouraged, continuous, and recognized. Further, an innovative culture is one in which risk is managed, mistakes are learned from, customer and supplier input is welcome, and management is open minded to changes to established business models. To some this might sound like anarchy, but it simply describes a business culture where progress, positive change, and innovation are embraced.

Management must encourage and harness innovation across the entire organization. Processes, policies and procedures should be constantly evolved to ensure relevancy, competitiveness, and increased value add. Organizations can effectively leverage innovation and attract and retain top talent.

Whether you are trying to increase yield, decrease costs, increase customer loyalty, diversify into new market sectors, or all of the above and more, having a culture of innovation will help position you for success.

Innovation, while not straight forward, is next to impossible if you do not have the right culture.

Dan MacDonald

Dan MacDonald is the president and CEO of InNOVAcorp based in Halifax. www.innovacorp.ca

Fighter

I am a big fan of Barack Obama.
I respect Hilary Clinton.

I am torn between wishing Clinton would quit and gaining a new respect for her drive and toughness. The calls for her to quit only seem to make her stronger. West Virginia on Tuesday will only serve to embolden her. She is clearly a fighter.

A fighter...hmm...

I strongly believe we need a leader, a uniter, a mender, a communicator, a visionary, a president for all not some, ... NOT a fighter.

Go Obama !

Dan MacDonald

Palooka's Boxing Club ~ You will be inspired.

Today, I was truly inspired.

I attended the grand opening of Palooka's Boxing Club here in Halifax.

This very special place, the brainchild of local entrepreneur and community hero Mickey MacDonald (no relation), has been built to make a difference.

This state of the art boxing club is designed to serve many, but is specifically targeting inner city youth. Palooka's will be a place that is welcoming, safe, respectful, clean, motivating, and challenging. Palooka's will be a positive and accessible alternative to substance abuse, crime, and violence. Palooka's through the sport of boxing will instill discipline in the mind, body, and soul.

Located in on Gottingen Street, in a renovated theatre, in an area with loads of potential but which has been in a slump for the last 20 years, Palooka's is sure to spark many great things to come.

Today’s opening was very inspiring. The people who spoke represented the amazing diversity of the community. They spoke sincerely about the potential positive impact the gym. They were amazingly consistent in their vision of what this could mean to the youth of Halifax.

The people behind this initiative, lead by Mickey MacDonald, stepped up big time to make a difference in their community. They are all examples of people who worked very hard to get where they are, and are now giving back again and again.

The work Mickey is doing is more than writing checks. His vision, drive, and ability to rally stakeholders to turn an old theatre into such a fantastic place is truly inspiring.

The website is just a place holder so far, but just wait till you see this place. Check it out for yourself by dropping in.

You will be inspired.

Dan MacDonald






http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Front/1049187.html

It is obvious, right ?

Ever been involved in a situation where the path forward seems obvious to everyone, except you ? Everyone in the discussion is leaning toward a certain direction, they are feeding off one another building a strong contentious….but you are listening and thinking “what the - - - -?”

You listen, you genuinely look for the logic in their thinking, you wonder whether you should just go along for the ride, or…..

You finally have the courage to say; “Guys what am I missing here ? Why does everyone believe that this is the obvious direction to take when there are several other options to consider ?.....

Then it happens. Several of the folks that were only moments ago driving confidently toward a direction, are considering options, even aligning with your thinking. Why does this scenario play out so many times ?

I think people generally like to follow not lead. Further people generally migrate toward proposed decisions rather than debate.

As accountable and responsible professionals tasked with doing the right thing, we need to be aware of this phenomenon and interject logic in otherwise illogical debates.

This is not about dragging on debates for the fun of it, nor about being contrary, it is about recognizing that “what is obvious to a group of people who are feeding off each other…” may be anything but obvious.

Don’t be scared to ask the tough question(s) when the group is heading toward the obvious.

It is obvious, right ?

Dan MacDonald

Think it through

Those of us who are caught up in the fast pace of life, have less and less time to think.

I am not talking about going to the top of the mountain alone for days on end, nor am I talking about procrastination. I am talking about the concept of "thinking through a situation" so as to find the best path forward. Thinking something through may take five minutes or it may take a weekend.

Some of us think out load and need to talk it out with others, while others are silent thinkers.

When you look back at the things you have done well vs. the things you wish you could "do over", I wonder how many of the latter you could have avoided. Not them all I am sure, but I'll bet there are a few notables.

Reacting to a situation on instinct, especially a tough situation, can be impressive but it can also be disastrous. We obviously do not always have the opportunity to think it through, as professionals we are expected to think on our feet, but when we have the time do doesn't it make sense to.

Think it through.

Dan MacDonald

Speaking of Paris

Speaking of Paris, that's where I am now.

What a truly amazing city.
Any description I could provide would never do justice to Paris.

Some observations:
- very clean
- amazing architecture, history, and character every where you look
- museums are wonderful (this coming from a guy who went just because he thought he should)
- streets go in every direction making map reading a challenge
- excellent coffee, bread, cheese, wine, …all foods taste great
- fashion…say no more
- people park bumper to bumper. Not exactly sure how they get in or out. Will make sure I figure that out before we leave ;)
- tiny grocery stores with one of everything in a 150 sq ft
- huge double doors leading to garden court yards in the middle of apartment blocks

- baguette for 1 Euro, good red wine for 5 Euro, excellent cheese....=)

Paris is clearly the most unique place on earth.

Dan MacDonald

There is just something about it

Having traveled back to Silicon Valley this past week, it was fascinating to re-experience the pace, the confidence, and the overall activity.

In the Bay Area of California, AKA Silicon Valley, you will find people from every corner of the globe converging together to “build”. Build new business models, new products, new services, new everything. You’ll find the worlds largest concentration of early and later stage venture capital and investment banking firms who specialize in high technology. You will find some of the worlds finest universities, attracting the brightest minds from around the globe.

Come to think of it. Silicon Valley is made up of very driven people from around the world. The collective experiences and perspectives of these people propel the area faster than any other place.

Whether you are at work, the pub, the grocery store, the soccer pitch or the gym discussion centers around building business. Silicon Valley is all about networking. In every discussion about building business, people are connecting people of common interest or expertise. “Oh, you really need to connect with _____, she is an expert in _______, also you must connect with _______, he built then sold _________ which was in a very familiar space.” And so it goes.

I lived and worked in Silicon Valley from 1999 trough 2005. Through the boom, the bust, and recovery I and 10,000’s of others worked at a pace and style unlike any other place on earth.

The buzz you get from the above, combined with the amazing weather, food, access to the great outdoors (desert, mountains, snow, beach all within 20 minutes to 3 hours) and wine makes Silicon Valley a fantastic.

Yes the traffic can be ugly, the house prices are #@$%^&*! but what place in the world doesn’t have a issue or two ?

Jurisdictions all over the world have tried to mirror Silicon Valley’s recipe for success.
In my opinion, it would be like setting out to create Paris. While very different in almost every way, Paris is uniquely Paris, and Silicon Valley is uniquely Silicon Valley.

That being said, jurisdictions can take some great lessons from the history of Silicon Valley and look to upgrade/tune their own relevant economic and social ecosystem.

Silicon Valley. Hmm…Boy do I miss it.

There is just something about it.

Dan MacDonald

Advice ~ Both giving and receiving take practice.

Advice is both hard to give and to receive.

Giving advice:
I know what you're thinking. “Advice is easy to give.”
No it is not.

Good advice only comes after understanding the situation. Understanding the situation always includes genuine listening and clarification. It is a big challenge to learn about a complex situation and immediately provide solid advice.

“Ok, I believe I understand the situation and ideally I would need to give it some thought before I give thoughtful advice.” is what we all should say ~ but we rarely do.

Because we care and want to add value to the conversation immediately we tend to jump right in. That’s ok, as long as we first share that we are affectively going to “think out loud as we work the situation real time.”

We need to be mindful that the act of asking for advice is a huge deal for many of us.

To be a good advice giver, we must; assume its confidential, listen, clarify, think about it and get back to the person or ask for permission to think out load as we work through it.

Receiving advice:

Everyone needs advice from time to time. Even the people who end up giving advice need advice. That being said, we often have a sort of “asking for advice remorse” about 10 seconds after asking, especially if the person we asked goes off on a tangent with out taking the time to understand the situation.

Beyond the obvious goodness in advice, asking for advice can be a very powerful relationship building approach. In situations where you have a new partner, customer, supplier, employee and somehow things have not gotten off to a good start, asking the persons advice is often the kind of ice breaker you need.

“Hey Mike, I have been thinking a lot about our first month on this project. I would be really interested in your views on what we might do to improve going forward. I would just like to give you the floor and let you share with me what you think. I am listening.”

The above approach works amazingly well. Listen and clarify by playing back key points. The person you are asking is often first surprised, then intrigued, and even impressed if he/she feels that there has been an over due breakthrough in communications.

But what if the advice is totally off base ?
The cool thing about advice is that it is not binding in any way. I listen to lots of advice, take the best parts and implement, and put the rest in file 13.

In a situation where the “asking for advice remorse” sets in quickly and the advice is totally off base, take the best advice you probably have ever been given ~ from your parents. “If you can’t say anything nice, then don’t both saying anything at all.” Except for of course saying; “thank you, I haven’t heard that perspective before, I’ll think about what you said.”

We all should ask for advice more often.

Giving and receiving advice both take practice.

Dan MacDonald

Leadership Envy

If only we Canadians could vote in the current US primaries and ultimate election in November 2008.

Seems that Canadians are watching the US political scene more than usual these days. It is very easy to find someone who wants to share their opinion on who has the edge currently , how their favorite would reestablish America in the eyes of the world, etc.

The keen interest in the US political scene intrigues me. Why are Canadians so interested ?
I believe the answer is very straight forward. Envy.

Don’t get me wrong, the envy I am talking about here is relatively narrow. Canadians are very aware of their current strengths economically, relating to universal healthcare, having not gone to war in Iraq, etc, etc.

The envy here related specifically to leadership. We envy the Americans because they have high quality leaders in the race who people can not only relate to, but actually look forward to being lead by. Further it seems that people are participating in democratic process (voting) in record levels.

Wow ! How good it must be to be excited about an election and the candidates running. We in Canada can only dream in the short and medium term.

Unlike our neighbors to the south, we observe the now monthly games of "if you do not support this or that, we will be forced to call an election" chicken between the overly confident minority federal government and a very weak opposition.

I can only hope that the leaders in Canada are also intrigued with the US political scene. Further, I hope they can see the unprecedented engagement of the electorate.

I believe we will, in the next 5 to 10 years, have the opportunity to fully engage in the democratic process and cheer on our favorite top quality charismatic candidate.

Until then, when it comes to political leadership, we will live vicariously through our neighbors to the south.

Dan MacDonald

Experience vs. Charisma

Experience vs. Charisma

There are times, whether in a country or in a cooperation, that the current and desired state of affairs requires a very special kind of leader.

In these times where constituents, (citizens, employees, shareholders, customers) are disillusioned, lost, worried, even in despair ~ it seems the best solution is found in a high integrity charismatic leader.

This kind of leader can emphasize with the reality of the current state, but at the same time lead all to move toward a bold positive vision of the future. People want to be lead by leaders who can chart a path forward, inspire, surround them selves with diverse talent and most impressively get the best out of us all.

It is fascinating how credible leaders with proven experience and expertise but with out charisma, lose ground to the one with it. People become tired, bored, and even skeptical of the candidates who want to show their expertise and experience because it all just seems so status quo. Sort of unfair in a way, but it is all about timing. A great leader for one time in history may not be the right leader for a different more challenging period.

Our friends to the south are obviously looking for a high integrity charismatic leader.

While it may seem on the surface that they are choosing between experience vs. charisma, I see it differently. To me, they are obviously looking for a the right person for these challenging times, who will positively and constructively lead the entire country forward, rather than a person who has a high level of expertise and experience.

Experience vs. Charisma ? It is all about timing.
Dan MacDonald

US Economy Sure to Affect Canadian Business Growth

US Economy Sure to Affect Canadian Business Growth in the Near Term

I must admit I am very proud of Canada's economic track record. Our consistent federal and provincial budget surpluses, debt maintenance, low interest rates, commodity price strength, and political stability position Canada as one of the world's strongest economies.

I also admit, that as a consumer the strength of the Canadian dollar against the USD feels pretty good after 30+ years.

That all being said, there are some significant challenges facing Canada in the near term.

The US is by for our largest trading partner. Weakness therefore in the US market directly affects trade. Canadian exporters are bracing for a double whammy. 1. The high Canadian dollar is eating into margins, 2. Export revenues will likely decrease do to the US economic downturn. The result, lower top and bottom line for many exporters.

There is no easy answer here.

Exporters have been dealing with the high dollar for several quarters now, and at the same time have been looking to diversify export markets beyond the US. Easier said than done, but necessary.

The economists and politicians are attempting to sound realistic and not add to the pessimism, but their guidance seems to have a shelf life measured in hours.

Canadian businesses who rely heavily on exports to the US, must rework their short and medium term financial assumptions. Airing conservatively that the Canadian dollar continues at par would be a wise move.

Businesses need to get closer to key customers, from a communications point of view, to proactively monitor their corporate health and the most likely impact on your top and bottom line.

Strap in - she is going to be a wild ride for sure.

Dan MacDonald