Trend Watch List

>>>> NOTE TO READERS: Trend Watch List is evolving and joining forces with Trend POV to become the way that forward thinking executives access the people and ideas that drive strategic advantage. See and share what we are planning for the big launch January 1st at http://www.New.TrendPOV.com. <<<<

Wrapping up the year and looking forward, we turn our attention to the trends that will be affecting our favorite precursor industries of travel and food in 2010 and beyond. These trends represent the hospitality industry’s struggle to balance the customer as king with the realities of operating a business to make profit. In 2010 we will explore what micro-purchase strategies are working, what is failing miserably and why. If you have considered micro-purchase strategies for your business, it will pay to take a lesson from the airlines before repeating their mistakes. Vacation rentals are increasing in popularity among consumer travelers but with surprising advantages for the business traveler. We will be innovating practical ways to boost your bottom line with existing and new capabilities. The difference between a win-win situation and a complete disaster when going green is all in the choice of and application of green strategies that are right for your business in your sector, with your specific customer base. Going green is not new but is evolving to develop new industries and advantageous business strategies. Meanwhile, consumers are seeking something from the small and local business - authenticity, agility, responsive service, unique products, local knowledge and more. We will document each and develop practical ways to create these elements within your business and individual teams without significant investment. In line with the paperless office is the cashless operation. In 2010 we will track the evolution of cashless operations within the hospitality industry to innovate new strategies for your own business that may decrease the overall time spent managing contracts and payments, reduce cash flow latency and collection problems and provide a host of other benefits. Stay tuned as we track them all, how they affect each other and how your business can create advantage from each and every one no matter what industry you call home.

>>>> NOTE TO READERS: Trend Watch List is evolving and joining forces with Trend POV to become the way that forward thinking executives access the people and ideas that drive strategic advantage. See and share what we are planning for the big launch January 1st at http://www.New.TrendPOV.com. <<<<

Continuing our look forward towards 2010 and beyond we turn our attention towards the evolving trends that will affect your talent and workforce strategies in the coming years. These trends represent an overarching theme of the individual in an environment of rapid change and continual learning. Training has to be fast, timely, targeted and relevant. One way may businesses may accomplish this in 2010 and beyond is via audio push. Audio push, differs from podcast in that the delivery is immediate and the whole process transacts over your phone with only SMS and phone service. As more employers demand proof of timely skills sets, more job seekers will look for short certification programs to gain and prove these skills. Certification programs are evolving and we are tracking it. We have not forgotten that the talent pipeline for the majority of American industry is broken. In 2010 we will be tracking efforts by governments, organizations and companies alike towards turning this negative trend around with a future workforce checkup. Speaking of your employees, there may be fewer of them. Freelancing is on the rise to the extent that the employee of the future may not be an employee at all, but an independent contractor. Employees that are not moving towards freelance status in the coming years will need quite a bit more to stay with your organization more than a year. Incentivizing employees to drive innovation, effectiveness, and the bottom line has to be personalized. In 2010 we will be tracking the evolution of freelance as the norm and incentive solutions forms. Each of these evolving trends are part of the larger complex landscape of your talent and workforce efforts. Stay tuned throughout 2010 as we explore each of these and more to develop ways for your business to get ahead.

Globalization has reached, perhaps, a new phase - a sophomore stage. Overall, the trends affecting your global business environment over the coming years speak to a larger blurring of lines - between country and company, emerging market and THE market, companies and foundations, access and vulnerability, local and global. First and most blindingly, it’s not just about the United States anymore. China, India, and to an increasing extent, Africa, are no longer emerging markets. They are THE markets. In the coming year we will explore what this means for businesses of all sizes, and innovative ways to enter these markets on a path of least danger and highest reward. At the same time, it is becoming harder to tell the difference between companies and countries. The ramifications go beyond negotiations with states and countries and will affect how you navigate markets worldwide, including your home market. Even more blurred is the line between company and foundation. In the next year, we will explore the full extent of what corporate foundations provide back to their parent companies and how any size business can achieve a similar effect. Holding you back amid such vast opportunity may be the marked increase in regulation of online access in certain countries. In the coming year, we will explore where, how and how much countries are regulating online access for citizens and companies alike; how to prevent strategic damage and actually create competitive advantage within these markets. The internet and advances in other low cost communications has brought about the age of the small but global business. We will consider how these businesses create competition for each other and larger businesses and what your organization needs to do to turn your competition into competitive advantage, no matter the size. All of these trends together speak to the larger changes within the business world that are not relegated to a single location, country, company, industry or sector. Stay tuned to tune your strategies for maximum advantage.

>>>> NOTE TO READERS: Trend Watch List is evolving and joining forces with Trend POV to become the way that forward thinking executives access the people and ideas that drive strategic advantage. See and share what we are planning for the big launch January 1st at http://www.New.TrendPOV.com. <<<<

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True advantage for your business starts with targeted expertise and innovative ideas that help you turn evolving trends into your competitive edge. Trend POV and Trend Watch List, the names that more than 50 thousand turn to for the latest on emerging trends and practical advice is evolving to deliver access to the people and ideas that you need to make your competition irrelevant.

Starting January 1st, you will be able to join the strategic vanguard with a membership at TrendPOV.com and start turning evolving trends into your competitive edge by accessing leading experts, innovative ideas, and other forward thinking executives.

The short articles you love from Trend Watch List, The Trend POV Show and Daily Advantage Videos will all be at the new consolidated TrendPOV.com and available to everyone along with a new membership area that gives you everything you need to access the people and ideas that drive strategic advantage.

• Monthly online sessions with answers from leading experts to your most pressing questions so you can make it happen for your organization now.
• Priority discounted registration for the upcoming Strategic Vanguard 2010 Workshop where you will learn from the best in the company of other executives that think at your level.
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December is a great time to look forward to the next year and beyond. These evolving trends represent the overarching effect of digital becoming more serious in its effect on your business environment. The dream of the completely paperless company is not new but highly elusive. In 2010 will track how the evolution of multi-media and internet security is making the completely paperless office a distinct possibility...and how some organizations are dying at the hand of digitization. The online environment is evolving to allow for more interaction than ever before. In 2010 we will be tracking the potential uses of the virtual space for increased ROI that many businesses have yet to consider. Meanwhile, software as a service is fast becoming the route to simplified operations for businesses worldwide. We will explore the right kind of SaaS-sourcing for your business, choosing vendors, when to keep it in-house, offering your own product to the masses and more. Targeting potential clients based on behaviors, and profiles is beginning to happen as we speak. In 2010 we will track the evolution of online marketing (including social media marketing) towards real time individual ad targeting. While we are all online, the old rules of product development told us that the best way to make sales is to put our product into every possible storefront. That rule may no longer apply. In 2010 we will track the evolution of exclusivity and watch the major retailers for precursor evidence of new business strategies to trump the trend. These trends contribute to a potent brew affecting your business environment and the way in which you will do business in 2010 and beyond. Over the coming year, we will be tracking them and innovating new ways to use them to your strategic advantage.

>>>> NOTE TO READERS: Trend Watch List is evolving and joining forces with Trend POV to become the way that forward thinking executives access the people and ideas that drive strategic advantage. See and share what we are planning for the big launch January 1st at http://www.New.TrendPOV.com. <<<<

With the recent focus on innovation, it can be easy for any organization to become wrapped around building a better axle. However, innovation alone does not breed success. There is a battle brewing between the time tested practice of entrepreneurship and the requirements of the emerging innovation economy. The question is whether innovation or entrepreneurship can exist in this new environment without the other, finding the right mix, and understanding the difference. In this article, we explore the critical differences between and the many types of innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as how to find the balance between the two and your optimal mix for competitive advantage.

Innovation is about new ideas. It may be new products, processes, services, business models and more. Entrepreneurship, however, is about realizing profit. The difference between innovation and entrepreneurship is key. You can build it, but they may not come. Delia Smith of Green Field Ventures gives a concise view of the difference when she notes that, “If innovation is the creation of new capacities for wealth creation, entrepreneurship is the exploitation of these capacities.”

In the accelerating business environment and evolving innovation economy, differentiators are key. Your business has to be unique in some advantageous way that draws your customers. The right mix of innovation and entrepreneurship is at the heart of creating advantage in this evolving economy. Steve Epner suggests, “an entrepreneur with an innovative idea is a rare and valuable find...everyone is capable of coming up with the idea. Put that together with someone who can execute a plan—and watch out.”

To turn this trend into a competitive advantage, develop the right mix of innovation and entrepreneurship for your organization. Decide how you will encourage each kind of innovation within your organization. Next, develop entrepreneurial processes for acting on innovation. Your entrepreneurial process needs to vet ideas effectively and move them forward systematically. In other words, invest in moving forward with ideas that fit your business strategy, contribute to your company’s future prospects and are within your current means.

Lastly, reward innovation and entrepreneurship individually to keep enthusiasm high. Given these steps, your organization will be on the path to a sustained mix of innovation and entrepreneurship that will enable your to thrive and not just survive in this evolving economy.

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Continuing this month’s focus on converging trends, we turn our attention towards trends converging to bring revolutionary change to our favorite precursor industries - Travel and Food. In this article, we cover how global market shifts, evolving tastes, and emerging technologies are converging to affect these industries and how all industries can use the opportunity for advantage. Three major trends are converging to affect the hospitality industry more than most: a global market shift in travel outside of the United States, a globalization of consumer tastes, and emerging technologies used by these increasingly mobile and worldly consumers. In each of Africa, the Middle East and Asia, new ventures are steeped in high levels of service directly to the traveler and a particular focus on the business traveler. Of course you must notice that these regions have little to do with the United States. Travelers are going elsewhere. Going elsewhere is also the theme for restaurant patrons. They are not leaving their favorite restaurants, but they are craving more global fare. A globalization of consumer tastes has accelerated amid an increasingly global economy and increasingly connected world. Technology adoption within the hospitality industry worldwide has focused on catering to the busy and globally savvy business professional. This includes SMS-based interaction and smart phone applications (i.e. mobile apps). Video teleconferencing services in restaurants and hotels, internet access on aircraft, business lounges and more are all increasing as the hospitality industry recognizes that today’s business professional cannot really afford to leave the office, even when they have left the office. The shift outside of the US in travel and increasing globalization of consumer tastes are trends that feed each other as business professionals use mobile and other technologies to act on emerging markets and long for new ideas, more exotic fare and more exotic experiences. It is globalization as modernization and vice versa in the hospitality industry. As your business model within your own industry hangs more and more on service and direct interaction with your customers, a global and/or modern element in your business will be key. Decide what combination of these elements makes the most sense for your brand and organizational culture and enjoy the advantage.

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This week, we turn our attention towards the powerful combination of trends that are converging. In this article, we cover how social media, the talent war and global workforce attitudes are converging to affect your talent strategy and how you can create advantage. Even as the internet was developing, talent was becoming harder to find. As we enter the innovation economy the need for a new kind of talent has unleashed the dogs of war across every industry. The evolving innovation economy is not the root of the talent war, but it is the element that would escalate talent shortage towards an all out battle for human capital. Meanwhile, social media emerged as a means to fill a need for the secret sauce of innovation - people. A virtual flood (pun intended) of job candidates but a need to find just the right one has led to the emergence of some unusual recruiting methodologies. Ambush interviews, networks raids, lurking on candidate blogs and more are now common place techniques for pulling in that hard to find innovative talent. At the same time, generations X and Y are becoming your mainstay workforce with the attitude of the disposable worker. Your challenge used to be making sure you did not give your employees a reason to leave...now work every day to give them a reason to stay. Growing disinterest in technical disciplines within the United States and worsening performance against global peers is spurring more organizations to search globally. Social media, the talent war and global attitudes did not beget each other, but have now converged and are both exacerbating and enabling solutions among themselves. Being at the center of these trends can mean a number of things. Decide what it means for your organization. Focus, measure and track your results and you are on your way to coherent and talented teams.

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This month, we continue to turn our attention towards the powerful combination of trends from each category that are converging to bring revolutionary change to the global economic and business environment. In this article, we cover how social media, evolving alliances, and trends in global innovative capacity are converging and how you can use the opportunity to your advantage. The initial capability of social media to connect people has become a capability for those same people to not just find each other but to conduct business, capitalize on innovation, learn from each other and much more. When the emerging global economy was spiked with the potent brew of social media, the evolution accelerated. What is a country in this global business environment but an affiliated company with the people as shareholders (we hope). We invest in countries as much as we invest in companies. Evolving alliances around the world can come in many varieties. As a business you must become politically and economically savvy about who you deal with and how you deal with them. At the same time, global innovative capacity is increasing and certain countries are taking the lead: Singapore, Sweden, The Republic of Korea , and Barbados have all begun a surge forward towards regional and global economic innovative dominance. The convergence of social media, evolving alliances, and trends in global innovation have resulted in a global innovation economy with as many dangers as opportunities. Terrorism and unhealthy alliances are the greatest dangers but the opportunities are boundless...and border-less. To turn this convergence of trends into an advantage, consider the following: You are who you surround yourself with. Do not trade away your innovative capacity for anything in the world. Individual countries offer enormous potential for fruitful partnership. Shop the world for what you and your organization would profit from the most and dive in! Avoid counties likely to succumb to unhealthy alliances and economic warfare. Don’t allow yourself to paint any one region in a negative light based on a few problematic entities. Put these lessons and tactics together and enjoy the accelerating global innovation marketplace. The advantage will be yours, and it will be global.

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Trend Watch List and Trend POV are all about helping businesses create unique advantage from emerging trends. We want to hear from you about what you like, what you don’t like and how we can serve you better. Follow this link to take our 10 min survey and get a free copy of this month's extended article on converging business trends: “Smarter, Faster, More - Converging Trends Driving The New Business Environment”. We value your opinion and look forward to being a part of your strategic point of view.

This month, we turn our attention towards the powerful combination of trends from each category that are converging to bring revolutionary change to your business environment. In this article, we cover how social media, interactive marketing and the innovation economy are converging and how you can use the opportunity to your advantage. The next step in a long line of economic evolution has been innovation...in other words, they who can turn knowledge into ideas are rare and therefore valuable. Enter the innovation economy. Meanwhile, by filling the need for human connection, social media also filled a need for the secret sauce of innovation - people. With the rise of social media and its native multi-media and interactive formats, came the emergence of interactive marketing. In the world of social media that means meeting them online in their networks in an interactive way. No one puts it quite so well as Ralph A. Oliva, Executive Director of the Institute for the Study of Business Markets at Penn State University who had the following advice for our readers: “Recognize that you don't own your brands -- your customers do...you co-create your brand -- and profitable businesses -- together with your customer.” It is an overarching mantra for the modern business and one that is at the heart of these converging trends. The evolution of the innovation economy contributed to rise of social media and both in turn encourage the rise of interactive marketing for business purposes. These developments have brewed a powerful convergence of these three trends wherein each encourages the evolution of the others. Trend soup; swimming in it can feel overwhelming. To create competitive advantage, place your organization at the center of these converging trends. That will mean different things for different organizations. Decide what it means for you. Develop measures for innovative capacity and brand management within your organization that will guide you towards an optimized use of social media and interactive marketing for your focused purpose. Above all, don’t be afraid to dive in.

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Restaurants are inherently direct-to-consumer and heavily service oriented. In an age when every industry is moving increasingly in that direction, we can look to the culinary industry to for a sneak peek at the trends we might all be adopting in the near future. In this article, we detail where the nation’s most successful restauranteurs are spending their working capital, and what we can all learn from their smart moves.

The major trends culinary industry investment have included a push towards highly individualized business concepts, high end at low prices, catering to mobility (pun intended) and loads of new technology adoption.

Highly individualized business concepts in the restaurant industry mean local flare, unique experiences, and overall just something different that speaks of the region or city they call home. We live in a customizable society and enjoy finding the unique and sharing it with everyone we know.

Meanwhile, a clash of economic hardship and consumer craving has produced a new trend in the restaurant industry of high end dishes for low prices. With an increasingly mobile clientele, the restaurant industry has responded with an increasing number of concepts that cater to the mobile customer. Understanding that their customers are business professionals, and always working, Ruth’s Hospitality Group went the route of technology adoption by installing video teleconferencing capabilities at over 100 of their Ruth’s Chris Steak House and Mitchell’s Fish Market locations.

To turn these trends into an advantage, consider the following steps. First, when developing new business concepts, make every effort to ensure they are unique in every aspect. If possible, offer a version of your higher end products and services at lower prices. Find a way to address the mobile nature of your customers. Lastly, technology often works well as a differentiator for your products or services. Don’t be shy to comb other industries and unlikely places to find a technology that will work best to help bridge the gap between you and your customers.

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Economic, and more recently, financial warfare has become increasingly in vogue among nations worldwide. In this article we explore how countries profit through economic aggression, whether it is all just a nation-sized version of hardball business and what it means for business owners and executives in today’s climate. It is time to up your game to prevent your business from becoming collateral damage.

Economic Warfare, including the more specific Financial Warfare may include blockades, preferential purchasing, bank account seizures, trade sanctions, industry-specific laws, media coverage of financial issues, and much more. With economic warfare, one state can actually profit while the other collapses and all the while maintain cordial relations in the court of world opinion.

In the Fall 2007 issue of Orbis, Paul Bracken, Professor of Management and Political Science at Yale University, suggests that, “Financial warfare is likely to be an increasing form of conflict because it lies at the intersection of powerful long-term trends in technology, networks, and finance.”

But just how wide-spread is it today? The Fauklands are accusing Argentina of economic warfare and Argentina openly admits it. At the same time, The People’s Bank of China is calling for a new “super-sovereign” currency to take the place of the dollar in the global financial system. The mere suggestion temporarily dropped the value of the dollar. Was that deliberate? The brilliance of economic warfare is that you will never know. For most actions you would not be able to prove that the offending country was not simply acting in their best interest - because they are.

The reality may be that the US is already under attack. According to Howard C. Whetzel, recent article The War No-One Is Talking About, “...we are paying for our own demise. As China and Russia are some of our biggest debt holders, our own treasury is paying for the purchases and foreign policy funds they are using to reduce the US economy to lower and lower levels.“

If another business puts out a product that is better than yours, specifically to take your market share, you have no legal recourse. You can, however, become better at the game and produce another product or strategy to reverse the trend. Is it warfare? Is it aggression? Or is it just business and they all need to grow up a little and stop whining.

Whether your business is large or small, local or global, business owners and executives must become more globally, politically and economically savvy. Consider whether your overseas and domestic locations and partners alike are in zones of potential economic conflict or ripe for financial attack and who would “win”. Cordial political ties do not imply economic bliss.

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Your competition is tapping your talent pipeline. In previous articles we have detailed where the pipeline is broken, why, how to fix it, the role of attitudes, and much more. We turn our attention now to the one other force responsible for your lack of workforce talent - that of your competition siphoning off the pipeline at every stage possible.

In the K-12 range, a multitude of companies are making efforts to develop their own pipelines. We have highlighted several via the Spotlight Awards but there are hundreds more; 18 from the Aerospace Industry Association alone whose members support an average of 26 educational programs each. The college level of your talent pipeline is perhaps the most common and accepted place to find new talent, and one that your organization likely is tapping already.

Now consider the talent that you already have in-house. This part of the pipeline is perhaps the most vulnerable. Other organizations will tap your current staff in many ways including: social media, ambush interviews, and the newest style of corporate raiding that we will call “network raiding.”

In the social media age, there is no such thing as a secret. This fact has let to two more unusual forms of recruitment. The first emergent form of recruitment is the ambush interview. The ambush interview begins as a legitimate business meeting for a legitimate purpose and devolves by design into a serious discussion of whether or not the talent in question would consider jumping ship. On the other side of the coin, a popular tactic is to lure away one or two and have them lure more in turn, a.k.a. the Network Raid.

For a positive advantage, you have two options: raise the talent yourself, or let your competition raise the talent and siphon off of their pipeline. Organizations that are focused on the short term (perhaps planning a grow-and-sell strategy) will prefer to pick off great talent from other organizations after they have put in the effort to educate and train them. For stable brands in it for the long haul, it is cheaper and more effective to have your own pipeline rather than siphoning off of your competitors.

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The spotlight award is given organizations that demonstrate a keen understanding of emerging trends and act on them to significant advantage. Virgin Group receives this month’s Spotlight Award for their continually fearless biznophrenic innovation and the management style that has led to success. Today, Virgin Group Ltd has spawned over 200 branded companies in 29 countries and enjoys more than $17 Billion USD in yearly revenue. The big deal is that Virgin Group Ltd has on average developed and launched more than 5 companies per year in industries so diverse as to question the meaning of “core business areas.” Management philosophy within the organization is centered, in our interpretation, on several powerful characteristics: openness to people and ideas, focus on perfecting the details, and willingness to take risks and fail. Openness to people and ideas, for Virgin Group Ltd, means working to find the right talent, and letting them have a voice. Focus on details, for Virgin Group Ltd, means seeking high quality in every product but also paying attention to the details of the business. Not every venture succeeds, even for Virgin Group Ltd. The ability to roll on quite happily to the next is the key. We asked Dr. Tony Warren of Penn State University's Smeal School of Business for his insight. He suggests that perhaps quality is not always maintained at the pace of five businesses per year. Dr. Warren also suggests that, “The group uses the start-up mode to emphasize its free-wheeling image, and to encourage innovation and other entrepreneurial traits throughout the organization. They are not afraid to fail which is a necessity if you are going to be innovative in any case.” To turn lessons from Virgin Group Ltd. into an advantage for your organization, consider the following. First, a word of caution. Dr. Warren recommends, “Don’t try to copy unless you have another messiah at the head... let ideas get support and let your employees take a stake in good ideas they come up with; don’t fear failure.” Point well taken. First, make it all about the people. Be open to ideas - from your customers, your employees and your competitors. Don’t be afraid to fail or look foolish. Focus on your creating something unique and special for your customers and don’t ever stop working to improve it. These lessons are not new, but they are seldom implemented in most companies. Take them to heart for your organization and watch the difference.

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This month, we award the last Self Tending Mushroom Award, or STeMie of the year to the Air Transport Association (ATA) and their members in the category of Travel Trends. The ATA is, “the premier trade group of the principal U.S. airlines” whose members account for 90% of all commercial passenger and cargo air transport in the United States. ATA and its members earn the STeMie for an unwillingness to recognize growing consumer animosity over passenger treatment and failing to lead their industry toward a market solution. The issue was sparked ten years ago during the infamous snow storm of 1999 when Northwest Airlines left thousands stranded in aircraft on tarmacs in Detroit. Those same passengers became the force behind passenger rights legislation.

Over the past decade, the Airline Employees Whistleblowers Association, and the Coalition for an Airline Passenger’s Bill of Rights (a.k.a FlyersRights.com) have developed in support of a passenger bill of rights. Recently, the National Business Travel Association (NBTA), the Business Travel Coalition (BTC) and the International Association For Contract & Commercial Management (IACCM) joined the cause. The BTC testified four times in front of congress in opposition to federal passenger rights legislation and in favor of the market forces approach. Now even they have turned.

A major meeting of stakeholders including senators, congressmen, industry representatives, everyday passengers, and more took place on September 22nd in Washington, D.C.. This was an open registration meeting that anyone could attend...anyone at all...but the attendee list did not contain a single current airline executive or ATA representative. They have been hiding under their desks for ten years. No press releases, no statements, no speeches ... and no action to correct the problem that clearly has their customers up in arms. We asked the ATA if they had a position. The ATA representative stated that, “...we continue to believe that a hard-and-fast rule requiring mandatory deplaning of passengers after three hours will have substantial, unintended consequences, leading to even more inconvenience for passengers and ultimately more flight cancellations. “

Passenger rights clauses have now been written into the current FAA reauthorization legislation which means, by New Year’s Day, we could have real laws in place for passenger rights as part of the FAA mandate. Meanwhile, ATA and their member airlines hide in silence telling themselves that it will all be OK in the end.

First, price is important but service is what distinguishes you from your competition. Set your own high standard of service and stick to it. Listen to your customers. Don’t be afraid to hear the bad news along with good ideas. Lastly, when industry leadership fails to lead, don’t be shy to step up and take the role.

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The spotlight award is given to organizations that demonstrate an honest understanding of emerging trends and work to turn them into an advantage. This month, we honor For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) with the Spotlight Award in the category of Education Trends for understanding the need, and for taking innovative, scalable and measurable steps to meet it.

FIRST was founded by inventor Dean Kamen in 1989 to “change the culture” by “inspiring young people’s interest and participation in science and technology.” The non-profit organization provides challenge programs culminating in competitions where teams from grades K-12 put forth their best solutions to real world problems posed by sponsors.

Three factors make FIRST special and of note to organizations everywhere: it reaches all the way down to the early elementary level, it is measurable, and it is massively scalable.

Among FIRST programs, if Junior FIRST LEGO is tee-ball, FIRST LEGO is little league, FIRST Tech Challenge is Junior Varsity and FIRST Robotics Competition is Varsity. Coaches and mentors from companies that sponsor, promote and just get involved provide guidance, real-world application, hands-on learning and critical encouragement to teams of all ages. Today, FIRST has 3000 corporate sponsors and reaches over 196,000 students. Careful tracking has shown that FIRST programs directly increase technical career choice by two to four times. The secret to FIRST scalability is putting the power in the hands of individuals who come together to create their own teams. Coaches and mentors volunteer within these local teams.

We asked FIRST President, Paul Gudonis, how he will know when FIRST has succeeded in changing the culture? He recommended a two-sided measure: qualitative and quantitative. He suggests, “quantitatively, by college entrance and by graduation in STEM fields and qualitatively by who we celebrate as a culture. You get what you celebrate - we celebrate innovation, creativity, and teamwork.”

Companies and organizations worldwide can turn this trend into an advantage in several ways: get involved, create additional challenge programs locally, and incentivize employee participation at the individual level. Time is a precious as money and it does not take a lot of either to start seeing the rewards of a solid technical talent pipeline for your organization.

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Everyone is talking about innovation. The economy itself is evolving to embrace innovation over information as a basis for revenue generation. In this article we explore existing and proposed ways to measure innovative capacity and which may be the most effective for your own organization.

Innovation is the process of creating new solutions, brands, processes, products or concepts in response to opportunities, needs and demands. Several organizations have begun to put forth measures of innovation. One of the most prominent is PRO INNO Europe. The offer two different analyses - the Innobarometer, and the Innovation Index (not to be confused with the Business Week Innovation Index of stocks).

PRO INNO Europe’s Innovation Index, in contrast to the Innobarometer, is more of an actual measure of the innovation performance of individual countries. Their measure is based on seven specific dimensions in three categories: Enablers , Firm Activities, and Outputs.

Another measure of innovative capacity is the Global Innovation Index by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). The scores for the Global Innovation Index are based on a total of twenty four factors in six categories: Fiscal Policy , Other Policies, Innovation Environment, R&D Results, Business Performance, and Public Impact.

Michael Porter of the Harvard Business School’s Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness and Scott Stern of Northwest University and the Brookings Institution have also produced a candidate measure in their paper, “National Innovative Capacity.” Their measure of innovative capacity is based on four sub-factors derived from twenty four measures: proportion of scientists and engineers, innovation policy, cluster innovation environment and linkages.

What is the same about each of these efforts is the focus on not only what goes into creating innovation, but the ability to turn that innovation into growth. What is lacking, is a focus on the individual business firm or organization. To turn this trend into an advantage, take the time to develop the right measure for your organization. Consider the specifics about the people, infrastructure, money, training, time and other factors that affect your organization. For each, devise a measurable factor. Keep your measures relevant and growth-ready. Lastly, weight each factor based on importance. Now you have your own organizational innovation score.

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No matter what you call it, more businesses are opting to be multiple businesses all in one. In this article, we explore the pros and cons of the emerging trend in Corporate Biznophrenia and how a smart business can get the greatest advantage. The internet and e-commerce are certainly a factor. Meanwhile. the disposable worker has yielded the disposable brand. Brand loyalty is harder to come by and your organization cannot count on a single brand carrying them through decades of great sales. What differentiates a biznophrenic organization from a conglomerate or diversified group is the speed and processes by which new business concepts or brands are brought to market. Biznophrenia is about acting at the pace of the social media age.

Small and medium sized organizations are just as capable of producing new business concepts in diverse industries quickly...in fact, in an age when speed is critical, the smaller organization with the right mix of talent and resources is the best positioned to succeed. So, why would a company want to take on multiple brands? The answer is not far from why individuals would create a side business: reduced risk, greater chance of overall success, and to capitalize on opportunity. To turn this trend into an advantage for your organization, prepare to get biznophrenic. The challenge for any biznophrenic company (i.e. diversified organization) will be quality and speed. The key is to determine which are the winners and worth the time, effort and resources of the team. Once you know the business concepts you want to pursue, the key will be to pursue them quickly before their time has past. Lastly, you must know when to retire a brand that has over-stayed its welcome. Now a caution against toxic biznophrenia - the tendency to create multiple brands for the sake of multiple brands. Just because it would be profitable does not mean it should be under your umbrella.

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An awakening, a renaissance of sorts, has come to Utah and there are lessons for all of us in how it came about and where it is going. In this article we detail some of the starts of the Utah culinary and entertainment scenes and how it all came to emerge quite uniquely in Utah.

Let’s start with a small creamery from Ogden Utah that is catching the eye of foodies worldwide: Beehive Cheese Company. Without traditional rules to hold them back, they decided to try an experiment - an espresso and lavender rubbed cheddar. Resulting awards and orders are the result of their customer-centric innovation-based approach.

Amano Chocolate’s 70% Madagascar Premium Dark won the bronze medal from the Academy of Chocolate for overall process “bean to bar”. Digging a bit deeper we discovered that more often than not they produce their product from the beans of a single farm allowing Amano to pick and choose exactly that tastes they want for their products.

The pattern continues on consolidated scale with the culinary master of Culinary Crafts - a catering company that creates innovative combinations using local ingredients. Innovation, inspiration and a splash of adventure are the recipe for great food, and a great business.

The hot topic here worthy of a 5th Monday, is the emergence of Utah as a playground for culinary and artistic innovation. For each of these companies, the reasons for basing out of Utah, staying in Utah, and using the local capabilities were the same: freedom to innovate...no preconceived notions...no limits. Each of these companies had the freedom to try anything, to take a risk, and to innovate along lines that most would not dare.

Businesses and organizations can gain an advantage from Utah’s emerging trend in several ways. No matter what your business is, allowing room for the innovation process, freedom to try and fail, will result in phenomenal products and services. In addition to freedom and an innovative spirit, there is much to learn from Utah businesses that enjoy true work-play balance that keeps employees coming back as often as the customers. Enjoy these amazing Utah talents, and take the lesson for your own organization.

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Link: http://www.books.DrAmyVanderbilt.com

Negative Nine, the innovative early learning math book for 0-7 year olds by Dr. Amy Vanderbilt and Sabrina Vanderbilt, has been awarded the Gold Seal by the Young Voices Foundation for books that educate and inspire. This first book in the Early Math Series plants the seeds of the concept of negative numbers and was followed by the second book in the series, Zero, Zero Everywhere. The boardbook edition of Negative Nine is in limited quantity only and the entire award winning series can be found at http://www.books.dramyvanderbilt.com

Link: http://tinyurl.com/kof7a7

The travel industry is suffering from the economic downturn more than most as families and business alike cut back on what is perceived as the luxury of travel. Overall growth is negative but with some specific areas of surprising growth. In this article we detail the realities of inbound versus outbound travel thus far this year and shed some light on the growth areas where every business can find an advantage.

According to the US Department of Commerce Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, travel inbound to the United States in the first quarter of 2009 from the rest of the world has decreased. Given the current economic crisis, business belt tightening and luxury-driven scrutiny, the industry does not expect to regain this lost ground for at least a year.

The most surprising statistic was that travel out of the United States to the Middle East and Africa has increased more than 33% from last year’s totals. A significant portion of new property development is taking place in the Middle East and Africa. Airlines, at the same time, are increasing service to these regions at attractive prices.

Couple these trends with recently lifted sanctions in the region and you have the makings of a potent emerging business travel market. The hospitality and travel industries are predicting a mini-boom in 2011. If brighter days are expected in coming two years, it can only be due to an expected increase in business travel beginning in early 2010. However, for businesses to increase travel, they will have to stop feeling the economic pinch and return themselves to brighter days of higher revenues.

The advantage for businesses everywhere can be found in tracking the expectations of the travel industry; for they themselves have carefully measured where your business will go, how much success you will encounter, and therefore how much travel you may undertake. So permanently locked together in the dance of success, you can learn a lot by watching the moves they make and where their eyes are looking.

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Link: http://www.TrendPOV.com

The Trend POV show runs live every Friday at 2pm Eastern / 11am Pacific! The one hour live call/skype-in TV show covers topics in the Trend Watch List article of the week for extended and lively discussion LIVE online and by podcast every week. Go to http://www.TrendPOV.com for more details, past episodes and podcast links, follow the show on Twitter at @TrendPOV and connect with us on Skype at TrendPOV to get your video chat on the air live! Get ready by getting extended articles for your organization and be in the know! Sign up at http://www.Group.TrendWatchList.com

Link: http://tinyurl.com/r8bvly

It seems like great talent is getting harder and harder to find. Few industries have felt the pinch more than those who need technical minds to survive. Something has gone wrong. The pipeline that used to turn future talent into today’s talent is broken. In this article, we travel down the pipeline to find the break. There is advantage to be had for organizations that act now. The university end of the pipeline appears to be in tip top shape. However, there are not enough people emerging from technical majors because students do not choose those majors. The pipeline is in tact, but it is empty. High School shows a similar story. Let’s look at middle school. Decisions made by these 11-14 year olds are making the difference between staying in the technical pipeline and leaving it forever...and they are choosing to leave it forever. The full damage to the technical pipeline is not seen until you look all the way back at the shattered remains of what once ran through the pre-school and elementary years. Today, the technical talent pipeline of today does not really begin until the end of Middle School when most future talent has already chosen a different path. The pipeline that used to exist before middle school was destroyed in the early 1970s when we lost our culture of importance. Few in...few out. To turn these trends into an advantage for your organization, I recommend a two-pronged approach. First, It is not too late for the millennials and beyond. Establish your own pipeline that begins in pre-school and continues through college. The reward is a pool of talent that competes to work for YOU instead of the other way around. Sadly, It is too late to increase the amount of technical talent in generation X and generation Y. For those generations, offer education and experiences within your organization to grow the talent you have and those diamonds in the rough that you will discover. This combination of strategies will keep you in sufficient talent to weather the innovation economy and beyond in grand style while your competition takes loss after loss in the great talent war.

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Link: http://tinyurl.com/nrpy89

The Spotlight Award is given to those who demonstrate a keen understanding of emerging trends and turn those trends into a distinct advantage. This month we spotlight the secret jewel of the western hemisphere: Barbados. In this article, we detail how this innovative island nation of less than 300,000 has moved to a place of regional domination in the emerging innovation economy while diversifying to survive and thrive. Perhaps more impressive than their growth in patents filed, is that fact that the average number of patents filed per person in Barbados is three times that of the United States and just barely below that of Japan.

Help is not far away for the innovative Barbadian. According to the 2008 year end report from BIDC, “The Innovation Support Programme continued to assist clients in realizing the commercial viability of their ideas.” While several of Barbados’s regional neighbors have fallen prone to sometimes unhealthy political and economic relationships, Barbados itself has remained strong and has avoided potentially negative alliances such as Petrol Caribe. Barbados also recognized the need to maintain their strengths in banking, manufacturing, and agriculture. Services as an industry is not ignored in Barbados and has produced a more than doubling of foreign investment. The final piece of the puzzle is leadership attitude. Barbados has enjoyed a series of leaders employing a command without control management style that is honest, transparent, and based in strong belief in the power of their people.

Consider the many capabilities of Barbados. Review your options carefully, then dive into those relationships that will benefit your business the most. Most importantly, learn from Barbados’s story. The potent combination of education, agility, modern leadership, and calculated growth are a lesson for every organization large and small. Just because you are smaller than your competitors does not mean you have to settle for a smaller piece of the pie. Organizations of all sizes can dominate their markets, and diversify to fantastic results.

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Link: http://tinyurl.com/lsebob

The Self Tending Mushroom award is given to individuals and organizations who refuse to accept the realities around them. This month, we award the STeMie to IBM Global Services in the category of Business Trends for ignoring the nature of the modern employee-employer relationship.

According to IBM’s own proudly displayed metrics, the number of employees at least minimally satisfied with their jobs has remained in only the mid to upper sixties for more than five years without change. Specifically, it shows no effective effort to increase employee satisfaction.

One current employee, notes in detail what others are saying in droves; that IBM Global Services is a strong brand name that looks very nice on your resume, and it is a great place for training, but that there are major problems with the work environment, specifically with the way employees are treated. Employees (current and past) are posting more frequently and more negatively on sites such as Glassdoor.com, Computerworld’s Sharkbait blog, and others. Among the most common comments are:

“I have been IBM-free since January and I feel like I have been reborn.”
“I still work there, but I would leave if the economy were better.”
“Trending Downward - Avoid”
“Nothing but contracted slaves.”
“If you don't work for IBM, don't come, if you already work here, leave”
“IBM - a stepping stone to a real career”

Ouch. When you treat your employees like a commodity, they will treat your company like a commodity. Back to the golden rule, students: Do unto your employee as you would have your employee do unto your company.

So it is with great hope for change that we award this month’s STeMie to IBM Global Services. May you put that shovel down immediately and start making a difference for your employees. It is too hard to see a legend fall.

There are so many lessons in this story. For IBM Global Services - act now to change this negative trend. Accept the message your employees are sending. For IBM competitors - in the near term, you have a golden opportunity to grab some great talent looking for a new home.

For businesses and organizations everywhere, the time has come for a more modern management style. You are never beyond the human frailty of complacence. Face the realities that your employees are posting. As much as you are preoccupied by economic woes and just staying afloat, don’t forget that it is your team that keeps the boat from going under.

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The Trend POV Show will be launching August 7th at http://www.TrendPOV.com with live and archive syndication to all major online video outlets, and even your iPod! This one-hour live call-in show takes advantage of online formats to provide a highly interactive discussion on Trend Watch List topics to give YOU the trend point of view. For the latest news on the launch of the Trend POV show, follow us on Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/TrendPOV and be the first to know. In the meantime, check out the Trend POV Daily Advantage - one minute clips to give you your daily dose of the Trend POV...by podcast, YouTube, RSS and Widget at http://www.TrendPOV.com

Link: http://tinyurl.com/kqeqpv

The spotlight award is given to those who trends into a personal and professional advantage. This month, we are shining the spotlight on a unique set of boutique hotels and their trend-driven exploration of one of the first truly mobile guest management services. Allow me to introduce you to the Edward Thomas Collection (or ETC Hotel Group) and Hotel Evolution; this month’s Spotlight Award winners in the category of Travel Trends.

We spoke with Gerald Day, General Manager at Shutters on the Beach, one of three ETC properties. When asked about the rise of the boutique hotel, he notes that, “There’s a real change these days in what guests like to have delivered to them when they stay and it’s more than a very good guest room at a very good property...it's a personal touch.”

At the same time, a proliferation of mobile devices is motivating organizations of all kinds to interact with customers on the go via mobile applications. Enter RunTriz.com with the first major breakout mobile application for the travel industry - Hotel Evolution. Hotel Evolution is, “a mobile touch screen platform that allows guests to quickly and easily order food, drinks, guest services, transportation, entertainment and more; anytime, anywhere.”

We spoke with Runtriz Founder and President, Matthew Allard. He recalls, ”When I was traveling, no matter what the hotel was, I found it mind boggling how hard it was to purchase on-site services and items.” So he solved the problem. He notes that, “The key to the system is that it is completely customizable so it actually functions a bit differently at each property.”

ETC hotels snapped up the chance to customize this platform for their properties. When asked if technology replaces the need for service, Day notes that, “We don’t ever want to loose sight of the fact that we are a customer-centric organization... but If this technology speaks to their style, we want to be able to be that for them.”

The lesson: Don’t be shy in trying out new ways of interacting with your customers. To turn this potent combination of trends into an advantage, consider the capabilities in today’s mobile devices. Determine how you can use these capabilities to serve your customers more effectively, more efficiently and to provide that all important presence.

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Link: http://www.Group.TrendWatchList.com

They said it was ludicrous but we are going to do it anyway! Trend Watch List Extended is now available as a group email for companies and organizations at absolutely no cost! Sign up for the Trend Watch List Extended Corporate Program - Your best and brightest receive a new extended article each Monday right to their inbox. Extended articles are 2-3 pages of practical detail on trends affecting your organization and how to turn them into your advantage over the competition. These innovative and well-researched articles keep your organization one step ahead while training every member of your team to have the Trend POV. There are three simple rules: You MUST have CEO (or equivalent) approval, it MUST be delivered to a single email alias at your organization, and you MUST distribute it to EVERYONE in the organization (from the highest level to the lowest - no holding back). Fill out the quick form at: http://www.Group.TrendWatchList.com. You will receive an approval email within 48 hours and your subscription will start immediately!

Why the form? We are a little picky about who will be getting these valuable articles without paying for them and we will not be giving them out to just any and every organization that applies. So don’t waste even one minute. Get your organization in on this program today and start getting the trend point of view company-wide.

Link: http://tinyurl.com/n6k5k4

The Self Tending Mushroom Alert, or STeMie, is bestowed on individuals, organizations and countries who choose to delude themselves rather than face reality. Albeit harsh, the STeMie serves an important role in showing us what not to do. Grab your shovels as we award this month’s STeMie to the American Parent in the category of Education Trends.

Few people have spent more time deluding themselves about their children’s future than the American Parent. For decades, a “they” mentality and a culture of low standards in math and science performance has brought about significant declines in our overall technical capacity as a nation. The attitude of the American Parent (and teachers, and daycare providers alike) is at the center of problem and the solution to the declining technical capability of the United States.

How did it come to this? Somewhere towards the beginning of Generation X, our culture stopped thinking that math and science are important. We allowed ourselves to think that some people are just not good at math or science because it made us feel better about our own failures. In short, it became uncool to be good at math and science. We put ignorant people on a pedestal and listen to every word they say because it makes us feel smarter.

There is not one parent in the country that would believe that their child is “just not good at P.E.”. After all, they have a body now go out there and use it! But the average American Parent allows their child to come home and declare that they are “just not good at math,” relying instead on THEY. Somewhere out there in their generation there are some smart kids and they will study math and science and create wonderful things.

I have good news and bad news and you can decide which is which. Every child has a brain. Now expect them to go out there and use it. There is no THEY. Your child is the brilliant one who is capable of amazing ingenuity. If your children are “just not good” at math and science it is because you ”just don’t put in the effort.” Maybe you didn’t do well in math or science and you are embarrassed about that...Maybe you don’t like math...maybe you just hate science..Maybe you don’t understand the varied methods that your child brings home in their homework. You don’t have to like it. You don’t have to understand it. You don’t have to have done well in the classes. You just have to care that your child does.

The lesson for individuals and organizations across the United States is both simple and critical. The solution to the education crisis in the United States begins with creating a culture of importance in the home. A culture of importance is what you create when you say to your child, “Whether or not I did well in these subjects, it is important to me that you do.” Your opinion matters. Now use it for your own future and that of your children and grandchildren.

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Link: http://tinyurl.com/nbssos

The world is understandably preoccupied. Things tend to happen, however, where and when no one is paying attention. In this article we detail political and economic alliances in the western southern hemisphere and some surprising emerging forces worthy of your best attention.

Central America, South America, and the Caribbean currently house some of the most actively emerging political and economic communities in the world. Countries within this region are reaching out, forming global alliances, regional alliances, emerging service and innovation based economies, and more.

Case in point - global alliances are finalizing between Venezuela, Cuba, China, Russia and Iran. In a 2008 article by Howard C. Whetzel, a former US Army Officer and Intelligence Specialist, he notes that, “Mr. Chavez of Venezuela and the premier of China have different but cooperating agendas ... Mr. Chavez, in order to spread anti-Americanism, under the tutelage of his mentor Fidel Castro, has deftly used oil, and oil revenues to sway elections, buy politicians and gain control over the economic futures of many of the small island nations of the Caribbean.”

At the same time, other countries within the region are forming more local alliances and global capabilities.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM), has 15 member nations and dependencies and 15 community institutions for various purposes. One of these is the Caribbean (CARICOM) Single Market and Economy (CSME) established in 2001. Other regional alliances of interest are many including the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), the Caribbean Tourism Organization, The Latin American Economic System, the controversial Petrol Caribe and many more.

In terms of global capability, Argentina is hosting an emerging services economy that will soon be on par with that of India. The well educated population is finding a niche in outsourced technical services such as market research, statistics, technical support and more.

With a well educated population and previously high unemployment rate, Barbados might have been tempted to enter the technical services market. However, with more than 1400% growth in patents filed over the past decade, Barbados now dominates the region, placing itself in a prime position in the innovation economy.

According to Adrian Sealy, an Invest Barbados representative, “The legislation has been rewritten in the last year to facilitate new business in patents and intellectual property so people are taking advantage of this flexible legislation.” When asked what people should know about Barbados as a player in the innovation economy of the future, he states that, ”We are very transparent and comfortable in our actions.” With a very modern leadership and business perspective, Barbados is one to watch and will be highlighted in detail in next month’s Spotlight Award.

There is no shortage of advantage to be found in these trends. Individual countries offer enormous potential for lower priced outsourcing, lower priced innovation capability, best in class offshore (and clean) banking and more. Toss those countries aside and focus on those with the right attitude, the right capabilities and the right price points to make your agenda their own.

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Link: http://tinyurl.com/mh54s2

The most spectacular crashes happen at the highest speeds. The pace of business today is like a race car at full speed and accelerating every minute. If any part of your organizational vehicle is weak, moving slowly, outdated, or sub-optimal in any way, you will not have time to avoid the oncoming disaster. Tuning up your organization is no longer a luxury. It is a necessity for survival. In this article, we explore why periodic organizational optimization with a human approach is so critical and how to carry it out quickly and effectively.

The end product of a well-conducted organizational checkup should include a concise list of what you need to do to boost your productivity, efficiency, optimize your processes, retain staff, boost growth and sales, and a lot more! If you put into practice the resulting recommendations, your organization will see benefits in the near term, with larger benefits accruing long term. In other words, it should show you what you can do NOW to make a difference NOW and LATER.

Over years of corporate and program rescue, I developed my own streamlined organizational check-up that anyone can carry out in less than a week to keep your organization at peak capacity. I want to share it with you here. The only way to accurately assess an organization is to talk to the people that do the work; from the CEO to the janitor. Address privacy and layoff fears before you begin. Then, start by listing out your core tasks. Ask each person to outline each process. Cross-check between interviews to get an accurate picture of the real processes. Every step of a process matches to a skill that someone has (you hope). Ask each person to rank themselves and each other on how well their current role, skill set, and interests match to each step. A self tending mushroom mentality will not lead to growth so check your rose colored glasses at the door. From all of this, you might recommend role changes, learning opportunities, more efficient or effective processes or any number of innovative solutions. Include enough detail to act on, a measure of impact and a cost to implement.

You can turn this into an advantage by ensuring that your organization has regular check-ups. Be the hero who brings the idea to the table and leads the effort. The result - your organization will accelerate to maximum capacity and stay there as your competition stagnates and declines.

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