The future of retail is here...and it looks like a steal!

Allegedly, in 1992, as he sought re-election, George Bush Sr. was surprised by a scanner in a simulated grocery line at a DC convention of grocers. The mechanics of the bar code reader left him amazed, and shaking his head.

I had a bit of a reprise of that moment today, as I walked away from the UWS apple store with an adaptor for my apple computer, never having stood in line, never having handed over a credit card or cash to any shop assistant. I'd popped the little white box into my purse and walked out. This must be what shop lifting feels like, I thought.

OK, I exaggerate.

Apple's app has freed us to be as introverted as we want to be, enjoying retail therapy without the potential pitfalls of engaging another human! If you have the app running in the background, you're greeted with a welcome message as soon as you walk in the door. It's a non-creepy version of the constant messaging you'd see in a movie version of a Philip K. Dick book like the Minority Report.

There are greeters everywhere, but there is a simplicity to the Apple store that allows you to wander and find. It took me less than a minute to locate the adapter.

I so wanted this to be a magical, futuristic experience.

It was not to be.

I looked skyward. I'm 5 feet 4, so while not a giant, I'd say I'm average height. So looking up at the shiny white box up in the sky, I signed, stood on tiptoes, tried a little jump in my stylish heels. My quest for the non-intermediated experience was shattered. I made eye-contact with the pleasant sales associate and glanced upwards. "I'll bring the ladder", she said...

While I waited for my sales associate to find a ladder, I watched another one lug a bunch of supplies and a ladder along so she could stock them sky-high. Here's a tip, Apple. If your associates need ladders to stock the shelves, then chances are, your customers will not be able to get hold of those products either. Seems intuitive? And that puts a kibosh on them experiencing the self-checkout app, doesn't it?


Despite that little hiccup, I've got to say I rather enjoyed the experience with the app. You click the little shop button at the bottom of the screen, and you get the option to shop with easypay,  Apple's payment system.  It opens up a QR code reader. In my case, it took some time to get it to read, and I landed up having the shopper standing nearby hold the box while I scanned. Up popped my hame and saved credit card number. I was asked to enter the code at the back of my card, and voila, all done!

So...not quite a magical experience yet, but I can see the possibilities.

I know my local CVS launched it's self checkout a while back. But the enormity of the shift we're talking about here is the "trust and verify" element at play in the case of Apple. You're not hunched over a large checkout machine, or stuck in the line waiting to check out. I suspect, if I'd been a 6' 4" giant, I'd have been in and out in five minutes. Being more on the compact side, the whole experience took 5 minutes plus another 5 minutes waiting for the ladder. Not bad, considering....

It's also a case of the company leveraging all it's technology to great effect. Most of us have smartphones, and we're app-addicted. By leveraging their app for education but also for the purchase interface, Apple has given me control over yet another slice of the value chain. I'm loving it.

You're probably out there, buying holiday presents. Take a gander at your nearby Apple Store and give the app a try. It's a breeze.

Is Innovation increasingly becoming state-less?

How virtual collaborations and mobile capital may make innovation hubs a thing of the past

This oped was published in Knowledge@Wharton on 20 November, 2014

On October 29, Johnson & Johnson (J&J), the New Brunswick, N.J.-based pharmaceutical, medical devices and consumer goods giant, announced the launch of its Asia Pacific Innovation Center. Located in Shanghai with satellites in Singapore, Australia and Japan, this unit extends the J&J innovation network beyond its original chain of facilities in London, California and Boston. While laudable, J&J should think more innovatively about how it might source innovation. Some of the more interesting consumer and digital plays continue to come from unexpected places. In today’s age, it is time to start thinking about virtual networks rather than centers that require personnel and capital-intensive investments. Instead of a chain of pearls, a more appropriate metaphor might be a net of diamonds — with links in Africa, Asia and the Nordics, underpinned by a big data center that leverages customer data and the web.

Want to switch jobs? Do these things first

This article was first published in Marketwatch on October 28, 2014
Sital Patel (@Sital) interviewed me on how to start a job search in the current environment, and be innovative about it....

As the job market improves, it’s tempting to jump at the next best offer. But career coaches say don’t jump before considering some important factors.

Stalk trends, and be the panther in your job search!
Illustration: Srushti Hebbar

“We work on a series of assumptions at work and at home,” said the career coach. 

Before making any dramatic changes, focus on what you are doing, what you want to change and what the best way is to change that, said Roopa Unnikrishnan, career consultant with Center10 Consulting.

“Be ready to make the jump by looking at the options out there and the capabilities you have been building over the last few years,” says the career coach. 

Unnikrishnan says there are a few important steps to consider before taking a leap.

Evaluate your situation

Before you do anything, you need to dig deep and understand your situation and why you want to switch jobs, said Unnikrishnan. Ask yourself whether your lack of fulfillment in the situation you are in or the lack of motivation from yourself to make the most of the opportunities presented by the role you’re in, said Unnikrishnan. “Be thoughtful about your current situation.” You don’t want to leave opportunities on the table. In digging deep, if it turns out it’s time for you to leave, you have your motivations and goals clearly thought out for when you speak to a potential employer, she said. It will be a more thoughtful story, where you have learned, delivered, can do more, says the career coach. Figure out what you are passionate about. “When push comes to shove, it helps to be convinced about the product or service you are providing or interested in.”

Assess your capabilities and passion

Next, ask yourself if you have the capabilities and passion to stay and grow in your work at your current job, says Unnikrishnan. Capabilities are divided into emotional and technical. Emotional capabilities are about working with people. Technical skills are about being able to do the core of what you want to do. “It can’t just be about a job on LinkedIn that has your search terms in it,” said Unnikrishnan. “What you want to do is it start from a core of “what am I here to do on this planet.” When looking at a position, think about whether the job could be done better, faster and maybe even cease to exist at some point. “With every move, you are making some bets,” said the career coach. “You are going in wanting to believe it will work out, but put on a skeptical hat” before you take it.

Be like a panther

Third, Unnikrishnan says visualize yourself as a panther. It’s about watching and waiting, she said. Once you have realized what you’re passionate about and what your goals are, stalk the trends and gather information, she says. It’s impossible to know everything out there, but look at trends around you that pertain to your career, she says. Whether you are talking to people, reading the papers, walking down the street, it’s about recognizing trends. For example, if you can’t go to industry conferences, look up the agenda and look at the topics of discussion for trend ideas in your space, says Unnikrishnan. “But don’t expect it to happen in a moment. This is about 25 things happening over time, that will [lead to] your light bulb moment,” said Unnikrishnan. Once you start seeing trends that could affect your career, ask the question: Why is this relevant? Why could this be relevant? Says Unnikrishnan.

Start the job hunt

Once you have done all of this, then you can hunt, said Unnikrishnan. Pretend you have been offered the job and think about what a week in that position would look like, she said. Consider what the routine of your day will look like so when you go into an interview, you can ask the questions that you need to, said Unnikrishnan. Don’t just focus on achieving a bunch of goals, think about how it all will work together. Imagine what your life will be like and if you’ll like it. “If you like to do things fast, maybe a start-up is the right place for you,” she said. 

The last step is to “live it,” says Unnikrishnan. Network, meet up with people in the industry to gather more information, she says. And don’t just ask them to tell you about it, have them walk you through it so you get it, adds the career coach. Start living in the space before you start actually looking for a job in that space, said Unnikrishnan. For example, if you are interested in a chief innovation role, look up the top five chief innovators on LinkedIn and talk to them . You must build a relationship with them before you can ask them to spend the time with you, said Unnikrishnan. “You can really test and be ready in a much more meaningful way for your new role.”

Malcolm Gladwell on the key to success: don't be afraid to look like a fool

Note: This article appeared in Quartz.com on October 23, 2014

I had the chance to sit down with Malcolm Gladwell and a few others just before he went on to speak about David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants during the World Business Forum “Provocateurs” conference. It was easy to slip into a casual, free-wheeling chat, and we touched upon everything from success and socialization to his infamous 10,000-hour rule.

Below is an excerpt of the conversation, edited for clarity:

Q: A lot of your writing talks about how to succeed—in your mind, what is critical for success overall?

MG: Capabilities—if you want to be a basketball player you need to be tall. And of course, desire and passion…(frowns and smiles)… except if you’re a lawyer, where theres probably no overlap between desire and success. (chuckles)

Q: What makes you successful, in your mind?  

MG: Not sure if it makes me stand out. What I try to do—try to be—is unafraid of making a fool of myself. Often I will often say something that later I consider wrong. I don’t mind changing my mind. The older I get, the more I’ve come to understand that the only way of pursuing valuable things and saying valuable things is if you lose your fear of standing corrected. Especially as a writer. I’m not making fiscal policy for the United States where an error is catastrophic. I’m provoking people to think. An appropriate mindset to have if that is your job, is to be unafraid. It’s about trying an argument out in front of intelligent people. There’s a 40% chance I’ll be wrong, but that’s OK. That’s the mindset you need to have.

Q: Let’s talk about fear. What is the most powerful weapon against fear? 

MG: The most powerful weapon against fear is forgiveness. If you are part of a community or a context or a world that is comfortable with the idea that people are sometimes fearful, sometimes make terrible decisions, and sometimes don’t do what they are supposed to do—and you continue to support them—then it becomes a lot easier to overcome fear. The key to overcoming fears is your understanding of what happens after you have done or not done something—and if you know that what happens next is that you will continue to be supported, that makes it easier to do the right thing. I think of things not in terms of the individual but of what surrounds the individual.

Q: In David and Goliath, you explore the idea of the advantage of disadvantage. How can you create strategic disadvantage deliberately?

MG: Part of this is making people comfortable with their imperfections. I am constantly hearing about a person seen inside organizations as being disruptive, but is nonetheless highly valuable to the organization. My sense is, if you are inside the organization and you’re discomforted by this person, get over it. It should be fine. Not every relationship has to be smooth sailing. Part of what makes a lot of people good at what they do are their flaws, their compensations for their flaws. My favorite example was a person I used to work with, a great investigative reporter in the Washington Post—one of the greatest of his generation. He was also exceedingly difficult to work with. They drummed him out, but they didn’t realize that you can’t get this great investigative reporting without the obnoxious personality.

The people around the weirdos have to be patient. It’s all a matter of how that’s framed. To think about my example: had the editor stood up and said, “Look we need him. Come to me if things are really difficult, but he’s not going anywhere.” If that conversation took place, it makes it easier. In David and Goliath, I talk about [Dr. Emil J.] Freireich, this tempestuous, difficult, impossible man. He had a boss at the National Institutes of Health who made it possible for all this great work to be done battling leukemia—he knew his job was to harbor and protect obnoxious and brilliant people. He woke up in the morning knowing it was his job to protect the brilliant people from the people they drive crazy.

Q. And what happens in schools—how does this reflect on what happens there?

MG: When it comes to children, it gets more complicated. You’re trying to socialize them, and educate them. With adults, we’ve kind of given up socialization. I worry sometimes that we have gone too far in the direction of socialization. Skilled teachers and principals try to find the right balance. We promote socialization over independent mindedness. I am the millionth person in my generation to object to the way competition is handled in schools today. It’s a really healthy thing to have winners and losers. You learn more when you deal with the real consequences of a loss than if you pretend there is no loss.

Q: Tell us about the 10,000 hour rule.

MG: People have consistently misinterpreted it. It’s not about sports—it’s about cognitively complex disciplines... and running and basketball are not cognitively complex disciplines. It’s not an either/or situation—10,000 hours cannot substitute for talent. If you are doing something complicated, how much time do you have to spend—the minimum amount of time necessary to express your innate talent? Even the most talented surgeon in the world cannot do amazing brain surgery at 21—what the rule tells us is that it takes a long time. Once you understand how long it is, then you understand the idea of patience in organizations, and the importance of organizational support for talent development. Talent development is a hugely critical element of any successful organization.

The correct response to a world that is growing more complex is to delay specialization, not to advance it. People think, because it takes so long to be good at something and jobs are so complex, I need to specialize earlier. No. Start later. The fact that skill levels in sports is rising means you should start practicing one sport later, not earlier. Because the question of fit is more important than ever. You can’t tell if you’re good at something at five, you can at 12. Play seven different of sports between five and 12. Same is true of education and careers. Slow down a little—learn your larger set of skills and then you can hone in and specialize once you have that broad set of capabilities and know where your fit and passion lie.

When customization leaves the customer out of the frame

A version of this post was published in Quartz Magazine on September 25th, 2014. Click here for the article.

This year, as our 11-year old twins prepared to go back to school, they convinced my husband and I that they deserved something special for their 5th grade and middle-school entrance test results. Each had set their heart on customized shoes. I had been curious about how these services had evolved in recent years, so I decided to set up an experiment of sorts.

The criteria we established were simple: speed, concept delivery, no spam. The unsaid factor, of course, was customer satisfaction.

We started with a general search for customized soccer cleats for my son and sneakers for my daughter. After some price and value research, we decided to go with Vans for the sneakers and Adidas for the soccer cleats. Among the soccer shoe providers, Nike and Adidas have done the most to offer the greatest level of customization. Vans stood out as the only one, apart from Nike, that seems to provide customized casual keds. Toms, a leading contender provides artist-designed shoes and monogrammed pairs, but don’t get to the level of customization we were looking for. Of course, there’s a lot of speculation around 3-D printable shoes—I looked at a couple of options like the MiMiniFactory and Dezeen shoes, but it wasn’t easy to find anything practical and that didn’t require a lot of work to get set up, printed and tested. But I suspect my next shoe will come hot off a press somewhere near me.

After we selected Vans and Adidas, came the family mix-and-match fun, after which we had a couple of impressive looking shoes designed. Both websites (vans.com and adidas.com) did well as far ease of use goes. However, Adidas won when it came to the types of customization you can incorporate (the player’s name, a country flag, etc.) As we hit the order button, we were surprised at the expected time to delivery – 4 weeks for the MiAdidas, and 7 weeks for the Customized Vans. Not to put too fine a point on it, but given the difference in the types of shoes we’re talking about here – cleats seem to be a slightly more complex product than Vans keds – this seemed a bit off. I get a sense that there’s a huge opportunity to simplify and speed up the process at Vans!

The criteria we established for the experiment were simple: speed, concept delivery, no spam. The unsaid factor, of course, was customer delight and surprise.

How to save your Preemie: Wrap her in a Robot

A version of this post was published in Quartz Magazine on September 25th, 2014. Click here to see the article.

To listen to Hollywood's Sci-Fi machine, AI (artificial intelligence) is going to change the world. Unfortunately, it's a bleak tale - the earth is either an all-out dystopia or a fragile fantasy of happiness that is shattered when the heroic protagonist realizes that after all, it's rotten to the core. Whether you're a battery suspended in gel to feed the machines in the Matrix, or a rebel fighting a last ditch battle against the T800 Terminators, it's not looking very good for you, feeble human!!

This week's NYT has an article by Jayson Greene reviewing just this generally dismal vision. He references Arthur C. Clark's essay, "The Hazards of Prophecy" where he posits that it's the failure of imagination and the failure of nerve that results in such fatalistic views. We fail to envision a hopeful future, because we imagine the worst. Beware the Terminator, Hal, NS-54s and Preston.... Of course, they're all about power and control. The assumption seems to be that AI will drive to our baser instincts. 

Star Wars had a different take, though. Apart from C3PO and R2D2, there's Chroon-Tan B.

In 2005, Chroon-Tan B made an appearance in the public consciousness as the midwife robot in Star Wars III; Revenge of the Sith. She, because she definitely sounded like a she, crooned softly as she gently cradled the newborn twins Leia and Luke, as their mother was unceremoniously and traumatically despatched to film heaven. An odd little gentle interlude before the gory scenes that followed as dad Anakin was despatched limb by limb to his Darth future....

Imagine my surprise earlier this week when I found BabyBe on AngelList. Chroon-Tan was here, and maybe was better for not having taken the momma out of the picture. Instead, it was clearly a device created by engineers who understood the role of mothers in the lives of preemie children.

Take a look here for what BabyBe does - their tag line is Soft Robotics for neonatal healthcare.

The 3 most important drivers of innovation…. location, location, location?

There are reflections from my reading of Indian PM Modi's Independence Day Speech delivered August 15, 2014.
See the original article printed in the Atlantic Weekly's online publication, Quartz.

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s independence day speech from the Red For set a distinctly modern tone. This was a speech focused on the realities of India, and its modern aspiration: Women’s rights and safety, manufacturing and banking for the poor, ubiquitous broadband and access. He underscored reforms such as the disbanding of the Planning Commission, and its replacement with the National Development Reforms Commission.

Resiliency - Reflections During The Commonwealth Games

I was asked a series of questions by the Times Of India about my sporting days when the current Commonwealth Games swung around (I was a gold medalist and record holder in rifle shooting for India), including the inevitable "why did you leave?" question. Here is my original response the the questions:

“Don’t dwell on the past, or worry about the future - just take the shot at hand.”

“Maintain your equanimity - no need to celebrate the great shot, or fret about the bad one. Just learn from the last shot and keep going.”

The Art And Science Of Placing Little Bets: A Conversation With Peter Sims

Note: This article was published in The Economic Times on June 14, 2014

Image from PeterSims.com

This week, I spent some time shooting the breeze with PeterSims, Venture Capitalist and serious believer in “Little Bets”. In his recently published book “Little Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge from Small Discoveries”, Peter examined what Apple CEO Steve Jobs, comedian Chris Rock, and other greats have in common. In essence, he posits that all of them have achieved remarkable results using a surprisingly similar approach: methodically taking small, experimental steps. Rather than believing they have to start with a big idea or plan a whole project out in advance, trying to foresee the final outcome, they make a methodical series of little bets about what might be a good direction, learning critical information from lots of little failures and from small but significant wins that allow them to find unexpected avenues and arrive at extraordinary outcomes.

Retail As Storytelling

Note: This ran in edited form in Quartz Magazine

When Fantasy Meets Retail Showrooms, Do Your Online Platforms Follow Suite?

The best retail firms have always been great at storytelling. I remember my first weekend in NYC, fifteen years ago, when I stopped dead in front of a Saks 5^th Avenue display window and was enveloped by a fantasy woodland tale. Yes, they were selling the evening gown, shoes and clutch, but they were accessories to the story of luxury, confidence and power.

These days, that kind of retail story bleeds into more than a display window.

While less than 10% of US retail purchases are made online, given how many online shoppers use these sites for research and exploration, you can see why creating a compelling and cohesive experience can make financial sense.

There’s also a more porous customer experience emerging. In the increasingly ADHD world, the retail experience means being inspired around the dinner table, a quick inspired search on a mobile phone, deeper research late that evening on the website, and then possibly a visit to the store over the weekend to test it out…oh, and that may not be the end of the line. Sometimes, there’s the urge to research further and do some price comparisons, which takes the customer back online….it’s a dizzying world out there. How’s a retailer supposed to keep up?

How To Build A High Octane Network

Note: This article was also carried on Rediff.com on June 5th as 5 Rules To Building A Strong Network

Solopreneur. An inelegant word, addressing an elegant and increasingly pertinent value-creating part of our economy. The dictionaries definition is "an entrepreneur who works alone, with contractors, yet is fully responsible for running the business." That rang true to my almost two years running Center10. Globally, a growing number of professionals have taken the path of establishing their own enterprises, often small enterprises that tap into powerful networks and deliver specialized services to those who need that support.

The richest element of my entrepreneurial experience has been the vibrant network of partners who have been part of my journey. They have been my cheering squad, advisors, quasi-employees, and above all, my always dependable partners.

Networks Rule: My Linkedin Contacts Map

Of course, there have been partnership hiccups along the way, but those have been few and far between. I realized, as I reflected, that the network that has swung into effect have been decades in the making. Over 15 years, they have advised me when I was moving into a leadership role with a global team, when I was making the decision to move organizations, and of course, when I was setting up my new firm, and making decisions around structure, logo, firm name, client strategy, offering...everything.

All this to say, whether you are contemplating setting off on your own, or growing within a large organization, invest in building a vibrant network. It will stand you in good stead.

Some rules for building a strong network:

Five Global Trends The Young Entrepreneur Should Harness

I was invited to write an opinion piece by The Economic Times, the largest financial daily in Asia. Here is the the article as it ran on March 12, 2014, Below is the unedited version

Reflecting on global trends that could continue the already impressive transformation of India’s culture and business, I had to start by acknowledging all that has already shifted in the country. For example, go onto freelancer sourcing sites Freelancer.com, PeoplePerHour or elance.com and you’ll be inundated by qualified, competitively-priced Indian bids for anything from web and logo development to analytics. These globally aware young Indians will continue to shift India’s future prospects. They should consider the following global trends – all providing opportunities for entrepreneurial ventures and change in India as well.

Image courtesy of Smarnad/FreeDigitalPhotos.net                                            

1.

The Impact Of Coaching

In a conversation with a prospective coachee, I landed up looking for a short article I'd written a couple of years ago in trying to introduce executive coaching into a company I had a senior talent role in. Thought I'd share.
In my decades of experience in corporate settings globally, I have found that executives appreciate and buy strategic and functional advice, but often are in deep need of interpersonal, behavioral and executive coaching. I have provided executive and career coaching in formal and informal relationships with my clients, and believe my strong ability to help clients in their planning and goal-setting, raising their awareness through powerful and skillful questioning and building trust by engaging with integrity and candor have helped my clients get to their goals.

Some data points on the Impact of Coaching

The multiplicity of goals that coaching aims to deliver on, in its broadest sense, makes a simple statement of impact difficult to capture. As Alan Levenson of The Center for Organizational Effectiveness pinpoints, statistically valid impact data is complicated. For example, Smither, London, Flautt, Vargas and Kucine (2003) examined the impact of coaching on multi-source feedback ratings (direct reports and supervisors) for 404 senior managers, compared to 957 senior managers who received the same multi-source feedback but no executive coaching. They found that working with an executive coach improved direct report and supervisor ratings, but that the measured change in ratings was small.

If I were Chris Christie's Executive Coach...OR Being The Best Self One Can Be

On the walk back home from the kids' drop-off, I landed up chatting with an old friend who happens be transitioning to a big new job. He's looking to take over the role vacated by a well-loved leader...who also leaves a slightly less than well-performing team. Our conversation naturally turned to all things leaderly.

As good New Yorkers, our minds veered immediately to the Christie Traffic Incident. You couldn't switch on or pick up any news source last week without an onslaught of New Jersey governor, Chris Christie's team and their seeming interference with the traffic from Fort Lee - apparently as retribution for the Ft.Lee mayor's lack of support of the their boss. The Governor of New Jersey sought to distance himself from the petty, corrupt maneuverings of his underlings, only to come off as unapologetic and unempathetic. Christie prides himself on who he is, and often talks about how what he is, is what you'll get.

On a parallel course, I ran into article as I was clicking through on a yoga website, and saw a quote about a woman who prided herself on reducing her weight by 40 pounds - "I wanted to be the best self I could possibly be."

What is it about the times we live in, that efforts to change how we look are lauded, but efforts to change the one thinks or acts is considered flip-flopping?

We have painted ourselves into a strange little corner, where evolution is a concept that can polarize. But the core of the human condition is the constant learning and growing that's possible, if we are open to it.

My experience working with leaders for the past decade and a half suggests that the best leaders:

• Recognize that the skills, mindset and capabilities that brought them success and recognition yesterday, won't fully propel them forward tomorrow
• They are brave enough to listen to insights from colleagues and direct reports without dismissing them, but trying to get to the kernel of truth hidden in those insights
• They recognize the impact they have on their people and their organizations - their attitudes and foibles provide excuses and encouragement to those around them to behave in ways that can sometimes be appalling (see an analysis of Christie's case here)
• They respect the friends, partners and collaborators who got them to success, but understand they will need to get to a higher level of capability - new teams, better talent that gets embedded in the existing networks, etc.
• They work on their own evolution, often with a strong mentor, a sponsor, an executive coach or a trained facilitator (and, not infrequently, all of them!)
• A mentor...based on Mentor, the character from Greek mythology, who advised and goaded Odysseus and his son to action, a mentor is someone who imparts wisdom and shares knowledge with a less experienced colleague
• A sponsor, on the other hand, is much more active - they are "dream-enablers" says Sylvia Ann Hewlett, who connect you to people in and beyond your company
• An executive coach, can perform many services in partnership with an executive. It is often a truly strategic partnership in which a coach empowers the client to clarify goals, develop action plans, get to real self-awareness, move past obstacles and build on strengths. See more here.
• A facilitator who can help with team issues, including team chartering, strategy and vision-setting.

I'm going to assume Christie has some form of coach - I'd urge that person to help Christie to flex and test new leadership behaviors, and general capabilities that include being respectful of "the other." Time to upgrade, and to bring in folks who will hold the mirror up to him - often.