BECAUSE I CAN: State of the GICBC, 2010

“Leadership is based on inspiration, not domination; on cooperation, not intimidation.”

- William Arthur Wood

One of the early traditions we started at our now five-year old publication was that of my annual State of the Industry Address, in which I deliver a U.S. Presidential-inspired address usually in a somewhat parody-like style but with a “real” message. My intention with this article is to do exactly that, with a few major differences. The first is that the original Address was geared to a much smaller audience, the majority of which were situated in the United States; we have grown internationally and, therefore, I wish to address a world audience. Secondly, the original notion of a “networking industry” is somewhat outdated.

This term was originally used to suggest an emerging new industry combining common networking thought espoused by my peers like Dr. Ivan Misner of BNI and myself with new emerging technology. This did, indeed, happen yet these advances were absorbed by more mature industries such as information technology, media and advertising and marketing.

During my time as Executive Director of the Relationship Networking Industry Association (RNIA) we looked at the industry as an “ecosystem” in which people and corporations, through interactions would leverage their Relationship and Intellectual Capital for personal and collective gain, yet again, the term was not quite properly descriptive.

We seemed to get a lot closer to what it really was we were trying to define through my work on the book The Emergence of the Relationship Economy, where we described a new era in which social networking became integrated into our economic system.

It wasn’t, however, until my friend and colleague, Douglas Castle introduced the concept of the Global Interworked Cooperative Business Community (GICBC), that I felt we finally had a “container” for such a socioeconomic system of commerce through the exchange of both Relationship and Intellectual Capital. Therefore, it is with great pleasure that I will be adopting this term in my Addresses moving forward. Why?

Because I Can.

Therefore, once again for the fifth year in a row, cue the fanfare and as always, no need to stand or clap as I “enter the room”…

My fellow networkers of the world, I stand before you today humbled in your presence.

I know that 2009 was not an easy year for most. When I addressed you then, we were already standing in the middle of the worst economy since the 1930’s, and while thanks to preventive measures taken by many members of our global community to bring about recovery, many of us still wonder:

• How long recovery can be sustained?
• At what price have we paid (and will our children pay) for it?
• Why does such a small percentage of our global community continue to benefit at the expense of the majority of our members who have less money for retirement, less money for their children’s educations, lack of proper housing, lack of proper heating and/or cooling, lack of medical coverage and even lack of food?

How long must, we the people, be abused, controlled, lied to and stolen from by those few who hold us captive just to preserve a financial economic system that is broken, all in the name of “healthy competition” or being “too big to fail”?

How long must this ever-shrinking minority continue this ruse while being oblivious to the ever-growing majority of people who grow angrier by the minute and are beginning to sharpen their pitchforks and prepare their torches?

My fellow networkers, how long must we accept this?

Many of us have not, and I am happy to report that through networking we have managed as a global society to raise awareness of the human condition in parts of the world that would otherwise be forgotten, such as this year’s Iranian Election Protests.

I am happy to report that through networking we have raised awareness of the human condition in one of the world’s poorest countries; Haiti after their recent bout of earthquakes. As a result, again, through networking we, as a global community have raised in excess of $305 million dollars as of January 21^st, 2010.

I am happy to report that the growing majority is only beginning to realize its own true power to make real change. We want real transparency now. We want honesty and decency now. We want cooperation, not competition…now. We want equality now. We want sustainability now. We want unity now.

My fellow networkers of the world…do you see that these values are beginning to slowly permeate our subconscious and reveal themselves to the world in small yet powerful ways?

Look at the new website, Blippy, where we can post our credit card purchases to the world.

Look at the recent Oh Yes We Did promotion by food franchise, Domino’s Pizza.

Look at industrial designer and social engineer, Jacques Fresco’s Zeitgeist Movement and Venus Project.

This is just the beginning, my fellow networkers of the world. Change is coming. How fast it comes is up to us.

From the perspective of The National Networker Companies, we are doing our part to accelerate change. We have begun our own GICBC and have asked you to join us.

It’s as simple as clicking here – and many of you have.

It’s as simple as keeping in mind what my friend and colleague, Douglas Castle says, “Ranting has done more to change the world than chanting ever has.”

It’s time, my fellow networkers of the world, to turn our networks into focused cells of cooperative activity. Let us all rant (never mind the political correctness), let us then collectively focus, and then let us truly set out to change the world in which we live.

I know some of you out there might be saying that this is easier said than done…you would be right, but can we afford to do nothing.

Some of you out there might be saying that while anything is possible with money, we don’t have enough to make a difference. I strongly and adamantly disagree. To you, I ask this question, “Would you rather have all the money in the world or all of the influence?”

Many people wrongly make the mistake of confusing the two, but consider this…

Mahatma Gandhi… Martin Luther King, Jr…Mother Theresa…Albert Einstein…financially wealthy? No. Influential? Yes.

These people have each left their legacy upon the world and have proven that influence outweighs conventional Financial Capital. They understood one of the major laws of the universe…Financial Capital can be taken away, but Relationship and Intellectual Capital cannot. They leveraged who they knew and/or what they knew not for their own personal gain, but for that of Humanity.

Isn’t it time we did the same…each and every one of us?

We have networking…we have social media…we have the internet…we have the people we know…we have the things we know…

…we have everything we need right now.

Lee Odden, founder of the Online Media Blog says, “Social Media is less about ROI and more about INFLUENCE.”

I call upon business leaders to stop using the classic model of motivation by ROI at the expense of humanity and begin wielding their influence to improve humanity. Stop finding ways to separate fools from their money and work with them to forward their own agendas. Refrain from working to control your clients, employees and other stakeholders. Work to embrace a cooperative environment that allows for creativity and innovation. Support green movements. Support humanitarian movements. Support social change. Embrace the good, the bad AND the ugly within our organizations. Embrace those things that bring us together rather than divide us.

I call upon individuals to support organizations and causes that understand the value of a GICBC.

I call upon teachers to educate their students through the global humanitarian values of transparency, sustainability, honesty, equality and cooperation.

I call upon policy makers to look at the bigger picture of the constituents you serve and put their needs before yours. Turn away from divisive and stalling tactics that only prolong the status quo…it no longer supports the needs of the many.

It is time…we are at a crossroads in our evolution.

We can make the change toward a more humanitarian society or we can continue to destroy it and the planet we live on.

I choose the former, and I urge you to do the same.

Why?

Because we can.

Good day, good night and G-d bless us all.

Adam J. Kovitz is the Chairman & Founder of The National Networker Group of Companies, which publish The National Networker, provide member services and consulting as well as branding and social media domination.

Hire Adam to speak at your next conference by emailing info@thenationalnetworker.com.

Follow Adam on Twitter!

The Emergence of the Relationship Economy

Relationship Capital is the cornerstone of the Relationship Economy, which RNIA defines as “a measurement assigned to individual and organizational entities based on the relationship interactions between them, and the interactions they have internally.” I am proud to have contributed discussion of the Ten Laws of Relationships Capital to The Emergence of the Relationship Economy, now out as an eBook and in hardcopy. With a forward written by Doc Searls (of Cluetrain Manifesto fame), it is being considered a “must read” for anyone responsible for the strategic direction of their business. If you would like to purchase your own copy of The Emergence of the Relationship Economy, please click here.

Published by THE NATIONAL NETWORKER Newsletter. All rights reserved. Subscribe Free For Your TNNW Newsletter and THE BLUE MONDAY REPORT! - Click HERE.
The National Networker Companies
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BECAUSE I CAN: State of the GICBC, 2010

BECAUSE I CAN: Reality, Fantasy and Sustainability, Part 2

“I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, It's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, And that enables you to laugh at life's realities.”

- Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss) (1904 - 1991)

In Part 1 of Reality, Fantasy and Sustainability, I presented the notion that sustainability relies upon two seemingly paradoxical ideas:

1.) Learning to distinguish between elements of reality and fantasy, and

2.) Blurring the lines between the two.

I focused on the first idea of learning to distinguish between the “worlds” of reality and fantasy and presented the following diagram to illustrate a few points:

The first point is that we as individuals serve as a gateway between these two worlds and our minds are where they meet. Secondly, the world of fantasy is limitless and cannot be changed (or like a planet’s gravity it holds too much relative influence for us to change). Thirdly, our minds act as a filter and allow us to perceive reality while “channeling” fantasy. Fourthly, for us to change our reality (which I argue is desperately in need of changing), we must change our minds. Lastly, mistakenly viewing reality as immutable can lead to higher levels of escapism, introspection, distress, depression, defiance and a host of other “flight or fight responses”.

In Part 2, I would like to concentrate upon the many ways we have found to positively blur the lines between reality and fantasy and make them work for us. Why?

Because I can.

Why “Sustainability”?

I think it’s important to first clarify what I mean by “sustainability”, because I think this word is misunderstood and overused. As of late, the word “sustainability” has come to mean having to do with the environment, especially when it comes to the generation of power and/or pollution. Webster’s defines sustainability as “to keep up or keep going, as an action or process”. I look at sustainability in the context of the furtherance in the evolution of the human race.

Before the human race first appeared on this planet, the various flora and fauna evolved using what Darwin called “survival of the fittest”. Early humans lived by these means as well in a competitive environment where every species had to fight for survival. Over time, however, humans developed the ability of higher-brain functionality, allowing us to tap into realms of fantasy to improve our standing in the food chain. It allowed us to innovate and develop tools, weapons, societies, means of transportation, scientific breakthroughs and the arts. Beyond competition, we found that if we agreed to work together, we could accomplish more cooperatively and earn our places at the top of the food chain.

But with our new understanding and dominance of the planet, we have hit a plateau. We have won the contest through cooperative means yet there are still the old signs of competition everywhere; sometimes friendly, sometimes not. The professional sports industry thrives upon “healthy” competition and what we deem to be rules of “sportsmanship”. Our economy also thrives upon what we like to think is “healthy” competition, but in light of our recent global economic crisis, we have seen signs of humanity turning on itself through greed and abuses of power.

If we begin to step back and look at the “unreality” of the “reality” we have created we might see that if we took the sum of all debt in this world in relation to all the potential earnings of the world, our global economies are in the red without any means of ever paying it back. With this in mind, we should realize that the system we created is not sustainable and will only continue to cause humanity to eat itself alive. We even have historical precedence of such a thing happening: the Rapanui people of Easter Island, the Mayans of Central America, the Anasazi of the American Southwest, the Mali & Songhai of Western Africa.

The “Beauty Part”

While we have historical precedent of humanity wiping itself out, we also have precedent of utilizing elements of fantasy, through innovative means to solve real-world problems. Here are just a few examples:

Strategic & Goal Planning

Any successful organization must have an idea of where it’s going and how it’s going to get there. A strategic plan with subsequent supporting goals provides the roadmap by which the organization gets from Point A to Point B. Most experts will tell you that starting out in such a process requires a certain time set aside for visioning and dreaming (fantasy) outside of the normal flow of day-to-day business. Once we determine the direction, we begin identifying all the obstacles and risks (reality) associated with causing our plans to fail. Knowing the obstacles and risks, we can then derive solutions to overcome them (fantasy) and subsequent goals and action steps (reality).

The Internet

There is no doubt that the Internet is one of humankind’s most significant achievements. What started out as a military project has blossomed into a virtual world (fantasy) unto itself that has allowed us to bridge long distances over short periods of time to reconnect with long-lost friends and colleagues (reality), keep in touch with family overseas (reality), develop commerce (reality), promote ourselves (reality), our products and our services (reality), develop new business models (reality) and collaborate (reality). Unlike the real world of real estate which is experiencing its own challenges at the moment, real estate on the internet is relatively cheap. Anyone can establish their own presence and be who they choose (for better or worse). And while most social media organizations have yet to monetize the operations, social media remains the largest draw to the internet today.

Credit

Sure…credit markets are tight now and they, along with other debt-based financing tools are what got us into our global economic crisis to begin with, but there is something extremely useful to getting what we want now (reality) by utilizing a scheme of imaginary credit (backed by real and sometimes, imaginary money) and a repayment scheme (reality) when we lack the real money we need.

CAD/CAE/CAM

When we want to present a new product idea, we must present a proof-of-concept or prototype. In the old days this was costly as one would have to construct the product first to see if it worked as planned, which took time and considerable expense. In today’s world, we can utilize computer-aided drawing/computer-aided engineering and computer-aided manufacturing to create a virtual drawing board (fantasy) to which we apply the known laws of the physical universe (reality) to test and refine it. Once satisfied with the result, we can bring it forth into reality.

Virtualization

To support a virtual world of collaboration, innovation, commerce, etc., we need to support such an ecosystem with real hardware. Unfortunately, real hardware like servers, routers and switches rely upon an increasing a mount of physical space, controlled environments and power consumption, which is all costly (in real money). Current trends in computing show a movement towards virtualization through such products as VMWare’s VSphere and Microsoft’s Hyper-V which allow for the reduction in the number of servers via software tools. Cisco’s relatively recent release of Data Center products focus on ways of not only creating virtual machines, but also virtual disk space as well as virtual memory when needed.

My Conclusion

I believe that we are now standing at the crossroads of humanity, and have only two options: change or die. As a parent of three children, I choose the former.

To do this, I feel that there are several metrics that have not been established into the mainstream that would allow us to better monitor our progress towards sustainability. The first of which I mentioned in Part 1 of this series: hours spend doing escapist activities. This measures an organization’s (company, government, network) ability to truly get buy-in for their various initiatives. A high figure is an indicator that the current direction does not benefit all constituents, the environment for supporting innovation and creativity is lacking or the rules/policies may be to constrictive and controlling. A low figure indicates that most constituents agree with the direction, innovation and creativity is supported and there is less need for controls as all constituents do not need to be forced into compliance. I do believe that this indicator can be too low and that there is an acceptable operating level that would need to be established under empirical studies.

Another metric that I have mentioned in the past is Relationship Capital which is based upon individual perception of all members of a network (see January, 2009’s Relationship Capital in the Workplace for more on this subject). As the saying goes, “perception is reality” therefore I believe this metric can also be used as an indicator.

There are still another missing piece of the puzzle not answered here, such as knowing when an organization (or an individual) is too lopsided in either reality or fantasy to ensure its own sustainability. I have developed another tool called Wingspan^TM which I plan to introduce in a future article which addresses this.

I believe that with such metrics in place as well as fostering an environment of open-mindedness, where we replace the negative connotations of “idealistic”, “pie-in-the-sky”, “not based in reality” and “airy-fairy” to describe ideas and worse yet, people with “visionary”, “innovative” and “creative”, we can all make a positive move towards sustainability. Why?

Because we can, and more importantly, because we must.

Adam J. Kovitz is the Chairman & Founder of The National Networker Group of Companies, which publish The National Networker, provide member services and consulting as well as branding and social media domination.

Hire Adam to speak at your next conference by emailing info@thenationalnetworker.com.

Follow Adam on Twitter!

The Emergence of the Relationship Economy

Relationship Capital is the cornerstone of the Relationship Economy, which RNIA defines as “a measurement assigned to individual and organizational entities based on the relationship interactions between them, and the interactions they have internally.” I am proud to have contributed discussion of the Ten Laws of Relationships Capital to The Emergence of the Relationship Economy, now out as an eBook and in hardcopy. With a forward written by Doc Searls (of Cluetrain Manifesto fame), it is being considered a “must read” for anyone responsible for the strategic direction of their business. If you would like to purchase your own copy of The Emergence of the Relationship Economy, please click here.

Published by THE NATIONAL NETWORKER Newsletter. All rights reserved. Subscribe Free For Your TNNW Newsletter and THE BLUE MONDAY REPORT! - Click HERE.
The National Networker Companies
Forward/Share This Article With Colleagues And Social Media:

BECAUSE I CAN: Reality, Fantasy and Sustainability, Part 2

BECAUSE I CAN: Reality, Fantasy and Sustainability, Part 1

“All the works of man have their origin in creative fantasy. What right have we then to depreciate imagination.”

- Carl Jung (1875 - 1961)

In December as the weather gets colder (especially for us in the Northern Hemisphere) and the year winds down, there is the tendency to get somewhat introspective. Aside from the regular balancing act of getting into the “Holiday Spirit” whilst managing year-end business activities, this year many of us in the U.S. and abroad are faced with the harsh economic realities of the “noble experiment” of a U.S. democratic/capitalistic society gone out of control.

Despite efforts of the Obama Administration to curtail this crisis, the U.S. faces the highest unemployment rate in 26 years (over ten percent). This, in turn, is feeding into a major housing crisis with millions loosing their homes. Furthermore, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue and are even escalating. Of course we cannot forget the attempts to reform the multi-billion dollar medical industry, of which debate still continues in the Senate. And of course economic crisis isn’t just happening in the U.S., but the rest of the world – just take a look at recent events in Dubai, as well as changing climate conditions.

So who, in the long term, will be paying for all of this? Taxpayers like you and me and our children, their children, their children…that is, provided we have jobs and homes.

With all of this in mind, it’s hard not to turn inward and/or introspective when those around us wish us “HAPPY HOLIDAYS!” or “HAPPY NEW YEAR!” when many of us are just hoping we don’t give our loved ones the gift of debt this year.

I, myself, wonder at what point do we take a serious look at what aspects of our plans for economic recovery are real and which ones are not? I believe, wholeheartedly, that for the sake of posterity, we must have a serious discussion about reality and fantasy and their impact upon global sustainability.

Why?

Because I can…in fact, I will attempt in this article and in my next to prove two seemingly paradoxical ideas that are key to sustainability:

1. Learning to distinguish between elements of reality and fantasy (this month), and
2. Blurring the lines between the two (next month).

The Distasteful Notion of “Fantasy” in an Adult-oriented World

As adults who deal in important things like running businesses, paying bills and taxes, dealing with contracts, understanding international trade, quantifying risk, overcoming objections, finding alternative sources of energy, swaying public opinion, managing projects, curing contagions, driving through traffic, assessing damages, valuating stocks and financing enterprises we don’t have time for such trifling things like fantasy. Fantasy is usually relegated to either children (where it rightfully belongs), the crunchy granola-types who gather in drum circles around a campfire and sing “Kumba-ya”, “geeks” who read comic books, Walter Mitty-esque folks who don’t have a clue, artists or the red light district world of sex, “marital aids”, fetishes, latex, lace and leather. In short, fantasy is looked down upon and has no basis in real world of business.

In fact, in one of my more recent articles: A World Without Money, Part II, I had the audacity to engage you, our reader in a “flight of fantasy” (I thought I had cleverly disguised it as a hypothetical line of reasoning) and would have gotten away with it if not for a comment from Allan Elder, Instructor at University of California, Irvine and Owner, No Limits Leadership, Inc.:

“This idea is so full of impossibilities it's not worth considering even if we can.”

Thank you, Mr. Elder for setting me straight and proving my point as only the Owner of No Limits Leadership, Inc can.

The Importance of Imagination

For kids, on the other hand, it is perfectly legal (and more importantly, accepted) to discuss such issues as which princess is the prettiest, whether Superman or the Hulk would win in a fight, how many pieces of pizza one can consume at a meal, how much of a jerk the Gym teacher is, which Transformer one wants to be when they grow up and what color should one paint the sky today; green or purple? Kids are even encouraged to use their imagination.

So if we really want to prepare our kids for the real world, shouldn’t we be dissuading such abhorrent behavior?

Not according to WholeFamily.com. According to early childhood specialists and child psychologists, children who are encouraged to use their imagination more are:

1. Better at solving problems
2. Better at dealing with difficult feelings
3. Better at handling stress
4. More creative on average, and
5. More intelligent on average.
   

One of the best examples of this are when, in movies, TV shows or books, when the heroes of the story are struggling to come up with a way out of their toughest dilemma ever and the innocent child archetype comes up with a “so-simple-only-a-child-could-think-of-it” solution.

But what if a child talks about real world issues or offers a real world opinion? Do we write it off as simply “cute”? Do we discount it? Do we consider them too young to have any say?

When Does Childhood End?

At what point, however, does a child graduate into being an adult?

According to some traditions, it’s thirteen. By law in the U.S., it’s eighteen, although gambling and consumption of alcoholic beverages isn’t allowed until twenty-one and renting a car at twenty-five.

Never at any point in my life do I remember any graduation ceremony in which I was told that I could now:

• Be seen and heard
• Talk to strangers
• Bite off more than I can chew
• Stop using my imagination and face reality.

According to popular psychological thought, we have three major elements of our personality that are developed at various stages in our journey through life: the child and the parent are two of them, and often times, at war with each other. The free-thinking, fun-loving “child” loves to explore, emote and imagine in true fantastic form whereas the “parent” is into rules, laws and regulation thrives in the seemingly-real world. The third personality is the “adult” which provides the more rational and logical means of settling the disputes between the other two and provides balance and a truer sense of realism than the parent.

The need for the human mind to sustain itself implies the delicate balance between these two “worlds”. What this implies is that since fantasy is infinite, it cannot be changed as it is limitless, but changing reality through the lens of our mind means changing our mind. This also implies that reality is mutable and perhaps not as real as we think.

One other crucial and applicable point: when “reality” is perceived to be constrained and immutable, the mind changes in ways that lead to introspection, depression, defiance, etc. When these conditions become extreme, the fight or flight response is triggered.

The Upside of Troubling Times

Question: What is the one thing you want to do when you are financially-pressured, stressed and/or depressed?

Answer: Escape

If I had one prediction to make for 2010, it’s that more of the world’s citizens will be looking for ways to escape their current situation. Escapism will be on the rise.

Webster’s Dictionary defines escapism as “the avoidance of reality by absorption of the mind in entertainment or in an imaginative situation, activity, etc.”

Great news for industries specializing in inexpensive entertainment – think of the many ways we escape: sleep, reading, music, games, sports, walking, eating, drinking, hobbies, etc.

According to a study by Deloitte on the entertainment industry in 2009, “the last two times the economy experienced a downturn, movie ticket and DVD sales went up. It is likely that people will continue to indulge themselves in the small pleasures of DVD consumption, interactive game-playing, online entertainment, books, social networking and television while eschewing big-ticket items such as cars, refrigerators and computers.”

Furthermore, a quote found by JP Morgan beverage analyst John Faucher in a 2002 report on DUI.com: Alcohol Consumption and Recession stated that “People are drinking more, because people tend to drink more during tough times,”

My Conclusion

If we truly want to change our collective reality of a global economic crisis, we must ultimately be brave enough to change our collective minds. Ideally, a reset button would be wonderful but would be highly disruptive in ways that might be catastrophic. Of course choosing to do nothing would lead to such a conclusion anyway. One thing is for sure, our current solutions of debt-financing are just ways of prolonging the inevitable.

At what point do we recognize the fantastical elements of our grand designs through diminishing returns, continue to defend them and call them “reality”?

My suggestion is to measure the increase in time (not dollars) spent in escapist activities amongst the population. Certainly, there will always be a “healthy” level as young adults and youthful adults live, but to establish a suitable threshold would be crucial. If more people look to escape as a means of dealing with/avoiding “reality”, then why continue to create it?

Collectively, we have the ability to create a healthy, sustainable reality for ourselves and generations to come. We owe it to ourselves.

Because we can, and more importantly, because we must.

Next month, I will be looking at the ways we have found healthy ways to marry reality and fantasy to achieve sustainability. “See” you then.

Adam J. Kovitz is the Chairman & Founder of The National Networker Group of Companies, which publish The National Networker, provide member services and consulting as well as branding and social media domination.

Hire Adam to speak at your next conference by emailing info@thenationalnetworker.com.

Follow Adam on Twitter!

The Emergence of the Relationship Economy

Relationship Capital is the cornerstone of the Relationship Economy, which RNIA defines as “a measurement assigned to individual and organizational entities based on the relationship interactions between them, and the interactions they have internally.” I am proud to have contributed discussion of the Ten Laws of Relationships Capital to The Emergence of the Relationship Economy, now out as an eBook and in hardcopy. With a forward written by Doc Searls (of Cluetrain Manifesto fame), it is being considered a “must read” for anyone responsible for the strategic direction of their business. If you would like to purchase your own copy of The Emergence of the Relationship Economy, please click here.

Published by THE NATIONAL NETWORKER Newsletter. All rights reserved. Subscribe Free For Your TNNW Newsletter and THE BLUE MONDAY REPORT! - Click HERE.
The National Networker Companies

Forward/Share This Article With Colleagues And Social Media:

BECAUSE I CAN: Reality, Fantasy and Sustainability, Part 1

BECAUSE I CAN: The Candy Shop Revisited: A Survivor’s Guide to the Future

“If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is a compromise.”

- Robert Fritz

Jeff Schomay’s recent succinct, yet powerful article: Eliminate Clutter; Increase Response got me thinking about information overload and some comments I’ve made in the past about the old adage of being a “kid in a candy shop”. With that in mind (as well as something to do with preparing my kids for Halloween), I thought I would take a closer look at how we as a society have created the world’s largest candy shop and its implications on us “kids”.

Why?

Because I can.

The Past

The old saying of “being a kid in a candy shop” had certain implications:

1. You had a large variety of candy to choose from
2. You had limited funds, and
3. You had sufficient enough time to make a decision.

Choice here was seen as good, since back in the day we could have a Model T in any color we wanted as long as it was black. As far as funds went, the more limited one’s funds, the less choice of candy you could have; you might have had to settle for the sweet and sour sugar bombs and forego the rich, imported, gourmet chocolate with the unpronounceable name. Lastly, as a kid there always seemed to be more time – often times, too much.

The Present

In today’s day and age of the internet and social media, we have more choice than ever; so much so that our choices have grown exponentially. Therefore, not only has the variety of candy in the shop expanded, but also our choices of candy shops. Additionally, those of us who are daring, intelligent and/or aware enough are realizing more and more that there are an infinite number of choices beyond those that are just presented to us – those we dare to imagine despite others’ cries of “impossibility”.

Sure our current economic situation is not ideal, our funds still limit our choices considerably. Look, however, at how much more is available to us, especially via the internet. There is so much more that we can do for free. Try going to the post office or shipping store and see if they’re giving away free mailboxes – not going to happen. Yet online, you can get your own, if not multiple mailboxes at no cost. You can even store your stuff for free – pictures, data, etc. Your own podcasts? Free. Conference call numbers? Free. Greeting card services? Free. Get the point?

Unfortunately, while our choices increase (or in mathematical terms, approach infinity) and funds become less of an issue, time is still the most precious commodity of all. With the advent of high-speed internet and faster server technologies, sure we can get things done quicker, but it also means there is more pressure for us to do so. No longer can we afford to be holding up the candy shop owner with “ummms” or “ahhhhhs” or we risk losing our place in line or having the “candy Nazi” (for you Seinfeld fans) cut us off for a year. Those in the coaching and training professions call it “analysis paralysis”, and it can cause a lot of damage if we’re not careful.

The Future

So what happens in a world that accelerates at an increasingly-alarming rate towards the future where choice is infinite, whether or not funds exist and time grows shorter? How does one survive?

First and foremost, we must be aware. We must be aware of who we are, what we want out of life, what our mission is, what our goals are and what we will specifically need to accomplish our goals. With this level of awareness we can become decisive in a way that eliminates 99% of the choices, thereby decreasing the time it takes to make a decision.

Secondly, we must be innovative. Innovation is the result of daring to dream beyond what most people feel is possible – to look through the “cracks” of “reality” and challenge the status quo, for if we don’t others will have their way at our expense.

Lastly, we must be willing to help others. We must accept that people aren’t born aware or innovative but must be taught no matter what their age. We must be willing to aid those who struggle to “get the point” through education or through healing. In doing so, we will also educate and heal ourselves, while building powerful and effective relationships.

We must do all of these things to ensure a sustainable future no matter which candy shop we patronize and no matter their inventory.

Why?

Because we can.

Adam J. Kovitz is the Chairman & Founder of The National Networker Group of Companies, which publish The National Networker, provide member services and consulting as well as branding and social media domination.

Hire Adam to speak at your next conference by emailing info@thenationalnetworker.com.

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The Emergence of the Relationship Economy

Relationship Capital is the cornerstone of the Relationship Economy, which RNIA defines as “a measurement assigned to individual and organizational entities based on the relationship interactions between them, and the interactions they have internally.” I am proud to have contributed discussion of the Ten Laws of Relationships Capital to The Emergence of the Relationship Economy, now out as an eBook and in hardcopy. With a forward written by Doc Searls (of Cluetrain Manifesto fame), it is being considered a “must read” for anyone responsible for the strategic direction of their business. If you would like to purchase your own copy of The Emergence of the Relationship Economy, please click here.

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BECAUSE I CAN: The Candy Shop Revisited: A Survivor’s Guide to the Future

BECAUSE I CAN: A World Without Money, Part II

Because I Can with Adam J. Kovitz

“A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don't need it.”

- Bob Hope

Michael Moore, in anticipation of his latest documentary Capitalism: A Love Story, was on Larry King recently and stated that capitalism has failed. This got me thinking back to some of my earlier writing this year, in particular A World Without Money back in March. It was a hypothetical thought experiment, looking at what one might would do if they didn’t have Financial Capital. Bottom line of the article…we would leverage what we know (Intellectual Capital) and who we know (Relationship Capital) to provide for our needs.

So this month I return to asking a similar (yet different) hypothetical question…why?

Because I can…the question: What would the world look like if business enterprises stopped accepting money (or anything else) as payment but gave products and services away for free?

Businesses become Not-for-Profit Suppliers and Distributors

If you currently own your own business, breathe deep and don’t panic…remember…this is a hypothetical situation.

If your business gave away its products and/or services for free, there would be several concerns:

1.) How to structure such a business

2.) How to ensure cost of business is covered

3.) How to provide for product/service demand

4.) How to keep good employees

Under such circumstances, the most logical configuration for such an enterprise would be a not-for-profit entity. In this case, companies would not pay taxes (we’ll talk about government impact later) and would have to make sure that demand for products/services were covered by an appropriate operating budget.

The operating budget would cover things like inventory, communications, office supplies, etc. All of these would be provided free of charge from other not-for-profit suppliers. Inventory and supply levels would have to closely match demand for services. Surplus or shortage in inventory may be moved between businesses of similar nature, perhaps by other business entities.

The most effective way of providing for product/service demand may mean a return to the old Main Street days where there were smaller hardware stores and grocery stores in smaller neighborhoods without the current “big box” providers we see today. This would particularly be the case with businesses catering to basic human needs like food, water, shelter and security whereas other services may be more regionalized.

The interesting thing here is that there won’t be need for competition. People who share the same desire to be in the same enterprise yet would normally open up competing business might join forces and combine their own Intellectual and Relationship Capital to provide to the community. Even if such competition existed, it would not last long as:

1. It would be seen as wasteful
2. Competitors, if egos allowed, would merge, or
3. Competitors with the least market share would lose interest, fold and move on to their next enterprise.

So how does one staff such an organization? What incentive does one offer for a job that pays nothing? The answer, just like any other not-for-profit that needs to attract volunteers: people invest there time in causes they believe in.

The rise of the Volunteer/Investor

Isn’t it neat to hear a famous celebrity who has made it big, do something nice for charity as their way of “giving back to the community”? In such a world as we’re describing, everyone gives back to the community...it’s just a way of life.

Imagine going to a job not because you have to, but volunteering/investing your time in a cause to which you have interest, expertise or simply a desire to learn. What kinds of things would you do? Of course not every job would have openings or need for everyone, and certain jobs might require certain certifications or prior expertise, but it might mean an investment of time in a learning institution or time with another job first.

What about the basic needs/rights like food, clean water, shelter, security, medical needs, waste disposal, energy and education? They would all be provided for at absolutely no cost. In return for such services, volunteer/investors will have to report their time (in hours per week or month) to a central authority. In this way, there will be less temptation to take advantage of getting something for nothing.

The infirmed and the elderly, while not being able to provide the same standard of hours per week will, depending upon their unique situations, have reduced or less hours to provide for their needs. Children, while spending most of their time in school would be able to at certain ages (like 13, let’s say) begin to volunteer/invest hours in other ventures/causes as a means to provide them with practical hands-on community service and education.

Who ensures that volunteers/investors don’t just jump from assignment to assignment without causing ventures/causes from collapsing?

Each assignment would be contracted for a standard period of time for which the volunteer/investor must serve before moving on. This ensures that a particular venture/cause is staffed appropriately. This also means that the head of each venture/cause (and other management) must ensure that projects are staffed and that volunteers/investors have a clear “career path” in case they wish to renew their contract.

There would be true choice as a volunteer/investor. How much time do you choose to devote to each venture/cause? Do you have the vision to start one yourself? Do you go to learn by working for another one? Note here that entrepreneurialism exists as new ventures/causes can be started at any time. Please also note that there is flexibility in working for situations where one could work a “full time” job while also doing one “part time”.

What is the incentive to work more than one job? Plainly and simply…career development or belief in a cause.

One of the dangers of a world without money is the desire for one to acquire as much as they can, whether it be for status or just for that “rainy day”. The amount of stuff someone can have of certain items would almost assuredly need to be regulated, otherwise demand rises, unnecessarily.

But who regulates all of this?

The answer: government.

The role of Government

Now I consider myself neither a “big government” or “little government” kind of person, but in this hypothetical scenario, government will have a role in oversight and regulation on numerous issues affecting local, regional, national and international levels.

Volunteer/investors would apply for certain elected positions, while other governmental positions would be staffed like any other venture/cause.

Some of the issues government will have to contend with in this new world would include, but not be limited to:

1.) Inventory caps on certain items for ventures/causes to prevent inflated demand

2.) Caps on personal inventories for volunteer/investors such as number of cars, televisions, computers, refrigerators, etc.

3.) Developing legal controls for determining breech of contract

4.) Developing audit controls for determining if a venture/cause is a real venture/cause or not

5.) Developing, overseeing and enforcing educational standards

6.) Developing, overseeing and enforcing food & clean water standards

7.) Developing, overseeing and enforcing safe housing standards

8.) Developing, overseeing and enforcing medical standards

9.) Developing, overseeing and enforcing transportation standards

10.) Developing, overseeing and enforcing energy standards.

In short, much of what are governments do, or are supposed to do these days will basically be the same, with the exception (of course) of taxes and money regulation – they wouldn’t exist.

UnReality or Possible Reality?

While the above scenario describes what some might view as a utopian world, it would be foolish to think that it wouldn’t have its problems. A recent article on cnn.com spoke of an international poll revealing that money is the biggest cause of stress around the world. In this hypothetical world, we would not have this kind of stress. We would certainly have other concerns and stresses, but money wouldn’t be one of them.

With money now as a thing of the past, banks, financial services, tax preparation and insurance all go by the wayside…hypothetically, of course.

Crime, especially theft, is dramatically reduced. What is there to steal?

Luxury items would also go away, as well as class and caste systems. Everyone would be equal and would be open to pursuing the same opportunities that everyone else would have. Leverage would no longer be used to hold power over someone else.

Certainly much, much more would change in a world such as this, but is something like this real?

Not at the moment.

Then is it worth talking about?

Yes…in our current world of economic uncertainty as a result of corporate irresponsibility, political corruption and greed, any ideas to reform the system we currently have only benefits fewer and fewer individuals while becoming less and less sustainable by the minute. It’s much like putting a band aid on a gangrenous limb…masking over the root cause of the problem while delaying the inevitable. In the meantime, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands and even millions of people continue to suffer.

So is it an idea worth pursuing?

Yes.

Why?

Because we can.

Adam J. Kovitz is the Chairman & Founder of The National Networker Group of Companies, which publish The National Networker (TNNW), provide member services and consulting as well as branding and social media domination.

For more about Adam J. Kovitz, please click here.

Hire Adam to speak at your next conference or event by emailing info@thenationalnetworker.com.

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The Emergence of the Relationship Economy

Relationship Capital is the cornerstone of the Relationship Economy, which RNIA defines as “a measurement assigned to individual and organizational entities based on the relationship interactions between them, and the interactions they have internally.” I am proud to have contributed discussion of the Ten Laws of Relationships Capital to The Emergence of the Relationship Economy, now out as an eBook and in hardcopy. With a forward written by Doc Searls (of Cluetrain Manifesto fame), it is being considered a “must read” for anyone responsible for the strategic direction of their business. If you would like to purchase your own copy of The Emergence of the Relationship Economy, please click here.

Published by THE NATIONAL NETWORKER Newsletter. All rights reserved. Subscribe Free - Click HERE.
The National Networker Companies
Forward/Share This Article With Colleagues And Social Media:

BECAUSE I CAN: A World Without Money, Part II