The Opposable Thumbnail: The Art Of Disruption

Disruption is a phenomenal tool. But we have to let it teach us something!

“In the year 2525, If man is still alive, If woman can survive, They may find ... ”

- right through to -

“In the year 9595, I'm kinda wonderin' if Man is gonna be alive. He's taken everything this old Earth can give, and he ain't put back nothing. God is gonna shake his mighty head. He'll either say, "I'm pleased where man has been” or “Tear it down and start again.”

“Now it's been 10,000 years, Man has cried a billion tears, For what, he never knew. Now man's reign is through. But through eternal night, The twinkling of starlight. So very far away, Maybe it's only yesterday.”

Gives a lie to the feeling that there is nothing new, we may not learn fast enough and life will simply start of another cycle. Back in the 60’s the song suggested a world doomed by its passive acquiescence to (and overdependence on) its own overdone technologies. This struck a resonant chord in millions of people around the world. The song describes a nightmarish vision of the future as man's technological inventions gradually dehumanize him.

The song references examples of technologies that were not fully developed but were known to the public, such as robots, future technology that would come into existence long before their prediction in the song, the science of test tube babies and genetic selection by parents of their future children. (Source Wikipedia)

Coming up to half way through 2010 already! See anything familiar here? - things on our client’s minds just now:

We've got to change the way we work if we are to remain sustainable.

We have to stop or alter where we are headed or we are going to have real issues.

We are getting creamed by new faster more competitive business models and technology.

We need to think ahead and change how we do just about everything if we are to win.

We need to innovate our way out of the mess we are in and do things – well - just better.

We are not certain how to make the best decisions on technology strategy - it's all very expensive/fraught with risk. Unknown.

The cost of everything is a massive issue. We have to stop spending on unnecessary infrastructure and stuff that others just do better than us.

Time, resources are being wasted and we get distracted - efficiency and effectiveness suffers as a result.

We know the best way to cut cost is about our people but we don't know how to cut cost and yet keep our best people.

Communication is difficult – more complex - we find it increasingly hard to describe our strategy and vision to the enterprise or our consumers.

Leadership is definitely being redefined. Finding the need to work harder and harder just to stay still/get the kind of recognition that they expect.

Traditional consulting approaches have taken a real bashing.

“So very far away, Maybe it's only yesterday.”