fluidminds

The rumor is the plague - not the flue!

Isn't it ironic. A fairly common flue have rapidly grown in importance and is now blamed for everything from falling share prices to a global pandemic. Nowadays, when we live in a completely transparent world even the smallest thing can grow out of proportion. Seven billion pair of eyes constantly looking for a tiny butterfly in China flapping its wings will most certainly see a hurricane coming in every spring breeze. With no “friction” in our global communication tools we will all become terrified safety addicts.

Wonder what kind of “friction” we need and what we can do without?

/kent

The Hub is one answer!

Following up on my previous post on old incumbents and a new world: Where can we find harbingers of what is to come in Corporations 2.0?

The Hub, where fluidminds is taking part might be one answer. It's the first serious attempt to break free from the industrial paradigm we've been living with for the last 300 years. We build multinational companies the same way today as we did when large companies need to stash large amount of capital to invest in large factories and had to employ massive amount of people to operate these large organizations.

This isn't true any more. The biggest part of the balance sheet in almost any company today consists of knowledge capital. This capital mainly resides in the heads of individuals and in cheap portable computers. All this capital is connected through a free global network; the Internet. Supporting systems and functions are developed in an Open Source environment yielding an almost endless flow of cheap or free solutions to support the work of this global network.

Despite this, all multinational companies are build as the old metaphor was still true!

The Hub is all about breaking free from this outdated metaphor. The Hub is about building the first truly multinational company consisting of only individual entrepreneurs. Individuals sharing the same vision and values. Individuals sharing a passion for doing good for the world through their professional deed. This global network can act much like an amoeba; One day it's just 100 000 individual companies doing there own thing. Another day the network acts as one global "company". This global "company" can approach institutions like the United Nation and compete head to head with companies like McKinsey and General Electric for global contracts. Work that will be delivered through thousands of individual entrepreneurs and invoiced to the customer as one company.

A network like the Hub will be hard to defeat. As we are all individual entrepreneurs we care ourselves for our professional development and our high standard of quality when we deliver. No need for large, expensive internal systems to track this. We take our salary in the currency we prefer. For some a monetary compensation is most important. For others currencies such as time to reflect, train new skills or spend time on charity is much more important. We, as individual entrepreneurs decide ourselves. No need huge centralized, bureaucratic systems to manage this. We all rely on open source developed systems for our tools - available to all. We don't need huge, expensive internal development departments developing closed systems for our use only.

/kent

Is this just another ordinary crisis or a major correction of our whole societal system?

Coca Colas previous CEO and chairman Neville Isdell spoke about his view on the current financial crisis in an interview I recently read. He delivered a very harsh message (interpreted by me); “Don't think this is like anything you experienced before. I has much more to do with a major shift in the underpinnings of our whole society”

Come to think of it. We are building companies exactly the same way today as we have been doing since the dawn of the Industrial age. Huge monoliths with vast hordes of employees. Tightly controlled hierarchies that centralizes decision making to a few hands. Large overheads utilizing monstrous administrative systems to stretch the control mechanism all the way down to the very last employee in the organisation.

Perhaps it's time to stop repeating what we've done for centuries? Maybe there is a whole new world is out there that we have to adjust to when building organizations for the future?

More to read: Download Isdell_connected_capitalism_speech

/kent

Good point

Check out Seth's latest post.

//jan

Is Volvo really a green company?

Volvo is currently running a very slick and intensive ad campaign in Sweden. The message is "Volvo in the green!", apparently spinning on companies being in the red or black. Slick indeed. 

Now this is a very personal opinion but I do believe Volvo would do better by coming clean. Admitting to customers and themselves that they blew the eco-trend and are suffering badly from it. And that they now are working like mad to catch up and pass the competitors. Instead we are through the campaign led to believe that something as bland as a new diesel powered V50 is something of a green achievement. And that they are in the green game. Come on. Do they think we customers are daft...? 

A very literal green wash indeed. And nothing that schticks in the new world of work - or business.

//jan

Is sustainable the right goal?

If you have a moment read this and get a interesting perspective on sustainability.

//jan

The Green Thing

From my point of view the new world of work needs to be sustainable. 

It can't just be about fluffy nice visions of how we interact through networks and self-organize. We also need to address the ecological realities of work. And fact is, very very much of the work we do seriously screws up the planet.

Here's the deal. An unsustainable work practice can't be part of the new world of work. 

//jan

Take the risk!

Sasha Dichter gives us this piece of counter-intuitive-yet-to-the-point-advice.

And once you think about things this way you realize that lots of risks should be taken now. 

The logic of our behaviour is interesting. When things are going well we have more to lose - and tend to be more careful. And when things are going a little worse we have less to lose - but still tend to be careful.

So when do we take the risk?

Sasha Dichter is the Director of Business Development at Acumen Fund.

//jan

Monday morning

Even in the new world of work some mornings are slower and gloomier than others. Here in Stockholm winter is starting to ascend on us with less day light and colder temperatures.

I'm in constant wonder over the masses of people that every morning pull off large logistics maneuvers – getting kids to school and day care and hauling one self through rush hour traffic or public transport to that job one has. 

I might be alone thinking that there could be a better way for a week day morning to evolve. But this separation between work, school, play, free time, etc generates a lot of stress for most of us. 

Even if the Tayloristic ideas of the past are loosening their grip on work itself, they seem alive and vital in how we live our lives in general.

Have a great week!

//jan

Hub World in Stockholm

Yesterday and today fluidminds is working with people from Hub World in UK to further shape The Hub Stockholm venture.

We are discussing vision, values, culture, hosting, design, work spaces, meeting spaces, expansion and a lot of other issues. And creating plans for developing our present Stockholm space in accordance with the Hub World concept. 

Maria and Oliver who are visiting us are great people and we are learning a lot. We are so happy that we have found Hub World to join forces with - and bring our Stockholm meeting space into an international context. But also to create a clearer mission - to support the entrepreneurs doing good in (and for) the world.

If you want to learn more about Hub Stockholm click here. If you are looking for a new space to work in make sure you contact us to learn more about our flexible, time-based pricing plan.

//jan