The silence of connecting

For the past week or so I’ve been staying with my Brother while he recovers from back surgery. He happens to live in Burlington (50km west of Toronto), and I happen to work at Yonge and Bloor (heart of Toronto).

Taking the GO Train into work I’ve noticed an interesting shift. Where people before on a train would either keep to themselves (sleeping, reading a book) or engage in conversation in your grouping (seats facing together creating a foursome – yeah, I said it!). Those conversations could be about anything – there was even a daytime soap television show based on that whole idea – Train 48 (which was based on an Australian show Going Home).

How a few years has changed the conversation. There are still those that keep to themselves – Kindles, Books, iPads, RIM Playbook (that guy sits alone), etc. and the sometimes still popular sleeping. But there are others still that are keeping to themselves and deep in conversation – through Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, SMS and a myriad other social media connection tools. As well, even sometimes when engaged in what seems like a passive endeavour like reading a newspaper on an iPad – it still becomes part of a conversation with add-ons – giving anyone the ability to share an experience with like-minded people.

So, it’s as if conversations are not happening – they’re just happening in a different way. Do you find your conversations (both verbal and text) are enhanced or limited by current technology offerings.

90% – this won’t end well

It was just announced that Research in Motion (RIM) is laying off 2000 people. Sounds pretty clinical – sounds way better than firing 2000 fathers and wives, sons and aunts. Same result, they used a better set of marketing terms. Oh, and it should be noted that these people may or may not be going because of their work directly – but are going because business decisions made above them have forced the hand of RIM.

In this case those decisions were made by Jim and Mike (co-chairs of the joint). Some were business decisions – like the playbook, some were not – like walking out of an interview (Mike) or trying to force your way into a club that you’re not welcome to join (Jim and the NHL).

A sports opposite

In times of hardship for a sports organization – Management will see fit to shake things up – what that usually translates into is the coach (or coaches) being let go (father with wife and kids fired). Because ultimately you can’t fire your whole team – well you could – but with contracts and salary caps… you get the picture. But sometimes it really is the coach that needs to be gone, for whatever reason. The team sucks because the’ve been asked to buy into a system that isn’t working or relevant to today, or the players that are on board.

A month ago the management at RIM (the Board and Shareholders) had the opportunity to shake things up. They could have forced a number of options on the Jim and Mike show – they choose none. Instead they’ve kept the coaches. Now, it’s tough when the coaches started the team to get rid of them – but a ton of companies have done so – think Apple! In the long run Apple benefitted massively – Steve Jobs is a much better leader because it the shift at the top.

So – 2000 people are losing their jobs because two guys are distracted from doing what they’re supposed to do. With 90% of their workforce remaining I’m not sure that RIM will be able to recover – ever. In the long run I think that RIM is being hurt because of arrogance – the louder, less-talented sibling of confidence. Why else would a company leader slam the iPad (and Tablet market), then be delayed in releasing their own version (hypocritical) and then have it fall short of the benchmark already established. It’s arrogance, plain and simple. That same sense that Enterprise is a boxed solution – a series of devices and software that is dedicated to helping businesses be in – well, business. As long as RIM believes that it can be the difference-maker for Enterprise it has to re-think something.

Guess what

Enterprise is being in business. And if any device or software helps you to be in business then those artifacts are enterprise. Period. As more and more people move to iOS and Android-based devices – and more and more business is being done on those – by default those are Enterprise tools.

For the sake of the remaining RIM employees – I hope that Jim and Mike pick up an iPhone and Android – and see what’s possible.