Genius+Power+Magic

Default Future

I have been reading the bestseller: The Three Laws of Performance, by Steve Zaffron and Dave Logan.

It is an amazing bestseller about the laws that govern human and organizational behavior.    Notably, a law is distinct from a principle or hypothesis.  The Law of Gravity does not care if you like it or disagree with it, it will still put you on your ass every time.

Zaffron proposes that there are laws that govern human behavior and that understanding these laws allows for remarkable performance.  Understanding the first law begins with discovering that your behavior is shaped primarily by your default future.  This is the future that is privately feared or hoped for, not some fantasy you daydream about, but what seems like the truth about you and your future.  Breakthrough performance begins with being able to see that you have a default future you have been thinking is the truth.

For example, in a down economy, the default future for most of us is ‘spend less, work harder, grab for straws, panic that you’re likely to get laid-off or fired, be paranoid that others question your performance, dread the company won’t tell you how bad things really are - and hope or pretend that none of this is really happening, cross your fingers, pray for a miracle and wait for it to get better.’  Caution begets caution and most will revert to ‘tried and true’ practices that should have died with the industrial revolution.

Look at all the verbs in this default future: work, grab, panic, be paranoid, dread, hope, pretend and pray.  A wonderful existence isn’t it? 

If your default future did come true, then what?  If this did happen, what would you do?  Take a moment and really look.  After the OMG and WTF reactions, after you blamed everyone else and the horrible circumstances, after you shared your saga with anyone who would listen and finally made peace with what happened, what would you do?

You’d pull yourself together and get creative, inventive and bold.  You would explore new territory and discover new pathways.  You would share what you want or need with anyone who would listen and you would likely find yourself with a new opportunity, a new job or career.  You’d eventually tell everyone how this was the best thing that could’ve happened to you and how glad you are that it happened.  You’ll be stronger and will bring new lessons to new opportunities.

Why are you waiting?

Today, I invite you to be creative, inventive and bold.  You’ll either fail or succeed – but you will certainly fail by waiting for your default future to fulfill itself.

Invitation: Chart the 2009 Course of Action

Invitation: Chart the 2009 Course of Action Feb 11th Chicago Convergence Advisory Meeting The next meeting will take place at Microsoft on Wed, Feb 18th, 8:30am-10am. The next Advisory Council meeting will be held at Manifest Digital at 1200 West Lake St (map), Wednesday, Feb 11th from 8:30-10:00am.  It is open to the Convergence Board, Advisors and Management plus those interested in being part of this expanding Leadership Team. We extend an invitation to those with large commercial or human networks and resources; those interested in making real the mission: Pioneering Chicago as the Global Hub of Change and Innovation. Hosted by Board Member Jim Jacoby, of Manifest Digital, the meeting will be led by Founder John Patterson, of Pixel Brothers and Advisor Jim Cohen of Spark.  Mr. Cohen will help organize the Convergence objectives; taking ideation to action and creating a roadmap and key recommendations for directing the Convergence experience, outcomes and business strategies for 2009 and beyond. About Jim Jacoby:  For over 30 years, Jim has helped businesses uncover their authenticity, generate the courage, create bold ideas and sustain the commitment to new, truly differentiating products, experiences and environments. His clients include Starbucks, the Tennis Corporation of America, Sears, Getty, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, AT&T, JDL Development Corporation, the Frank Russell Company, the Buona Companies, Florsheim, Exxon, Kraft, Tishman and Wendy's, among many others. If you can not be present and would like to participate virtually through Webex, please reply to this newsletter to receive a registration invitation (free, limit 25). If you would like to host a Convergence Advisory Council meeting, find out more here.  Next three meetings: Pixel Brothers, Saper Law, Microsoft.  Hosting is an Advisor or Sponsor privilege.

We're gonna need a bigger boat

Wednesday, Feb 4th was the first weekly Advisory Council meeting for the 2009 Chicago Convergence season.

The meeting was attended by 25-30 leaders from a variety of companies and industries.

Included were:  Spark, HBO, crowdSPRING, Saper Law, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthall LLC, Pixel Brothers, Technology Access Television, Canright Communications, Speroweb, Mobile Anthem, Line 9 Films, Bunnygraph Entertainment, Keener Law, Microsoft, Templar Sound, Business Voices, DePaul University and more.

After introductions and expressing passion for our mission: Pioneering Chicago as the global hub of change and innovation, it became clear that we have a unique opportunity in the wake of Obama, in the shadow of the 2016 Olympics and during the current threat of the economy.  We have the opportunity to broadcast to the world the talents, resources and technology of Chicago and rather than grab in desperation for a piece of a shrinking market, we're gonna need a bigger boat (in case the Jaws reference is eluding you, the line "we're gonna need a bigger boat" was muttered seconds after this shot, when the size of the shark was first realized).

How do you build a bigger boat?
Band together, share resources and go after the national and global market. 

This is your Convergence.  Together we can create a media ecosystem that alters history.

In addition to the existing events, resources and social media, we asked advisors "what do you want?". Here is some of what they said:

(a)    develop a process for creating new projects – launch new companies, create the process for growing to the next level.  Connect this process to the resources of the Convergence - a process to take advantage of what is here.

(b)    set 6-10 specifit objectives that fulfill the mission and organize the members around them

(c)    create synergies between the members, create face time amongst members

(d)    get Chicago on other conference and event agendas nationally and internationally

(e)    launch projects in different domains, mobile for example - or journalism

(f)    make the intangible more real – the Convergence has tremendous resources, find ways to adopt ideas then make them real

(g)    there is a tremendous Architecture community that should be included in some way

(h)    showcase what is capable here.  Having multiple engagements, parallel work flows, focus groups

(i)    vocalizing ideas, vote on them – then bring together the collective skills to make those ideas happen

(j)    identify the most pressing needs of the expanded creative community, while seeking to mobilize for more specific or niche' interests

(k)    create a design competition to re-develop the City of Chicago Web site, to make the city more responsive to the needs and concerns of residents

(l)    build a showcase for all the Chicago success stories

(m)   combinations of activities that help the members achieve great things by bringing them together in ways that weren't possible a few years ago

Please take a moment and comment - "What do you really want?"  We'd love to have your feedback.

The next Advisory Council meeting will be held at Manifest Digital at 1200 West Lake St, Wednesday, Feb 11th from 8:30-10:00am.  Please contact newmediasummit@gmail if you are interested in participating.

Image courtesy of Universal Pictures, 1997, Jaws with Roy Scheider