More Portal/Consultancy thoughts
Thanks so much for the invitation, Dave.
If I may begin my Sunday morning thoughts with a quote from Almost Famous ... Penny Lane: "We are not groupies. Groupies sleep with rock stars because they want to be near someone famous. WE are band-aides. We're here for the music." Or in this case, a future worth creating.
Funny, when I read the paragraph in PNM where Tom's says, "As I went off to college in 1980, determined to become a Soviet expert and join the struggle of our age, I couldn't help but curse my generational timing. I wanted to be Dean Acheson or Paul Nitze. I wanted to become one of the 'wise men.' I wanted to be present at the creation." ... wow, did that ever strike a chord within me.
Always on my path, I have wanted to be "present at the creation," of "dreaming a different dream" ... my first resume had the quote on it, "Do not go where the path may lead ... go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."
And while I may not be one of the "wise (wo)men," (yet?) I know my role is to help them communicate better with their intended audiences ... I'm like BASF ... I don't make the carpet, I make it better.
Okay ... so that said, I can share some other thoughts of mine.
First, Dave ... I must comment on what an amazing offer you have tenderly put on the table for study. I, like Critt, can see what you have in mind for "what's next" and it does excite me very much.
Already, I have one main question about your proposal ...
The Portal effort, as you say, "would be sponsored, operated by and funded by ManyOne, [et al] ..."
You then discuss the current ManyOne technology platform, which as you suggest, "can be used as the virtual nexus or think tank ... the communication platform to link 'event-driven' F2F contacts between [Tom] and audiences ..."
My question: Must one have downloaded the ManyOne browser in order to view and experience our Portal?
If so, I will have several additional questions/concerns ... if not, I say carry on.
Second, Tom ... just as you have dreamed of a new grand strategy in the PNM, you must dream of a grand strategy and vision for yourself/your family/your path now.
You have said that offers and options are flooding in, and no doubt this can be overwhelming. If you create your own personal grand strategy, this becomes the intention by which all potential routes are evaluated. Dave, I believe you voiced something similar not so long ago based on your experience.
In my memo from a few weeks back, I spoke of a facilitated "visioning process" to assist in the refinement of Tom's vision.
Third, if we as "Future Creators" (and others?) are indeed to serve as some sort of core (pardon the pun) of the new Portal/Consultancy, A Future Worth Creating, I believe we should meet in person (or F2F as you say) and soon.
Tom needs to feel completely comfortable with us (moreso Dave and I since Critt has established credibility already), and know that we understand him and his vision well enough to accurately and appropriately represent him in any matters that arise. For Dave, this means in any business negiotiations ... for me, this means in any potential publicity or organizational connections (apt audiences for speaking engagements, presentations, etc.)
Dave, I may have pre-empted some of your thoughts, given what you say you will share with us sometime Monday and if so, I think it just shows how similarly we are all approaching things.
Please let me know what you all think.
Steff
If I may begin my Sunday morning thoughts with a quote from Almost Famous ... Penny Lane: "We are not groupies. Groupies sleep with rock stars because they want to be near someone famous. WE are band-aides. We're here for the music." Or in this case, a future worth creating.
Funny, when I read the paragraph in PNM where Tom's says, "As I went off to college in 1980, determined to become a Soviet expert and join the struggle of our age, I couldn't help but curse my generational timing. I wanted to be Dean Acheson or Paul Nitze. I wanted to become one of the 'wise men.' I wanted to be present at the creation." ... wow, did that ever strike a chord within me.
Always on my path, I have wanted to be "present at the creation," of "dreaming a different dream" ... my first resume had the quote on it, "Do not go where the path may lead ... go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."
And while I may not be one of the "wise (wo)men," (yet?) I know my role is to help them communicate better with their intended audiences ... I'm like BASF ... I don't make the carpet, I make it better.
Okay ... so that said, I can share some other thoughts of mine.
First, Dave ... I must comment on what an amazing offer you have tenderly put on the table for study. I, like Critt, can see what you have in mind for "what's next" and it does excite me very much.
Already, I have one main question about your proposal ...
The Portal effort, as you say, "would be sponsored, operated by and funded by ManyOne, [et al] ..."
You then discuss the current ManyOne technology platform, which as you suggest, "can be used as the virtual nexus or think tank ... the communication platform to link 'event-driven' F2F contacts between [Tom] and audiences ..."
My question: Must one have downloaded the ManyOne browser in order to view and experience our Portal?
If so, I will have several additional questions/concerns ... if not, I say carry on.
Second, Tom ... just as you have dreamed of a new grand strategy in the PNM, you must dream of a grand strategy and vision for yourself/your family/your path now.
You have said that offers and options are flooding in, and no doubt this can be overwhelming. If you create your own personal grand strategy, this becomes the intention by which all potential routes are evaluated. Dave, I believe you voiced something similar not so long ago based on your experience.
In my memo from a few weeks back, I spoke of a facilitated "visioning process" to assist in the refinement of Tom's vision.
Third, if we as "Future Creators" (and others?) are indeed to serve as some sort of core (pardon the pun) of the new Portal/Consultancy, A Future Worth Creating, I believe we should meet in person (or F2F as you say) and soon.
Tom needs to feel completely comfortable with us (moreso Dave and I since Critt has established credibility already), and know that we understand him and his vision well enough to accurately and appropriately represent him in any matters that arise. For Dave, this means in any business negiotiations ... for me, this means in any potential publicity or organizational connections (apt audiences for speaking engagements, presentations, etc.)
Dave, I may have pre-empted some of your thoughts, given what you say you will share with us sometime Monday and if so, I think it just shows how similarly we are all approaching things.
Please let me know what you all think.
Steff
posted by Steff Hedenkamp at 12:01 PM
2 Comments:
Steff: The intersection of Tom's thought leadership and his current celebrity with the mission of ManyOne and my role as Senior Advisor to the company allow us a moment-in-time opportunity for a quantum leap in preserving and enhancing Tom's head start in positioning himself with an international audience.
The PNM application can be designed to appear as a Tom Barnett Portal - and does not require the adoption on the part of the user of the M1 browser, although the browser can be adapted to carry a uniquely branded version, while leveraging the trusted source GIS content we have been collecting from our Earth Coalition stewards.
I believe the PNM Portal process should be designed as an Enterprise level presentation platform to support my proferred concept of the Barnett Consulting Groupas a natural extension of Tom's book and published articles. This complements the M1 subscriber-based Earth Portal and Universal browser tools, and can be used in conjunction with them or as a standalone.
The technology allows for us to deliver a consultative service application of the portal distinct from, but leveraging on, the Earth coalition content, stewardship coalition and the "good housekeeping seal" of approval it will provide to the information carried on the portal channel.
As you can see in my post above, I am trying to advance this process while recognizing we can't all schedule ourselves to be in the same place in the next few days, but looking forward to getting the F2F process into action incrementally.
Looking forward!!
Dave: Thank you for clarifying the nature of the Portal as you imagine it. I, too, sense this is "a moment-in-time opportunity," and I believe your vision and experience complements Tom's "thought leadership" well.
Looking forward to meeting you F2F when appropriate.
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