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Right, housekeeping out the way, let’s go!

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Welcome to TEN

Firstly, happy new year!

To kick things off, I’m pleased to announce my new Thought Expansion Network (also known as TEN) that I created in response to regular demands for a forum that expands the thinking of proactive business people.

This is a subscription service but currently there is a FREE TRIAL for 3 months available that you can sign up for today at https://jonathanmacdonald.com/ten

The primary themes of TEN are matched directly to the most common requests from the most forward-thinking executives I meet each week:

• dealing with perpetual change
• maximising the opportunities in cutting-edge technology
• developing ethical innovation strategies
• benefitting from social business practice

There are three levels of monthly subscription: Basic (which, as I mentioned, you can try free for 3 months), Standard and Advanced.

With all three levels you can cancel your subscription at any time. Here are the features included across the levels:

Weekly video comment

Each week I publish a video comment that is exclusively for members of TEN. This comment is to provide deeper insight into new developments and stories as they emerge.

Monthly keynote video

At the end of each month I record and distribute an exclusive keynote talk for all members of TEN. These talks are my personal summary of the changes in technology, business and society that are shaping our future. In each keynote talk I will also cover how to maximise the opportunities and gain competitive advantage. This is similar advice to what I provide for the largest organisations in the world where just one talk would typically cost more than the advanced annual membership alone.

Free pass to quarterly online masterclasses (public ticket price £50)

Every standard and advanced membership of TEN comes with a free pass to quarterly masterclasses. Standard and advanced members can vote for masterclass topics. The most popular topics will then be developed into online masterclasses. A limited number of public tickets will also be on sale at £50 each.

Free pass to the annual TEN event (public ticket price £500)

Every year I host an event that has the sole intention of stimulating and inspiring expanded thought. It isn’t like a normal conference, there are no sales pitches and boring powerpoint presentations – only the cutting edge of insight that you simply won’t find anywhere else. There are a limited number of public tickets available for £500, however, every standard and advanced membership of TENcomes with a free pass to this event, provided you’ve been subscribed at that level for 6 months or more.

Real-time contact via private social network

Advanced members are given a pass into a private social network that I host, enabling direct interaction with me at any time for Q&A and idea development. This is a direct connection to my thinking.

Monthly, in-person, private gatherings

Each month I host private gatherings in various cities around the world. These gatherings are for intense discussion and deep thought expansion and are tailored to the availability and proximity of the advanced members. These are not publicised across any channels, the only people to know about the gatherings and what ground-breaking thoughts are discussed, are the advanced members.

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I really hope you find TEN valuable. I’ve spent a great deal of time tailoring this service what appears to be in demand, however I’m sure it will evolve over time as demands change.

If you get a chance, please do sign up for your free trial now, I’d love to help you super-charge this year: https://jonathanmacdonald.com/ten

Last week on TEN I was delighted to welcome new members into the network and set about recording the first video comment.

This comment was on how retailers can be successful in the online space and what the differences are between those that succeed and those that miss the boat.

The feedback to the video comment has been amazing (which was a relief as I’d never done it before!) and I’m now busy preparing the next one for the week ahead at the same time as storing up insights for the monthly keynote that will be published at the end of Jan

As with everything in life, it’s a personal choice as to whether you believe your thinking is as advantaged as it could be. The personality trait of those who have signed up seems initially to be one of ambition and determination. We all know that people who invest into expanding their insight seem to climb higher in the business world, so the members of TEN are likely to appear in the more powerful positions moving forward.

If you feel your career is worth the investment of a 90 day free trial, you can find out more about TEN here: http://jonathanmacdonald.com/ten/

Last week on TEN the first subscribers to the Standard Membership joined. The plan includes free access to quarterly seminars (public ticket price £50) and a free event pass (public ticket price £500). Seminar and event planning will start next month

The second video comment for TEN members was released early in the week with my comments on what was missing at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Vegas and again the feedback has been really positive. I’m going to work on making the comments even more structured, following a pattern similar to:

What story or development has caught my attention in the last few days?

What angle are the reporters or commentators taking?

How are people generally responding?

What is being missed?

What are the winning people or companies doing differently?

What is the main insight that we can all expand our thinking with?

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I hope this structure will increase the thought expansion for all members of TEN. If you are haven’t joined in yet, check out TEN here: http://jonathanmacdonald.com/ten/ – there’s still a free 3 months trial for the basic plan, however you may see additional value in the seminar and events – in which case, look into the Standard Membership

See you next week,

Jonathan

OK, I admit it, this should be called the “Last Few Weeks On TEN’.

Since the 18th Jan there’s been two new video comments from me, one about the impending noise of wearable technology and the other about how headline-grabbing link-bait articles can skew our perception of reality (using the Princeton research about Facebook’s death as an example).

Also, last weekend saw the first keynote being published which was “A Step-by-Step Guide To Thought Expansion”. In my keynote I dive deeper into the methodology of thought expansion that I introduced in the white paper I sent out. I give real world examples of how concepts and context could be stretched for innovative and profitable competitive advantage. The keynote is almost 25 minutes long and is as detailed as the keynotes I deliver professionally to high-paying clients around the world, most recently in Rio. All of this is available to you inside TEN.

Moving forward it is likely the keynote format changes to perhaps include a live audience. I’m toying with the idea of making a number of tickets available on a first-come-first-served basis, then video-ing the keynote to be distributed to all members of TEN. Naturally, the Standard and Advanced members of TEN will get free access to everything anyway. Remember, the benefit of in-person events is that there will be a Q&A/discussion afterwards.

In terms of the seminars and the annual event, these plans are in process and you’ll be the first to know about that….and there are even bigger plans floating around my head but that’s for later in the year

As always, if you are haven’t joined in yet, check out TEN here: http://jonathanmacdonald.com/ten/ - there’s still a free 3 months trial for the basic plan, however you may see additional value in the seminar and free events – in which case, look into the Standard Membership. Without being too ‘sales-y’, I assure you that being inside TEN early will pay dividends in many ways…

All the best,

Jonathan

Weekly video comment

…and an event invitation with VIP after-show

The members of the Thought Expansion Network (TEN) have recently received a video comment from me regarding Satya Nadella’s appointment as CEO of Microsoft.

In the video I discuss the stories that the press have missed and, critically, what his and Microsoft’s success is likely to be based upon. This insight is applicable to every company, despite only using Microsoft as an example.

As I mentioned last week, I’m planning on delivering my next keynote free of charge in front of a live audience. This will be filmed and distributed to members of TEN, however those who are there in person can enjoy the Q&A session immediately afterwards.

I’m releasing 100 free tickets to sense demand. Depending on how many are taken, I’ll book the location accordingly but it will definitely be in Central London this time (apologies to those overseas – I’m working on a plan to take this into your territory also).

The date for the live keynote #1 is Thursday March 6th at 18.30 (GMT). Members of TEN have already been given front row seats and exclusive invitations to a VIP after-show gathering. You can also benefit in this way by signing up for a 90 day free trial of TEN which also provides you weekly video content from me: http://jonathanmacdonald.com/ten

If you want to attend but don’t want front row seats or access to the VIP after-show (fear not, my free beer will go to other ‘worthy’ causes), follow this link to claim your free ticket to the TEN Keynote: http://tenevent.eventbrite.co.uk

See you on the 6th (if you’re a member of TEN, or if you get a ticket in time!)

Jonathan

This update is in two parts:

1. Upgrading the Thought Expansion Network (TEN)

2. Recent updates from TEN

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1. Upgrading the Thought Expansion Network

Regardless of how long we’ve been in business, it is essential for us to revisit our original plans to ensure that what we are offering still stands the best chance of truly adding value.

Applying this to the Thought Expansion Network has resulted in the following upgrades:

Fundamentally, the purpose of TEN (and my purpose in life, as it happens) is to enable people’s thinking to expand, to deal with perpetual change.

For reference, I spoke to several members of TEN and those conversations enabled me to focus even more on the parts that resonate most, and as a result, I have re-configured the way that membership of TEN works in several ways:

• People can now join without inputting payment info. This means that new sign-ups do not get a free sign-up white-paper, but instead, access to regular video comments and advance notice of events where tickets can be purchased. You may notice the switch from “weekly” to “regular” video comments. This is because the breaking stories that grab my attention should dictate the timeframe, rather than the timeframe dictate what stories grab my attention.

• For members who have subscribed, the term “basic” is now replaced with the status of “VIP”, with the benefit of subscribing being to access front-row seats at all events and after-show conversations. Those on a current free trial will remain so, however the free trial option is no longer enabled for new subscribers (as people can join without charge, although not as VIPs).

• The content, seminars and events, are simplified to quarterly in-person events (after the 6th March) where VIP’s will get free passes and anyone else can choose to attend by purchasing a ticket.

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2. Recent updates

The most recent video in the Thought Expansion Network (TEN) was in relation to the background story to the recent Fast Company list of the most innovative companies. In the video I discuss the list, the logic and some hidden stories that most people don’t see.

In relation to the free keynote I’m giving on March 6th in London at 18.30GMT - this will be about how to handle perpetual change that effects all of us, regardless of where we work or where we live. As promised, this will be filmed and distributed to all members of TEN.

The location will be the Impact HUB Westminster: http://westminster.impacthub.net/ and, so far, over half of the 100 free tickets have gone – if you want to come along, now is the time to register here: http://tenevent.eventbrite.co.uk

Join me in welcoming the future of thought expansion.

Jonathan

In the latest video distributed to members of TEN (http://jonathanmacdonald.com/ten/), I’ve been discussing the Facebook purchase of WhatsApp, the commentary by Mike Butcher of TechCrunch on Paxman (BBC), and the disruption to mobile networks. All of which have a deeper side which involves the expansion of thought.

Planning ahead

There are several plans developing in terms of:

1. International events outside of London
2. Ways of capturing and collaborating on expanding ideas
3. Introducing alternative methods of thought expansion

The members of TEN will be informed via email (or video) how these are progressing, but rest assured, this version of TEN is just the beginning

Free Keynote Tickets Selling Out

At the time of writing there are 21 tickets remaining for the free keynote I’m giving in London Thursday March 6th at 18.30GMT. Everything should be finished by 9pm latest, allowing you to enjoy the rest of your evening. The video will be shared exclusively with members of TEN after the event in case you’re unable to come.

The free keynote will be delivered at the Impact Hub, Westminster (1st floor, New Zealand House), 80 Haymarket, SW1Y 4TE and if you’re planning on attending, now is the time to register your tickets (one for you plus each person you’re coming with):

http://tenevent.eventbrite.co.uk/

By attending you will automatically be made a free-of-charge member of TEN and enjoy the free video comments and updates from me.

The existing VIP members of TEN (i.e. on the £5/month subscription) have front-row seats and exclusive access to the after-talk drinks reception. You can become a VIP immediately by clicking on the following link:

https://jonathanmacdonald.com/checkout/?set-cart-qty_185=1

However, if you’d like to join TEN as a free member and not attend the event, you can signup right now, simply by filling in the below details. After you press ‘Join TEN’ you will receive a welcome email with your access code and further info. Do it now, it’s free and I believe you’ll find it of real value:

See you soon on TEN,

Jonathan

Believe it or not, the elementary understanding of the Greek Lyre, one of the first tuned musical instruments, is essential in understanding Greek Philosophy. The basis of many mathematical and scientific findings, thus creating much philosophical discussion, originated from Pythagoras’s experiments with string lengths and bridge positions on the seven- or eight-string Lyre.

Musical notes and their relation to each other are ratios. An octave, generated by doubling a length of a string, is 2:1. Shorten by a third and you get a fifth, expressed as 3:2. The ‘Harmonic Mean’ redefined the general understanding of opposites, to see the benefit in a blend of contradicting elements.

Things started to get (intentionally and experimentally) mixed up. Blended. This discovery of blending, be it high and low notes or wine and water, seemed at the time to be the world’s greatest secret. At this point, Pythagoreans thought the body was strung like an instrument to a certain pitch. Health is to be ‘in tune’ but can be unbalanced if there is too much relaxation or tension of our human string. The ‘tonics’ you buy as remedies from chemists are named from this origin.

Of course, things were not always this complex.

In fact, between the times of Pythagoras and Plato (depending on the material you read), there appeared to be a simple doctrine of a ‘tripartite soul’. Sounds complicated but it really isn’t.

Basically, it was said that people could be of three types:

1. Lovers of gain

2. Lovers of honour

3. Lovers of wisdom

Much categorisation followed this thinking, including the typecasting of guests at the Olympic Games:

1. Those who came to buy and sell (these were seen as the lowest class)

2. Those who came to compete (these were the next above the lowest)

3. Those who came to observe (these were the best class of all)

This simplicity is somewhat appealing but actually, despite the progression of thinking around established subjects, I find that many modern topics follow a similar, basic, compartmentalisation. One modern and lesser-established area that generates typecasts is data mining, social analytics, social media monitoring and/or any other fancy term for what is basically:

A. Taking bucket loads of data and trying to make sense of it Or, if you like:

B. The practice of taking what people post, say, publish or share and displaying it for money

In a similar way to our tripartite soul we have:

1. Those who exploit whatever is possible in terms of data, regardless of consequence

2. Those who bring solutions to market whilst trying to be respectful of the delicacies of using private data

3. Those who wish to watch, listen, learn, and think about the wider meaning of data exploitation

In a commercial world the ability to reside in type 3 is eclipsed by the requirement to pay a rent or mortgage, so realistically we can aspire to be in the 2nd camp, and in this particular piece, I won’t be discussing those of the 1st type.

My point is, without a good measure of the 3rd, we often forego the ability to be respectful of the delicacies when using private data for commercial benefit. In other words, we may try to commercialise in an honourable way, but whilst we do so we are unable to think seriously about the actual meaning of what we do. Due to this, our attempts at being respectful are limited by how busy we are, the CEO’s target, or shareholder expectation.

Often the version of respectfulness leaves a lot to be desired… and even then, quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who guards the guards? Who verifies that our version of being reasonable is reasonable?

I see numerous tweets from funky-named companies in the field of social data but I wonder about the people (consumer, customers, users, the public) whose information is ultimately paying for the free bar at the VIP reception.

I see fabulously constructed websites but I wonder about the link between the volume of data and what the hell it actually means.

I see brilliantly formed visualisations but I find it hard to reconcile these with actual business strategy. I mean real business strategy not “Facebook page strategy” or “mobile strategy”.

There is seldom any link; other than a retrospective justification of required insight in some vain attempt to validate an already named tactic in search of a strategic objective. There is seldom an efficient implementation; instead many companies are expecting some form of miracle result. The thing is – you can find out who is speaking about you. You can find out whether one platform is more used than another. You can even find out who makes others click on something. Add this to the number of followers they have (with some other cool stuff) and it turns out you have some form of new media credibility.

Allegedly.

But without a proper business strategy and an understanding of the psychological ramifications of data exploitation, what you are left with is a bunch of information that may or may not actually mean something. You will be shown things with data that will blow your mind. You will be reading that data is the future… and you will be correct in exploring this path.

But.

I appeal to you to include some type 3. Include more thinking, assign more reflection time, find more reason, and take more learning.

I appeal to you to consider what it really means, over and above what it means to your business.

I appeal to you to determine the non-monetary cost of data to the people who are providing it.

And yes, returning to the analogy, eventually, we may face the music. Just as music extrapolated the simplicity into blends, we may come across deeper meaning in all of this simplistic opportunism. We may look back at the present day and realise we only had a basic understanding of what was really going on.

Perhaps only then will we discover the subtleties and complexities that we currently discuss and exploit without significant due care. Perhaps only then will we start to create things that make a positive difference.

Perhaps only then will we find the true harmony in data.

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Taken from 28 Thoughts – see ‘books‘ on the menu.

I remember one of my first meetings with Jesper Brodin, CEO of IKEA Group. At the time, he was in another role and I was presenting at a workshop about the future of retail and digital technologies. To this day, his recollection is of me being fairly clear in terms of the pace of change and whether his company had enough time to innovate at the pace of change required to survive and thrive. He went on to write his account of that experience in the foreword to my Sunday Times Bestseller, Powered By Change, and I’m honoured that he cites my change strategies as a valuable utility that IKEA continues to use to this day.

The way that IKEA innovates, from a supply-chain perspective to the product range, is an interesting case study that all retailers could benefit from learning from. Just as IKEA realised, all retail organisations now see that traditional structures have been democratised, decentralised and disrupted by the Internet and the entry of new offerings with no preceding ‘right’ to dismantle the marketplace that has been around for several millennia. Years ago, as I started to travel the world and describe the nature of these changes, the same I’ve detailed in Powered By Change, the standard reaction from many retailers was along the lines of “yeah, we’re adopting new technologies, we’re on to it”, but upon closer inspection, their perception of change was misaligned to the actual nature of change itself. The thing that IKEA did differently was to adopt a mindset of curiosity and courage to face the winds of change in a way to continually improve; akin to a windmill that uses the wind to power itself. This is why the frameworks in my book comprise what I call ‘The Windmill Theory’.

The Windmill Theory is more of a practical guide rather than a theoretical structure. It is based on four interdependent ‘blades’ of the metaphorical windmill, that interact together in the modes of Purpose, People, Product and Process. Despite terms such as ‘digital’ or ‘social’ being mentioned at various points, the way of using change as an empowering energy is more to do with why we do what we do and why it matters, who we do it with and how they think, what we offer to the market and how our entire operation runs. This is from a holistic yet exacting perspective and, critically, moves from the one-off change management to the management of perpetual change.

Very often, in life and in business, what we perceive to be the issue is actually the tip of the iceberg. Viewing the digitisation of content and channels as a technological context misses the fundamental realities of market shifts that deconstruct how everything works. For example, in retail, as soon as the general public were able to be retailers (on platforms such as eBay or Etsy), the exclusive capability of companies to control markets was diminished. This is more than a technological paradigm, it’s a liberation of people that cannot be reversed. This impacts every aspect of the retail landscape from consumer behaviour to currency and everything in-between. This means the onus is on retailers to not only understand the deep workings of the new landscape but also accelerate every part of their ways of working, to keep up with the accelerating speed of change.

It’s vital to properly comprehend that today is the slowest pace of change we’ll ever experience. What seems to be ‘fast enough’ today, is not ‘fast enough’ tomorrow. Retailers need to innovate in every area, regardless of whether that is research & development, production & manufacturing, logistics & distribution or sales & marketing. To achieve this, retailers need to persistently engage the curious and courageous mindset I mentioned earlier, so as not to be left behind as the winds of change blow with increasing strength. It will not be the companies with the best technology who win, nor the ones with the most famous brands. It’ll be the ones who are relentless in their pursuit of using change as fuel for business success, rather than feel comfortable that they’re moving fast enough with plenty of time to adapt.

The 3 key takeaways I’d like to leave you with are:

1. Innovation isn’t just a product concept. Value chain innovation is required in a world where the entire value chain has been disrupted.

2. What is often viewed as a technological trend is actually a signpost of something much more fundamental.

3. Our perception of the speed of change needs to be critically analysed so we don’t miss the true personality traits of perpetual change, and what it means.

Walking into the offices at the Ministry Of Sound in London was mind-blowing. The design and layout were super cool and the people wandering around inside were equally cool too. I was there because I’d been invited to come and speak with the founder and Chairman, and I didn’t know quite what to expect. I’d originally met some of the senior executives to discuss whether I could help the digital roadmap of the company, but the conversation escalated quite rapidly and I found myself in the main room, with the main guy, talking about the main thing.

Ministry had been extremely successful over the years. It was probably the largest independent record label when I arrived, and nobody would refute that the dance music scene had been fuelled by Ministry’s artists. Then there was the club (which actually was adjacent to the offices), which was an artefact of legend. There were challenges though and in a nutshell, those challenges were about how the company could keep up with the speed of change.

Several years earlier, I’d been the Chairman of the retail arm of the Music Industries Association, and I’d been fairly vocal about the rate and personality of change that was happening, especially in the music world. I’d been met with huge resistance at that stage, and perhaps ironically, my reason for being called into the top table at Ministry was because they were battling with the exact changes that the Music Industry had rejected as being “irrelevant” a few years earlier.

Ministry was brave though. They realised that digital music was significantly adjusting how people consumed content, they realised that online shopping carts had to be streamlined and that the brand needed to regenerate to be relevant in the modern age. I was really enthused that the willingness to investigate change was in place and that the owner of the company was curious enough to invest in new growth streams.

In my book “Powered By Change” I speak about this type of mindset, especially in the second section of the book with a particular focus on people. I can pretty much sense whether a company will succeed or fail once I’ve met the leader(s) and ascertained whether they have the willingness to test, learn and improve. If they don’t, then there isn’t much that can be done – regardless of how historically successful they have been.

This is something that should be prioritised across all organisations. Whilst many focus on sales figures and profit levels, the real action is happening in the hearts and minds of the people. If the people involved aren’t willing to try and experiment, then the speed of change will overtake them and the organisation will be in all kinds of pain. As Jack Welch (chairman and CEO of General Electric between 1981 and 2001) once said, “If the rate of change on the outside exceeds the rate of change on the inside, the end is near.”

Ministry brought me in to help, support and accelerate their speed and breadth of innovation. I was honoured to be part of what kickstarted the company into a new era, with a franchised operation of clubs around the world (the most exciting being in Singapore), syndicated content (e.g. radio feeds), new physical products (e.g. fitness apparel) and a finely tuned online marketplace. All generated from having the willingness to invest in the future.

The 3 key takeaways I’d like to leave you with are:

1. Willingness is paramount to everything, including any existing core competencies.

2. Bravery is generated from willingness and is required when experimenting in new areas.

3. Remaining in a comfort zone gets increasingly uncomfortable as the speed of change accelerates, so the most comfortable mindset in the long-term is to break out of the comfort zone in the short-term.