CIL2012: Keynote from Michael Edson, Smithsonian Institution

Presentation entitled: "Come let us go boldly into the present my brothers & sisters"



This was excellent!  Worth watching the video, once it is available likely on the LibConf.com web site.

Need to think about where "here" is.

In the era of cave paintings, the culture was the same for 25,000 years.  Now we don't know what things will be like in 3 years.

He had thought that the job of a strategist was to be a visionary.  Strategy is language that does work.  It is a shared story

that we tell each other of what it will feel like moving into the future.

We are going to need a deep and rich set of tools to think about the future.

1997 - US Robotics dial-up modems.

• {date} {tech fetish object}
• Digital cameras with no zoom and limited storage.
• GeoCities
• windows 97
• Blue screen of death

He goes to a lot of strategy workshops
All the same...we've got to do more [...]!
Middle managers...need to get stuff done.  Create a committee, etc. Then relate it to things we've done before.  And the opportunity moves further into the future.

What is idea vs. What is the proposed project - from a bold vision to something quite small.

Books/articles:

• Howard Reingold, "Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution" (2002)
• Larry Lessig, "The Future of Ideas" (2002)
• Tapscott & Williams, "Wikinomics" (2006)
• Tim O'Reilly (2005). What is Web 2.0 (article)
• Time person of the year 2006.

Other thoughts...

• The Long Tail
• Joy's Law
• Cognitive surplus <- Since WWII, every American has had a part-time job watching TV.
• Network effects
• Moore's law and mobile <- Disruptive!
• Every user a hero...

Interview with William Gibson (author).  He quoted from Gibson at the beginning of his talk.  Gibson has said that the future is too close.  Makes scifi harder to write.

Check out air penguins video on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPGgl5VH5go
The present is far more interesting than most people have noticed.
Cheap platforms and successful examples.
The value of the present is not be exploited.

Five patterns:

1. Extraterrestrial space auditor - A Martian CPA bad ass of objectivity.  Compares the stated mission of your organization with your collective actions.
2. On ramps and loading docks - IN order to engage with people outside of your organization, you need a platform (not just technology).
3. Edge to core - "Innovations at the edges: A commons in the middle" - people at the edge uses services at the core. Edge to core process.  New stuff on the outside and recognizing what you need to bring in. Scott Berkun, "The Myths of Innovation"
4. Focus on mission - Big audacious goals. Anything that is in the way, should go away. Advance the mission.
5. Place the bet - Within most organizations, they know what they need to do.  Now they need to implement.  Tom Friedman, "Serious in Singapore"

Stop using words that are totems for something else (e.g., innovating, failing fast, risk taking, collaborating...).

He closed with three questions:

1. What world am I living in?
2. What impact...want to have in the world?
3. What should I do today?

Small pilot projects seemed appealing to him 5-10 years ago.  Less and less satisfied with low-risk, high-spend one-offs as a way of moving into the future.  Have to be sure that moving fast isn't causing you to avoid the big obstacle that needs to be  tackled.

Strategy should help you prioritize tactical opportunities.

How do we get people to place the bet?  Keep in mind that this is an endurance sport.  Think Big.  Start Small. Move Fast.

Some are able to use good management and good measurement.