Marshall Place Associates Live More of Your Life

Recently I talked to the International Women’s Federation of Commerce & Industry on the future, Making the Most of Your Business in 2007. We discussed the ripe plums, rising rivers and white coat scenarios for the rest of this year including the very real risk of a major collapse in both business and consumer confidence.

Ripe Plums– the low hanging fruit that is just there to be picked up – including the necessity for small business to be more personal and in direct touch with customers, the fact that it is the premium high-value clientele (David Jones vs Big W) that will thrive in the next few months and the impact of a return to inner-city living and urbanisation that will drive the domestic market.

Rising Rivers – the short-term trends that raise the bar on business prospects – included the impact of the “pig in the python” (the demographic bulge of baby boomers hitting the household market), the increasing priority being given to resource utilisation in water, energy and the environment and the impact of the web as a source of global customers and cross-cultural trade opportunities

White Coat Scenarios – ones that lead you to be spending time with people in white coats who seriously doubt your sanity – included a significant rise in community anxiety and concern with personal security and protection from identity fraud and a commercial interest in promoting happiness, a
scaled-up concern with the ethical practices of those seeking to have IPOs and the necessity for a shift to sustainable prosperity with a quadruple bottom line, as proposed by Dr Peter Ellyard in his recently relaunched book Ideas for the New Millennium.

Think of the way micro enterprises, small-business franchise managers and professional consultants working from home can make the most of these trends to segment their markets and communicate effectively within these emerging markets.

A note from Charles Brass at the Futures Foundation that appeared in http://www.shapingtomorrow.com/newsletter.cfm

Anywhere/anytime workplaces

The technologies are here in abundance to enable us to work from wherever
we want, some or all of the time. If the images in advertising are to
be believed the whole world is to name but a few.

But it is not necessarily just sales people, high-flying knowledge workers
and managers who can work flexibly and remotely. But spreading the
benefits and rewards wider needs more than just technology; it needs
different approaches to management.

Task, trust, team and time are some of the main issues. 

Task-based management ensures managers and staff know what is expected and by when;

how employees fit it into their day is then less of an issue.

Trust is closely related to task, but enables managers and staff to be clear
about roles and responsibilities rather than simply being “visible” or
“seeming busy”.

Team is important to ensure that anyone who works away from the office some or all of the time still feels part of the team, as part of the gossip network, and in the loop for promotions and important meetings.

Taking the time to stay in touch and catch up with life, the holiday, last night's TV, whether by phone or when remote workers are in the main office for meetings that are scheduled effectively, and ahead of time – taking the
time is of the essence

CONTACT: Dr Colin Benjamin, Marshall Place Associates

Marshall Place Associates offers a range of strategic thinking tools
that open up a universe of new possibilities for individuals and
organisations committed to applying the processes of innovation,
creativity and entrepreneurship.
CONTACT
Dr Jane Shelton
Chief Executive Officer,
Marshall Place Associates
Level 15, 461 Bourke Street
Melbourne 3000
Ph: +61 3 9640 0099 
Fx: +61 3 9640 0009
Email: contact@marshallplace.com.au