Can we really afford to hide?

If we stay the course, what will change? One of the interesting phenomena of this economy is the “turtle syndrome” it has evinced. If I just become invisible and don’t do anything extraordinary maybe I can hold on to my job just a bit longer…

In fact, the opposite is the reality. I am not advocating for being outrageous or creative beyond measure, but I am advocating for innovation. This is a tough economy and no one is going anywhere if we just keep doing what we have been doing. We have less, but we have to DO MORE. That means that innovation and moderate creativity are the orders of the day, not the opposite.

Profit is measured in reduced headcount and better efficiencies, not just in increased revenue, although that would be a bit nice as well. If we introduce innovation, even at a marginal cost, or apply new education to a problem, the payback will be almost immediate and the effect, dramatic. An example of that is in the use of current technology. If a process or an event takes a tremendous manual effort or a “Rube Goldberg” string of spaghetti code because of lack of knowledge, then find and justify the solution – as long as the return on the investment is immediate.

If you are a technical user of Oracle Hyperion products and need additional hands-on experience with the products and could benefit from face-to-face access to the experts in the field, then you need to attend ODTUG Kaleidoscope – the Oracle Development Tools User Group in Monterey, CA June 21-25, 2009. www.odtugkaleidoscope.com . Even if you have to pay for it out of your pocket, this type of event is of immediate tactical value in helping overcome specific technical challenges that might inhibit the short term growth of your company and possibly your career. At this juncture tactical wins are more visible and may have the strategic impact we all need. This is just one example. I am certain that we each encounter solutions like this everyday. Free user groups and lectures abound if you are willing to make an effort to attend and a commitment to empower yourself to innovation. Perhaps that is the first step in the process of being innovative; making an effort.

Thanks to Gary Crisci for bringing this to our attention. http://garycris.blogspot.com/2009/02/some-tips-for-kaleidoscope-2009.html