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The Birth of the IPM

Posted by Tom Peters on 9/19/2006 at 6:35 AM

What your organization needs to compete in today's marketplace

I've been thinking about Organizations lately. THINKING ABOUT THEM A LOT. I don't think that the new winners will be marked by a set strategy. I think that they will be marked . . . ABOVE ALL . . . by the Ability to Respond.

To whatever.

Whenever.

So I've developed a new name/concept, which I think applies as much to the CIA and the Department of Homeland Security as it does to the Corporation. I call the new form of organization Itinerant Potential Machines. What that means is that they have a fabulous roster. (Like the New York City Ballet.) And they are ready to react to . . . WHATEVER . . . on the PROVERBIAL DIME.

We (they!) don't know what's coming next. But they know that it will be . . .

Big & Scary & Unpredictable.

So they are . . . Ready To Be Ready.

What are the attributes of this IPM (Itinerant Potential Machine)?

It goes something like this . . .

The Seven Cardinal Attributes of Organizations/Adaptive Organisms/Itinerant Potential Machines:

TALENT POOL TO DIE FOR - Youthful. Insanely energetic. Value creativity. Risk-taking routine. Failing is normal . . . if you are Stretching. Love New Technologies! Well rewarded! Don't plan to be around 10 years from now.
TALENT POOL PLUS - Seek out and work with (ONLY!) the World's Best as needed. (It's routinely needed.)
BRASSY-BUT-GROUNDED LEADERSHIP - Leaders who say, I don't know and then . . . Unleash Their TALENT! Have a vision to be . . . DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT . . . but don't expect the company to necessarily be around forever.
BRASSY-BUT-GROUNDED LEADERSHIP II - Visionary leaders matched by leaders with a . . . Shrewd Business (Results) Sense: HOW DO WE TURN A PROFIT ON THIS GORGEOUS IDEA? Appreciate Market Creation as much (MORE THAN!) market share growth. ARE INSANELY AWARE THAT MARKET LEADERS ARE ALWAYS IN PRECARIOUS POSITIONS.
ALLIANCE MANIACS - Don't assume that the best resides within. WORK WITH THE SHIFTING ARRAY OF STATE-OF-THE-ART PARTNERS FROM ONE-END-OF-THE-SUPPLY CHAIN-TO THE OTHER. Those outsiders (OUR LIFE BLOOD!) include vendors and consultants and . . . especially . . . PIONEERING CUSTOMERS . . . who will drag us into the future.
TECHNOLOGY-NETWORK FANATICS Run the Whole-Damn-Company, and relations with all outsiders, on the . . . Internet . . . at Internet Speed. Reluctant to work with those who don't share this (RADICAL) (TECHNOLOGY) vision.
POTENTIAL MACHINES-ORGANISMS Have no idea what's coming next! But are . . . Ready, raring to Jump at Opportunities . . . especially those that Challenge - or Overturn our current way of doing things.

It's organizations that don't have a clue! And since we don't have a clue, we know that our only Defense-Offense is . . . TALENT TO DIE FOR . . .

People who get off on . . . THE CHALLENGE. People who are . . . Genetically Ready To Go. At the drop of a dime. (OR A PENNY.) This is, truly a potential machine that we're putting together.

Tom Peters, called "business's best friend and worst nightmare" by BusinessWeek, is one of the preememinent business gurus of our time. This blog post is adapted with permission from hisProject 05, available online.

Tom Peters, called "business's best friend and worst nightmare" by BusinessWeek, is one of the preememinent business gurus of our time.

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11 Comments

Posted by Richard F. Guyon on 09/19/2006 12:27 PM

Mr. Peters, something shocking about the type of person you describe is their lower level of financial status.

That may sound absurdly possible, but very likely true for a larger percentage of people at this level of persona, since the "Pure Reward" to a individual of this description is the challenge to exceed and defeat even the impossible.

The majority of the time the benefactors are those that employ or contract this talent. I would agree that in most cases, youth is a strong influence to the level of endurance but not in every instance. I personally have slowed down a bit from the ability to push 36 to 48 hours + days in my 20s to the now daily 20 â€“ 21 hours, but I would believe this still exceeds what "Normal" drive would be measured at.

Thank you Mr. Peters for the boost of energy, your topic has touched the very spirit that drives my core - "Sheer Challenge" = "Reward".

Posted by Kim on 09/19/2006 2:57 PM

Good blog entry. But you could use a copy editor! What's with all the UPPERCASE?

Posted by Aaron Singh on 09/19/2006 4:23 PM

Well, this is something different. I have no doubt that what Mr Peters describes is sound and true. But yeah, what's with the uppercase and the "..."s? It's like the whole post was transcribed from a very energetic speech he made. Either that, or it was written

Posted by James A. Kennemore, Jr. on 09/20/2006 1:13 AM

Questioning the uppercase and elipses in Tom's post illuminates your neglect of Tom's books.

I recently posted an article on <a href="http://www.kennemore.com/blog/2006/09/14/passion/">my blog</a> about the PASSION that I feel that Tom, as one example, puts into his writing. Tom's style definitely mimics an enthusiastic speach and should be READ as such!

...and that's exactly what this article was about: the PASSION that companies should look for in their EMPLOYEES, MANAGERS, BUSINESS MODEL, ETC., ETC., ETC!

Grab a copy of one of Tom's books (I suggest The Pursuit of Wow!) and see where he's coming from.

Posted by renee lee greco on 09/20/2006 1:16 AM

Excellent post.

However, this ability to think on your feet and make rapid decisions is a born leadership quality. It's not something you can teach, but a leadership skill where one follows and trust their gut instincts.

It "might" also come with experience but still is instilled in one who just has that special quality and trusts their quick decisions...

Posted by Ina Matijevic*** on 09/20/2006 3:23 AM

GREAT!GREAT!Organizations are like ice cubes,they need to be melted in liquids,with no borders,mix up in complete chaos.RIDE THE WAVE AND BE HAPPY:-)

Posted by Mary Rose Murrin on 09/20/2006 6:32 AM

This post is very exciting. Think that I might be a potential organism because in 28 years of providing research support, have never found a problem I couldn't handle. If I didn't know how to solve it, I searched for ways to solve it, and when the search came up empty- I invented a way to solve it. Always loved my work when I could be free to invent and hated my work when I was forced to stay in the lines. Always working to improve methodology- making studies better. Helped my organization stay on the cutting edge with this approach. The moment I first saw the internet- said to our tech expert- "We need that ASAP"- all he could see was e-mail- but I saw the potential to write papers with leading edge people anywhere in the planet. At least two people who took my valuable advice later became billionairres- not research related- so I'm a versatile potential organism- which seems better. VPO- I like it! Have worked with internationally famous scientists- and some who became internationally famous after I started working with them. Quite a run. Am not as young as I once was- but the text said youthful- and as I get older, I get more youthful every year- aging backwards as they say. Agree with Richard that such an approach is not always lucrative- you tend to stay where there is challenge- but there is always more to learn. Thanks for the energy boost!!

Posted by Maria Pinto on 09/20/2006 8:38 AM

In a world of a strong competition, the companies make of everything to gain money and have to make everything to know very well its customers. A company has to have a strategy 100% correct, tactics with 0% of errors and an incredible flexibility to the level of management of top and all the technician operational. The increase of the competition on a thundering form, the increase of the requirement of the customers, the little fidelization of the customers and the economic problems to the world-wide scale, take the managers of operational top and its technician to rethink all the philosophy of the business.

Posted by Jim Eiden on 09/20/2006 2:47 PM

Tom:

When are you going to write about followers? How come there are all kinds of books on Leadership and no books on followers. I think a study focused on followers would be great. You can't have leaders without followers. Why are there books on leaders and leadership when followers far outnumber leaders?

Another question to study. Not everyone wants to be a leader or has the propensity to be a leader. Some people are happy to be a follower. If everyone was a leader, we'd have to followers and anarchy would ensue in every organization.

In order for leadership to succeed, you need Leaders, Followers, and the Scenario.

I'm being serious here.

Posted by Larry Gessner on 09/20/2006 5:15 PM

I agree with Mary, I have studied the teachings of Tom Peters and was ignited into action years ago. Energy in it's raw form is nothing more than an accumulation of different particles that when put together interact with each other causing reaction. If anyone has had the privilage to witness an idea being born and someone taking that idea and running with it and making it happen then you know what I am talking about. Tom Peters understands the power of dynamics and we should pay close attention to what he is saying. If we are to survive then we will have to be able to not only think ahead but be able to react and implement faster than anyone could possibly imagine. This is what it is all about. Tom you have reignited me once again. Thank you!!!!!!

Posted by Jack Netek on 09/26/2006 2:07 PM

Regarding two points that were made

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