26 Passions; 5 "Damn Its"

What’s the stuff that’s really caught my attention over, say, the last 63 years? That was the reporter’s question. I’ll drop the first 23 and start in Vietnam in 1966. I figure, more or less, that 26 things have really gotten (way) under my skin. I’ve never had a plan. I proceed from Passion to Passion and let each one take me where it will. Some are eternal; some are transient. Anyway, I decided to foist them on you, accompanied by a little Special Presentation … what else? (Sorry: Some are in shorthand; most, though, I think are transparent.) To wit:

Leadership Effectiveness (Vietnam: 2 Commanding Officers: “Captain Do it.” vs “Captain Plan it.”) … ’66-’68 (’06)

Organization Effectiveness (Vietnam Seabee Battalion in the field vs Pentagon) … ’69-’70 (’06)

B>A* (R.F.A.) (*Behavior drives Attitude: Action takes precedence.) … ’71-’06

Implementation = #1 … ’73-’77 (’06)

“Soft is Hard” (“Management Style,” etc.) … ’77-’79 (’06)

Soft is Hard: “It’s the PEOPLE, stupid!” (Gobs of autonomy!) … ’66-’06

(Org) Structure>Strategy … ’77-’83 (’06)

Strategy-Structure+/ “McKinsey 7-S” Model … ’77-’81

Action>Planning … ’74-’06

Mess = Reality … ’77-’06

Skunkworks/Skunks (“Offline” Innovation/Innovators) … ’84-’91

MBWA/Hands On leadership … ’80-’85 (’06)

Excellence I … ’79-’84

Mid-size biz is cool … ’84-’89 (’06)

Customer service … ’84-’88

Innovation … ’87-’92

Free trade/Hayek … ’90-’92

New Org Models … ’92-’96

PSF … ’92-’06

WOW! (WOW Projects) … ’93-’06

Brand You … ’94-’00

Design … ’94-’06

Women (Markets-Leaders) … ’96-’06

EXCELLENCE II … ’06-??

Healthcare (Quality-Wellness-PatientCentric) … ’06-??

Exuberance-Passion (Soft is Hard) … ’42-’06

Same vein, same media conversation: Some stuff I’ve tried to do has caught on … such as my longterm passion for “Customers First” and “Design Mindfulness.” But there are 5 areas where I feel stymied. That is, I scream & shout & reason … and the tectonic plates creak but do not move. (Much.) Well, there has been some movement on the “women’s thing” (market potential, leadership) and Brand You … but neither have reached the “Go For It”/Revolution stage. Well, I’m not gonna take it anymore (not that I really have); I’m going to get more focused & turn up the volume & be more rude. Watch out! The 5 “Damn Its”:

* Women (market potential, leadership potential)
* PSF (Professional Service Firm “model” as driving force in Value Added/Intellectual Capital Revolution)
* Brand You.
* R.F.A. (“Bias for Action” from In Search)
* EXCELLENCE. ALWAYS.

Tom Peters posted this on September 28, 2006, in Strategies.
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