Elementary, my dear Watson | A bulleted summary of the IBM video highlights

We are indeed very fortunate to be watching the exclusive interview with IBM leaders Jon Iwata and Mike Rhodin. Second only to Walmart, in terms of number of employees of US-based companies, not many firms of this scale could shift the bulk of their operations from manufacturing to services and come out on top.
The days when companies might default to IBM because “no one ever got fired for choosing IBM” are long gone. I believe customers choose IBM because it is the right choice.
The presentations were powerful on many levels. Some highlights for me were:

• IBM adjusted to leverage the strengths of each channel. Great to hear Jon mention Tumblr and Pinterest!


• the extent to which employees at all levels use social tools to communicate and share knowledge - tens of thousands of “dark” blogs. 


• the way everyone takes ownership of their online reputation and the comprehensiveness of IBM’s education programs to encourage best practices


• the global collaboration to solve problems is amazing. It’s important to remember global firms like IBM are effectively round-the-clock operations thanks to significant presence in all major time zones. Don’t know the answer? Reach out with a Tweet.


• Mike used the term “democratization of information sharing” - sound familiar? Think MOOCs.


• "using the right tool for the right type of communication" ~ Mike.


• Strategy — Communication — Execution. Plan your work, work your plan, and continuously communicate.


• Connected Global Talent Pools. (CGTP)


• It’s not what you know, it’s how you use what you know.


• Engage employees - sound familiar?


• Context is key — Contextual Content (CC)


• Automated delivery of contextual content that is highly personalized


• Using psychographics and behavioral analysis to predict content requirements - that’s bleeding edge, right there!


• RFID - when, oh when will supermarkets tag groceries so you can just walk out and have it deduct from your digital wallet???


• flattening of organizational hierarchy. Wonderful. You don’t get more corporate than IBM, yet here they are with open communication policies that flatten structure. It’s a trend that’s underway to help firms embrace innovation. See what Tony Hsieh is doing with Zappos to ensure they remain adaptable as they grow.


• "shareability" as a key content design consideration.


• needs prediction. Other companies like Hubspot and Eloqua advocate the same thing - understand what your customer needs, then serve it to them at the point of need. My analogy is that of a waitstaff server. They greet you, ask you want you want and then they bring you what you asked for (hopefully :)), but the good ones suggest some complementary item they think you would like based on what you already ordered - a wine, or dessert that goes well with your order. They have predicted your “content” needs.


• Watson - I wrote another piece on Watson. When IBM combines Watson’s intelligence with big data, I think the possibilities for competitive advantage are vast. This area truly is “Rocket Science” and that’s why Mike and Jon emphasize analytical and big data skills going forward.


• I like to think creativity will be key. That’s not to say just “artsy” creativity, but being able to creatively interpret data and find creative ways to use the findings. That’s one small step for IBM, one giant leap for mankind.

Thank you Prof. Lavine for putting together such a valuable interview on-location no less!
Trivia: Why is IBM called “Big Blue”?
My favorite theory is the dark blue suits once worn by the conservative sales force.