Posts Tagged ‘apple’

Monday, October 15th, 2012

We Live in Uncertain Times

We live in uncertain times….

No joke…

In fact we live in the Age of Beta – we never know what’s going to work or not…but we take the plunge and update our Apps as they come – and by Apps I mean even our “Lifeapps”…that is, relationships, philosophies, ideas.

So why do we accept the uncertainty of the latest iPhone, Microsoft or Angry Birds release and yet many obsess at work or in relationships because of a perceived lack of clarity? We limit our ability to perform, innovate or transform because of fear of failure – again linked to uncertainty and absence of clarity.

(More on The Uncertainty Principle here)

Now – none of us would want to live in a feudal society (unless you were King…), but there was little uncertainty – chances were you could starve to death or be killed on some whim – but you knew your place and knew it was where you belonged. And in highly structured hierarchical societies and companies it’s much the same…it’s good to be King – and, yes, you know your place and there is clarity – for sure – but BORING…LIMITING…and probably little or no innovation and – by the way – they ultimately fail.

So how do we as a society break out? How do we – even in the absence of full clarity – give people the opportunity to excel through experimentation and innovation – how do we limit the fear and maximize the Beta?

Esther Dyson (thank you, Esther!!!) gave me the clue last week when she shared the following thought with me: A good leader absorbs uncertainty…whereas a manager simply distributes it.

Think about it – absorbing uncertainty to me means being accountable – letting others know that there is no blame, no finger pointing, no deflection of failure. That to me is true leadership.

Distributing uncertainty means that you look to hedge the bet on failure. You are looking for others to be lined up along the blame wall – that is not leadership.

Why do we accept beta releases – imperfect forms – from some? Because they have the credibility of accountability. We know Apple and Microsoft will make it right; we know that they will stand behind their product.

The Graveyards of Failed Enterprises are filled with the remains of those who didn’t absorb the uncertainty but rather ignored or shared it. The ground is littered with the detritus of relationships where uncertainty ruled. Lack of leadership leads to rampant uncertainty, and rampant uncertainty leads to certain failure.

Listen:

“The quest for certainty blocks the search for meaning. Uncertainty is the very condition to impel man to unfold his powers.” Erich Fromm

Think on this – because I think it takes the idea to another dimension. A true leader absorbs uncertainty – meaning that they don’t necessarily create clarity. To the contrary, they make uncertainty OK – they make it a condition of positive development; they unleash the full opportunity inherent in uncertainty – ergo, allowing us all to develop our true power.

So if you are in a company or in a relationship or are contemplating the why of it all – if you really want meaning – be a leader – absorb the fear of the unknown – accept the full accountability for the journey and my sense is that you and your quest will flourish.

And if you can’t…if you are unable to make that leap…link yourself; hitch your wagon to someone who can…don’t get blocked – unfold….

One last thought – also from Fromm – but to me completes the thought.

Listen:

“Critical and radical thought will only bear fruit when it is blended with the most precious quality man is endowed with – the love of life.”

Think on that – I believe that love of life is what gives us the strength to absorb the unknown…and the more we absorb and the more we discover, the richer the lives we lead…

What do you think?

Posted by David on 10/15 at 04:47 PM
  • I love this. uncertainty is great especially if people are willing to give it a go. when we think we can minimize the risk, we become paralyzed. I have always heard that since there is no control the only way to feel it is to let it go.
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    Posted by Belle on 2012-10-16 18:26:59
  • Good question -- and not sure of the answer -- I think there is another layer -- which uncertainty? Is there an absolute -- a "truth" if you will about uncertainty? can even uncertainty be spun?
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    Posted by david Sable on 2012-10-16 13:24:51
  • What a pleasure these blogs provide! I love the mots justes you unearth and the quotes, and your ability to weave them into a discussion that is both uplifting and challenging. I wonder how people would feel if they applied the Esther principle to the current election campaign: I think Mr Romney practices the rhetoric of certainty whilst distributing ...
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    Posted by Edna Kissmann on 2012-10-15 17:43:44
Monday, October 1st, 2012

Castles in the Cloud

Have you been lost more than usual the past week or so?

Have you turned right when you should have gone left; found yourself on the wrong side of the road or in general wondered where the hell you were?

If so, chances are you have the new Apple iPhone 5 and have used its iO6 launched Maps app originally described as “the most powerful mapping service ever.”

Read the letter that follows from Tim Cook – Apple’s CEO – and you will understand why you found yourself at the local garbage landfill and not at the new restaurant you had waited weeks to get reservations for:

To our customers,

At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better.

We launched Maps initially with the first version of iOS. As time progressed, we wanted to provide our customers with even better Maps including features such as turn-by-turn directions, voice integration, Flyover and vector-based maps. In order to do this, we had to create a new version of Maps from the ground up.

There are already more than 100 million iOS devices using the new Apple Maps, with more and more joining us every day. In just over a week, iOS users with the new Maps have already searched for nearly half a billion locations. The more our customers use our Maps the better it will get and we greatly appreciate all of the feedback we have received from you.

While we’re improving Maps, you can try alternatives by downloading map apps from the App Store like Bing, MapQuest and Waze, or use Google or Nokia maps by going to their websites and creating an icon on your home screen to their web app.

Everything we do at Apple is aimed at making our products the best in the world. We know that you expect that from us, and we will keep working non-stop until Maps lives up to the same incredibly high standard.

Tim Cook
Apple’s CEO

And follow this link to see why I said “originally described as ‘the most powerful mapping service ever’”:

Bottom line, you have to give Apple enormous credit for quickly owning up to their massive mistake and even more credit for connecting all the dots – including the product description – while at the same time providing what I think is ballsy customer service (ballsy to some – to me this should be standard – give up the pawn to own the king) by sending you to competitors who actually have great mapping apps.

But here is the thing – Apple gets it – RIGHT? Of course they reacted as they did, or why else would they be the most valuable company on the face of the earth?

To me that is not the question – nor is their exemplary reaction the only lesson to take from this debacle – although many should – business, politics, personal – be quick and honest!!!!

To me the real question is around the world of beta and the unadulterated hype that we live in.

You see, we have become so used to decimal-notated releases that we blindly accept whatever we are told and put up with inferior products and services that we would never accept in our off-line real world.

Imagine buying clothing and having the sleeves fall off or the zippers not work; or going to a new restaurant and getting food poisoning; or getting on a plane and having the engines not work….

And yes – by the way – all of those things do happen – but our reactions are different and our immediate feedback as a means of input into the next version is usually harsher, with way greater consequences.

The graveyards of poorly executed and produced products, bad tasting foods, out-of-control fashion and harmful services are chock full of the things we as consumers/users/buyers have sent to perdition.

Apple is lucky – at the end of the day this was only an app – and it seems that the majority of product reviews are positive – I have one and its form factor alone is a step up – although the charger…come on guys!!!!! Oh well….

But the notion that anything they do – or anything any of the tech community does in the “cloud” – is a step up for humanity is nonsense.

So here is a lesson from two centuries ago – it is almost as if Thoreau had prescient vision into our world…listen:

“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” – Henry David Thoreau

So Apple – and all – even today – even in our beta accepting world – we still need the foundations and my bet is we always will….

What do you think?

Posted by David on 10/01 at 03:34 PM
  • Apple had sound business reasons to rush the new phone (and accompanying app) into market, though certainly made a huge mistake in over- rather than under-selling it. They didn't need to hype their map to sell millions of iPhone 5's; they should've positioned the map as the beginning of a (free) new product that would improve quickly over time. This ...
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    Posted by Andrew Jeske on 2012-10-01 16:40:55