dispatches from the new world of work

Thanks, Teri! (I Guess.)

I was in residence on the Na Pali coast of Kaua'i for New Year's. My neighbor is Teri Tico—celebrated social activist (Save Our Seas, etc.), renowned trial lawyer, champion wind surfer. She sidled up to me at a cocktail party and said, "So, Tom, what are you going to do to change the world this year?"

How in the hell does one respond to that?!

I have no immediate (hence glib) answer, but it did lead to my 2-part NYResolution2005:

TomResolution2005 (full year): Every project, small or large, this year will have to answer the question, "Does this change the world?" HP ran a banner ad, "HAVE YOU CHANGED CIVILIZATION TODAY?" I'll make that the first & last question I ask myself each day!

TomResolution2005 (within the next 10 minutes): I will be "hall monitor" for my attitude concerning each & every human contact I have this year, starting ... IMMEDIATELY. Do I exude Passion & Optimism & Connection of the sort that invariably engages others? (Hint: This applies as much to the 30-second exchange I have with a checkout clerk at Shaw's grocery in Manchester VT as it does in a speech to very senior execs in Zurich on January 11.)

Oh yeah, thanks Teri!

Tom Peters posted this on 01/07/05.

Comments

Ya know, Tom, you're such a damned cornball, but you say such important things that it doesn't matter...almost! (Sorry, I'm a New Yorker.)

Every day, every contact, every minute...make it better, or make it worse.

Very clear, very clean.

Posted by Tom Guarriello at January 8, 2005 12:46 AM

Tom G, I agree. I love in-depth analysis of obscure topics as much as the next guy--hey I'm currently wading through (joyfully) the jillion-page A. Hamilton bio. But the fact is that it's often the simple stuff that makes the difference. Consider my old (!) college roommate, Ken Blanchard. He has a PhD, was a continually award-winning college prof (at UMass Amherst as I recall), and his early books are approrriately obscure. Yet in the last 25 years he's given us a dozen memorable phrases (such as my favorite, Raving Fans) that have changed for many the practice of business. I guess my preference is Cornball ... well grounded in scientific research.

Posted by tom peters at January 8, 2005 11:15 AM

Tom, for the benefit of us Brits - what the hell is a cornball?

Posted by Stuart Jones at January 9, 2005 7:39 AM