Thursday Edition

dispatches from the new world of work

Worth the Hassle: Reflections on Novosibirsk

Tom Peters and interpreter Ivan Komarov

As airline and airport woes mounted, I frankly wondered what I was thinking when I agreed to go to Siberia. Well, now I know.

Every now and then, one feels that what one does is of some value. Last Friday in Novosibirsk (04.14) was one of those days. The air, as I previously posted, was at full-chill as I arrived. Not so the reception. I was welcomed effusively as I debarked Siberian Air from St Petersburg. And that welcome set the tone for an extraordinary couple of days.

I think I was the first, more or less, of "my sort" to make the trip to this large, mostly industrial city. Like the rest of Russia, hiccups notwithstanding, Novosibirsk-Siberia is moving at a brisk pace toward embracing free markets—and preparing to compete in our global village. (We're all next door neighbors, etc., etc., etc.) Thus the approximately 800 business folks who joined my interpreter (Ivan Komarov, a Russian sporting an economics Ph.D. from the University of Maryland) and me were anxious to go from the get-go.

I, as usual, while attempting to be mindful of cultural differences, did not offer a "simplified TP presentation"—to do so, I believe, would be insulting. I did focus a bit more on management "basics"—and liked the result so much that I plan to keep it up in my U.S. presentations. (There is a wretched tendency to keep complicating things, for the sake of self-amusement, to the point that the "eternal basics" disappear into the dust; that was one of the reasons for the "Irreducible209" I recently introduced.)

At any rate, the day sped by (last chapter of the presentation ended at 8pm, followed by a dinner) and attention-energy never flagged. Thanks to the skill and style of my interpreter, the day's sober if uplifting main message also had its full share of light moments—my description of our 1st grade drill of hiding under our desks to evade Soviet atom bombs drew a laugh, for instance; so, too, my attributing my arm-waving, shouting speaking style to Nikita Khrushchev.

Silly as it may sound, I honestly felt I left Novosibirsk having made more or less 800 fast friends—and having offered along the way a few modest suggestions and a generally spirited approach to altered enterprise practices. The audience was amazingly receptive, and apparently quite charged up. The proof, as always, is in the pudding—but as I departed for Rome I did so with a rare sense of satisfaction.

Tom Peters posted this on 04/24/06.

Comments

Tom - love the global village concept - was in Siberia in '02 for some reason. Seems you give many people hope that they'll attain levels of affluence that the USA takes for granted. Please sign OIL contracts while there.

Posted by Sean at April 24, 2006 9:09 AM

Thanks for sharing this. It's easy to forget - amidst all the depressing headlines about global politics and economics - that there are good people working and good things happening.

One of the best trips in my life was to the USSR, back in the very last days of the communist regime. The people (for the most part) were terrific, friendly and desperately wanted to expand their world view. And, it really all comes down to the people, doesn't it? It's unfortunate we Americans don't get the chance (or won't take it) to get to know our fellow human beings. Evil empire indeed. I saw rosy-cheeked sailors, talked to laughing army officers, chatted with computer geeks on the Arabat, and spent a wonderful night on the train from Minsk to Moscow jammed into a carriage compartment (drinking bulgarian wine out of my hair spray cap! it was the only thing I had) and talk, talk, talking about what it was like to be a woman (and a woman in Russia.) No sleep, lots of learning and laughter.

Keep up the good travels, Tom.

Posted by Mary Schmidt at April 24, 2006 11:26 AM

Sounds like an amazing experience. I really liked your comments about simplicity & complexity - particularly since the wonderful people at ChangeThis.com are about to publish a manifesto I wrote titled The Simplicity Cycle,which explores the relationship between complexity, goodness and time. I think it's due out tomorrow...
Enjoy!

Posted by Dan Ward at April 24, 2006 1:32 PM

I see you, among other things, as an ambassador of sorts for the U.S. The more international friendships you earn through your speeches, the more people throughout the world who tell others that there are some good folk here in America.

Posted by curt wehrley at April 24, 2006 4:48 PM

Curt, Absolutely correct. I see Tom as an ambassador too.

Tom, there's an interesting set of life transitions: corporate management consultant to writer and guru to international ambassador!

Implicitly, I think this says something about management and where it shound be headed ... diplomatic stewardship on the global playing field as is key as agressiveness in that arena.

Posted by Daniel M. Harrison at April 25, 2006 2:28 AM

Since I may never get to hear you, Tom, I was wondering if you could record one of your discussions and share it as an mp3 on your web site. What do you say??

Posted by Dau at April 25, 2006 3:57 PM

Isn't it odd that "those people" used to be "the axis of evil"??!!

I can only echo the experience of Mary (and yourself). Wonderful people are everywhere. Friends are everyone.

Posted by Lars Olufsen at April 26, 2006 4:56 AM

Thank you, Tom. Indeed, hot language matters. I think the most impressive thing that happened in Novosibirsk is the inspiration that you give. What can a general say to the soldiers? Well, basically, it is time to go and fight. It is in HOW it is said that distinguishes an inspirer from a general. You are an inspirer. I keep loving and quoting your slides more and more. For the inspiration that they give.

Posted by Ivan Komarov at April 26, 2006 1:00 PM

Thank you, mr. Peters for your excellence lessons you gave us in Novosibirsk. I keep thinking about your ideas during last two weeks. I found that your idea about "WOW-project" was appeared 100 years before your book "In Serch". It's auther was Tom...... Sawyer! Remember the second chapter of Mark Twain novel "The adventures of Tom Sawyer", named "Tom whitewashes the fence"? It means to me that your business ideas has got the good ground. Your business ideas work! Everywere! In Siberia too. I think, Curt Wehrley and Daniel M. Harrison are absolutely right. Tom really is an ambassador for U.S.A. (at the least in Siberia).

Posted by Vladimir Komarov at April 27, 2006 12:43 AM

This is photoreport about you in Academgorodok
http://www.expert-sibir.ru/gallery/photos/79/

Posted by Alexander from Siberia at April 29, 2006 6:39 AM