jumping the shark

A sure sign that an organisation's knowledge management programme has passed its prime would be its inclusion in the MAKE awards. Why? The MAKE awards are basically a beauty parade judged by execs & "experts". To get in there, you need to have written articles (preferably a book), schlepped the conference circuit, blown your own trumpet until your lips are cracked and dry. Which means that your best work is probably behind you and your organisation is presumably not getting your full attention.

A similar beauty-parade rigorous survey method is used by Boston Consulting Group to compile Business Week's list of the world's 50 most Innovative companies. It's actually very useful - but not quite for its stated purpose. It tells you what senior execs think innovation is:

• Nifty design ("Yeah, those iPods & iPhones are cool, man. Why can't we make something that f***ing cool?")
• Something about doing things better ("Didn't Toyota come up with six sigma? No? Huh, GE? Who then? Motorola??? Get the f*** outta here!!! S***!!! Can we can that six sigma rustbelt program already?")
• Making truckloads of money ("Bill Gates is an a**hole. A total f***ing a**hole. God, I wish I was him. And as for those Google a**holes...")
• Making stuff cheap ("That cheap Indian car. Yeah, you know the one that looks like it would fall apart if ya farted in it. That's f***ing innovation - you tell me that isn't f***ing innovative!!! But ugly, oh jesus, fugly as all hell. Not like my iPhone, my preciousssss...")

Meanwhile Millward Brown's list of the world's Top 100 brands (sorry, brandz) is interesting to compare to Interbrand's list of world's Top 100 brands from 6 months ago. Now is Google or Coca Cola the world's biggest brand? Or are they both? Is this going to be like school sports day - does everyone get a prize? Even the ugly, spastic kid with the mother and the sister who are the same woman*? I'm guessing this brand valuation thing isn't an exact science.

*Now answers on a postcard which brand that would be.

Thanks: Johnnie