Obama’s Change, and what business transformation can learn from the US election

….or ‘how to avoid US election-like madness by not delivering upto the change-promise’

‘the world is changed by your example, not by your opinion’ -Paulo Coelho-

November 2008. Exactly 8 years ago I had already resigned from my former job running a pan-euro digital media group and was in New York on a business trip finalizing the long term strategy project we had been working on for the last couple of months. This would be my last project. Long term was 2 years ahead. 2010 the outlook.

My decision to put Coelho’s words into practice and join Europe’s leading traditional broadcasting group in Luxembourg was ‘putting my money where my mouth was’. Manage transformation from the inside by example (the hard way) not by opinionating about what traditional media companies did wrong and needed to change from the side-line (the easy way). The true business transformation challenge from the inside. From analog to digital. From static to dynamic. Wicked!

Being a digital pure-play market-leader in premium adsales, affiliate marketing, e-mail marketing and domain marketing across 13 European markets we envisaged one single automated market place in which demand and supply would meet directly. Change to tech, to culture, to offices, to platform, to people, to brand. Eureka! We needed investments in change to make it happen. Serious investments.

I had been using Obama’s ‘change’ visuals from his campaign (like the one above) in all my presentation decks towards our business partners, teams and shareholders. I loved it.

That night in november 2008 was election night and me and my colleagues Tim and Stefan were invited to an official Obama election-night gathering. The rest is history. A memorable moment. Walking onto Times Square after his win. The vibe. That atmosphere. Euphoria. Different cultures dancing on the streets. Hand-in-hand. Change would really happen. And we were there. Awesome!

Transformation in full effect. And we were all about to proove it. He would. We would. Cheers!

Dit he? Did hereally? Or was it just cosmetic?

My former shareholders wanted to change, but ultimately didn’t buy into the related investment. They choose to divest and 6 months after I left they sold parts of the group to a French mediagroup.

Yesterday I ran across (and immediately shared) a Machiavelli quote that I thought was spot-on and got me thinking about the true transformation challenge again:

‘it must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things. For the reformer has enemies in all those who profit by the old order, and only lukewarm defenders in those who would profit by the new order…. . This arises partly from the incredulity of mankind who do not truly believe in anything new until they have an actual experience of it..’ -Machiavelli- 1513

Obama promised change. Sound promise. Firm decisions needed.

‘Yes we can!’

A new era. A new order. ‘Can do’ mentality. Roll up sleeves and do things different.

Transformation-time!

CHANGE.

From old-school to new-school.

From static to dynamic.

Shaping up for the future.

That future is here. 8 years later. November 2016.

Coincidently -just like 8 years ago during US election time- I have resigned my current position to join another European media group early next year. Differences: Not in New York during election night but in Amsterdam this time. Unfortunately this time I haven’t been able to finalize the longterm strategic planning I was working on for the last couple of months. But in general it’s the same as 8 years ago. Significant investments and solid choices.

Tomorrownight is election night. The euphoric hope and energy that amazing night on Times Square 8 years ago has vanished and is replaced by a shaky table under a house of cards that can collapse by the slightest autumn breeze. Machiavelli should have warned Obama.

‘Yes we can’ replaced by a blunt fight between dominant old-culture and a clown.

A choise between two evils. Even if you can’t decide.

The result of marketing ‘Yes we can’ and acting ‘No we won’t… really’

Lesson learned: A cosmetic transformation (change as marketing vehicle) without true fundamental changes risks old culture to come back. Stronger than ever before.

And clowns. Clowns that take advantage of the insecurity and fear for fundamental change by people that haven’t (yet) embraced change as a continuous challenge. The exact fear that Machiavelli described so well over 500(!) years ago.

The world is in change. All markets are in change.

All business are in change. All teams are in change.

Even the disruptors are in constant change, however they’re used to coping with it in real-time. No fear. Full of confidence.

Everyone’s job is in change. Everyone is facing the same challenge.

Static easy rides from A to B and ‘walks-through-parks’ don’t exist anymore.

Dynamic roller coaster rides are the new default.

Change is real. Not a promise. Change is here. To stay. And serious.

Change is not marketing. It’s not a new cover on an old book. Using change as marketing (like Obama did) without truly changing from the inside the silent-killer. For politics, for businesses. Run-Forest-Run!

Everyone has an opinion. On the election.

Rather than having an opinion about politics and elections in the US that (probably) no one has the power to influence (even if you’re a US voter) let’s make sure we learn from Obama’s failure. ‘Oh no he couldn’t’!

If change would have been solid and a true new era the elections tomorrow wouldn’t have been such a comedy/tragedy (your choice)

Let’s make sure we stop with endless opinions on things we can’t control.

Let’s set examples. Our own examples. On things we can control.

If that’s politics. Quit your job and go set some examples in politics. They need you. Badly.

If not politics set examples in your own lives, your own businesses. Your own markets. Your own teams. Not cosmetic but fundamental. CHANGE as an attitude. On making decisions on new directions, every week. Refuse to settle for the status quo.

If you don’t. You risk ending up in the same situation as US politics today. Change as a marketing sauce over the same old spaghetti. Result: Clinton-Trump madness that we now laugh (and cry) so loud about. In your own backyard.

Set tangible examples in your own country, in your own business, in your own team. Avoid the hidden status-quo. Semi-decisions that lead to cosmetic change. A trojan horse. A powerfull facade with destructive old-culture and silly clowns on the inside waiting fort he right moment to jump out. OUCH!

Put your money where your mouth is. Manage by example. Difficult but doable. Kill old habits, embrace opportunity. Learn. Fail and learn again. Week by week. Not in annual plans. With growth in the new era as the sole KPI. No stage, no audience. New culture only, and no clowns dancing on easy tunes please.

Marketing change blurs the focus on fundamental change, which takes real courage.

Work hard in silence… and let succes make the noise.

Machiavelli for president!