I have a real time challenge that requires a group think, and is related to post-Y2K intent.

BRIEF BACKGROUND:

In Silicon Valley there is a one-day conference that will be held for CEOs and Key Executives, at the end of March 2000, on the general topic of Business Sustainability.

Business sustainability from the CEO perspective, looks at ways corporations and businesses (specifically private industry) can be motivated to become better, environmentally-participatory community partners, while at the same time increasing long-term profitability, competitive advantage and economic sustainability in addition to advancing technology through the dynamics of continuous improvement. A phrase often used is: One mans waste, is another mans raw material. Exploring new (win-win) ways to revamp old processes is one arena of endeavor. Key descriptive words often include terms such as: renewable energy, sustainable development, ecological architecture, green business and sustainable technology.

CEO keynote speakers typically highlight actual case-studies of how they became the driver to encourage a top-down awareness and implementation of sustainability practices within their organizations. They discuss what worked and what didnt.

UPCOMING CONFERENCE CHALLENGE IN A POST-Y2K CONTEXT:

The dates been set and the location booked. The membership, speakers and attendees--which include some very heavy hitters in Silicon Valley and nationally--also represent a good cross-section of private industry sectors. Participants in the groups 1999 conference, are aware of the general 2000 conference focus. Without a long explanation of how I got there, in a board meeting on Friday, I suggested that one of the key sessions/panels should be related to Y2K Recovery (not sure thats the appropriate term... any ideas on a better one?)

My suggestion sparked the debate on how bad do you think its going to be? That IS the question, isnt it? (BTW, the word on the silicon street, is that most LARGE organizations here expect, and are contingency planning for, intermittent blackouts and brownouts of unknown, but not long, duration in January. So power issues may color their perspectives by the March time-frame. In addition, their main economic concerns appear to vector in on longer -term pacific rim supply chain delays and/or disruptions. Then there are the domestic vendor and infrastructure issues and... no one knows!)

At any rate, the board liked the idea, and now the puzzling question is... What should the post-Y2K panel focus be? Within a business sustainability context?

The challenge to the posters here (and also in Ed Yourdons HumptyDumptyY2K Forum ) is the panel topic needs to be set and described within the next couple days, so speakers can be arranged and preliminary information can be sent out and uploaded (soon) on the web-site.

So, based upon the above, and how you think Y2Ks all going to unravel (or not) please try this exercise:

Place yourself at the end of March 2000 and ask: What, at THAT time, would be most compelling to learn about, and discuss (post-Y2K), if I was a CEO responsible for my corporations continuity? What events might trigger me to reconsider how I do business? How our energy back-up systems should be more renewable? And WHAT... would be important?

Thanks, in advance, for your thoughtful comments,

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), August 29, 1999

Answers

The state of international vendors, transportation and distribution, oil, rate of unemployment or rate of employed with purchasing power, interest rates,whether stockpiling last quarter 1999 has lingering impact, local conditions, pending elections,etc

-- Ruth the Moab (aapm@aapainmanage.org), August 29, 1999.

How To Best Take Advantage of Post-Y2K Opportunities

(There will be many failed businesses and open niches)

How To Ensure Self-Reliancy Within Corporate Infrastructure

(Obviously biz will have a new-found interest in back-up fuel cell units, water purification, vendor versatility, etc. on-site and in-place)

Re-Examining JIT Inventory Practices

Bringing Production and Manufacturing Back Home

Regaining Control of the Business Process From Start To Finish

(Those businesses who control and supply their product on-site from beginning to end will have huge advantages)

The Pitfalls of Dependency and How Not To Drop There Again

[ lots more ideas but that's the froth on the top of the cranium ;^]

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), August 29, 1999.

They certainly have a lot of optimistic faith that they'll all be able to get to a meeting at the end of March 2000!

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), August 29, 1999.

does this mean it went well? : )

Question: What should the post-Y2K panel focus be? Within a business sustainability context?

 Target strengths - grow out of crisis

 Community Focus - care for the community to ensure healthy workforce for yourself and for your vendors

 Alternate Comphensation Options - providing options for employess to lessen impacts during times of uncertainty

 Targeting a message - focusing limited budgets for maximum exposure

still thinking...

Mike

=====================================================================

-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), August 29, 1999.

ashton, leska, you forgot the following entry: y2k marketing: who made the big killing, and who lost their pants. A study of all profiteers, from the computer industry itself right down to the Mom and Pop Survivalist Outpost. Possibly, a contrast between those who offered sound, responsible remediation and preparation tools in the best interest of the customer/public versus the devious, carpet-bagging huckster who played on the anxiety and fear of the same customer can be featured.

While the conversation would be quite interesting in a retrospective study of the times leading up to the date rollover, the bottom line still will lead to the inescapable conclusion that one helluva lot of people got rich from all of this.

Diane, good luck in your conference preparations.

regards

-- Bad Company (johnny@shootingstar.com), August 29, 1999.

Diane,

If the topics need to be selected so soon, they need to be broad, generic topics, simply because it is not known now what will be most worth discussing then. My inclination would be to suggest that the agenda for that panel be decided in late January. By then they might wish to: 1. cancel the post Y2K panel, 2. turn the whole conference into a post Y2K conference, or 3. cancel the whole conference.

Jerry

-- Jerry B (skeptic76@erols.com), August 29, 1999.

I'm so impressed with some of the ideas here. New Paradigms--hey, I'm an old-fashioed girl.

But one thing that has come up heavily in the pre Y2K period is the mistrust we have of the institutions that serve us. I think something that addresses our basic waryness--in other words, how can business be honest with their customers rather than simply trying to foster the perception of honesty.

Ethics and responsibility is such a big one. For instance, at times some of the things that corporations do is so disgusting that many of us would like to see them fall (without anyone suffering). For instance, the genetic engineering of food seems to put the food chain and the health of the future population at risk. I know you are talking about Silicon Valley, but there are health issues and ethics issues there, too.

-- Mara Wayne (MaraWayne@aol.com), August 29, 1999.

Diane: I do not know whether this conference would be broad-based enough or powerful enough politically, but it seems to me that the first order of business for the US and the world be to set up a dialogue on how to overcome the computer mess we got ourselves into- in other words standardization.

-- Neil G.Lewis (pnglewis1@yahoo.com), August 29, 1999.

Diane,

I think they should be considering how they will deal with fuel rationing, both for their business needs and employee transportation. Perhaps a car pool or bus pool would be a possible idea to consider.

Also, if they are in a big city environment, martial law. Even if this doesn't go nation wide, I think it will be in many large cities, such as Dee Cee for starters, and will last for many months. Perhaps they will want to consider some company ID cards for safe passage.

Gordon

-- Gordon (gpconnolly@aol.com), August 29, 1999.

1) Whose Bottom Line Is It, Anyway? Is it the Stockholders' bottom line, the Corporate as Faceless Entity's, or the employees' bottom line?

2) What, exactly is part of the Bottm Line? Is it JUST the dollar figure arrived at from the subtraction of expenses from income? Or is there another dimension to bottom line??

3) How far down the road (1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 3 years, 5 years) should the corporate community be looking, in terms of planning?

more later......

after 60 minutes finishes the increase of the anti-gun drumbeat.

Chuck

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), August 29, 1999.

Suggested topics:

1) The fallacy of short term planning for long term growth.

2) Proper valuation of business entities in the long term.

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), August 29, 1999.

Top-------------->> ===================

-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), August 30, 1999.

Ashton & Leska,

Good ideas there! Thanks. Yes, they do have faith... its a valley thang.

Michael,

I suspect well all learn, by then, what works and what doesnt and what is iffy.

Bad Company,

By that timing, I suspect theyll be looking forward at doing better and not backwards.

Jerry,

Yes... they need to be broad, generic topics, simply because it is not known now what will be most worth discussing then. Agreed. Thats the challenge. One has to market a conference 6 to 9 month in advance, so, waiting on topics is not an option. Of course, thing can be changed... last minute.

Mara,

Yes... New Paradigms is what its all about. Perhaps more will get that by then. Or not.

Honesty, Ethics and Responsibility? Wouldnt that be refreshing? Perhaps a competitive advantage at some point as well. The group is not just Silicon Valley types... but an apolitical cross-section of industries within the private sector.

Neil,

Just learned the overall focus will be energy efficiency but that may be with a broad brush. The conference is targeted towards CEOs and Key Executives, not IT people... standardization issues would probably occur at other levels.

Gordon,

Yes by then fuel rationing should be on their radar screen... especially alternative options.

Chuck,

For the most part I suspect their bottom line is basic survival... of the fittest... not to mention top management. One would hope they realize that the brain doesnt function well if the rest of the body is disconnected. ;-D

Mad Monk, My hope is that Y2K will provide just enough of a wake-up call, that organizations and private industry would want to revisit their strategic plans in light of what the lessons learned will be. Understanding all global impact is eventually local, could trigger some interesting and transformative reassessments.

Good thoughts all! Thank you.

Ill know more after tonights meeting.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), August 30, 1999.

We are all kidding ourselves that there will be any meetings like this in March 2000.

Read the Links at

WorldNetDaily Countdown 2Y2K

and

Gary North's Links for Today

Y2K is going to be horrendous and there's no stopping it or softening it now.

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), August 30, 1999.

Ashton & Leska,

Perhaps... or it may be something quite different.

Was contemplating, that various parts of the world will run the gamut between a 1 to 10--even within the same city/county/state.

In this context a global, or even local average may not be the appropriate Y2K impact assessment scale. Recovery will most likely be dependent on the local conditions and resources, advance preparedness, or in lieu of readiness the ability to adapt rapidly to changing conditions. (Not to mention human intangibles like persistence and determination). The one thing I will say about the Silicon Valley- type high-technology perspective, is most companies learn how to be flexible with a capital F... or die.

Re-evaluating the effect of longer-term global impact, based on speed or adaption of local recovery, may be a flip of the flop way of looking at the issue.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), August 30, 1999.

One more time...

Thanks for the input (on both threads), as it turns out, the next planning meeting is in two weeks, so I'll have more time to do "research" on business sustainability.

There does seem to be the disconnect going on, but I also think if Y2K doesn't kill us, it will wake businesses up to becoming more self- reliant, and yet local community committed.

We'll see. The links I'm researching are ALL applicable to Ed's HumptyDumptyY2K world.

Will post the "goodies" as they cross my path.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), September 01, 1999.