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Thanks for signing on. I’m Bob Carkhuff, and this is Freedomblog.

The theme for today is Secrets of Positioning in the Market.

For thinking people, this means that Generative-driven Innovation is the most powerful positioning in the marketplace.

One of the secrets that Jack Kelly, who was head of Development in IBM’s R & D system, told over and over was about the relationships among the Watson Center, the Advanced Systems Design, and the Marketing arm; e.g., the relationships between the Generators, Innovators, and Commercializers which we labeled “The GIC System.”

The relationships between the Generators at the Watson Center and the Innovators at Advanced Systems Design were antagonistic. The Generators viewed themselves as the ruling “thinkers” who had no real responsibility for creating the market. The Innovators, in turn, viewed their roles as making the transfers of generative breakthrough ideas into the real world technological needs which create the market. In the vision of the Generator, the Innovators were “Hijackers” of the ideas of others. In the vision of the Innovators, the Generators were “Lords of the Ideal and Peasants of the Real.”

As antagonistic as were the relations between the Generators and Innovators, the relations between Innovators and Commercializers were still more adversarial—nearly violent. Once the Innovators had ownership of technological transfers, they shepherded them like their children. The Marketers, in turn, were interested only in consumer responsiveness: did the customers embrace the product? Did the customers use the product effectively? The Marketers were tuned-in to the customers, while the Innovators were thrilled with the technologies.

It was a simple step from developing the “GIC System—Generators, Innovators and Commercializers” to positioning in the marketplace (Figure 2). IBM positioned itself as Generative Innovator. This means that they applied and commercialized the breakthroughs that they generated. Basically, they “owned” the customer base that was oriented toward immediate innovation with the prospect of long-term generativity.

The real genius of Tom Watson, Sr., was to relate these otherwise mutually exclusive entities into one system—“The GIC System.” Watson defined the “cellular bonding tissue” for the essential secrets of success. Through continuous interdependent processing, the resolution of technological crises became the foundation for generating new technologies.

During the three decades of the “Golden Age of IBM,” Watson applied his international trade perspective of ongoing “GIC Relations” to his business: “Internal productivity through operational relatedness!”

Sadly, this principle of relatedness is, itself, no longer in operation!

Figure 2. Generative Innovator Positioning in the Global Market Carkhuff, R. R., et al. The Freedom Wars. Amherst, MA: HRD Press, 2004.

The issues of globalization, jobs, and education for the 21st century Global Economy converge upon the phases of The GICCA Curve. Succinctly, America resolved all of these issues in continuous and interdependent processing for a bountiful and expanding future with “GIC Systems.”

• Generative or “breakthrough” research by the likes of IBM’s Watson Center and the old AT&T Bell Labs;
• Innovative contextual “transfers” of these breakthroughs by laboratory-based industries such as Microsoft and Intel;
• Commercial applications of these innovations by consumer-responsive businesses such as General Electric and Westinghouse.

These “GIC Systems” sustained and grew the American economy throughout the second half of the 20th century. In this context, the U.S. was the hope—not only for its citizenry—but for the peoples of the world. Indeed, the U.S. is The Multicultural “Experiment for the World:” if things work here, they can work anywhere.

Signing off for Freedomblog, this is Bob Carkhuff.

Remember, We the People, Generative Innovators is the most powerful positioning in the marketplace. Think about it!

We invite your comments. Send to Bob@Freedomblog.com.

“May the road rise to meet you
And the wind be at your back.”

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Thanks for signing on. I’m Bob Carkhuff, and this is Freedomblog.

The theme for today is Default in Positioning.

For thinking people, this means retreat to Innovative Commercializer positioning.

Unfortunately, the historical “GIC Relationships,” Generator, Innovator, Commercializer relationships, no longer relate, let alone process collaboratively. This is due in large part to the American business reaction to the Japanese “blind-siding” of the 1980’s. In order to defeat imitating, American businesses retreated from generating to innovating. There are no longer any R & D centers of any consequence: there is little scientific search, let alone any research, to explicate the unknown; only developmental trials and focus groups to prepare “pilots” for commercialization.

Moreover, by abdicating systematic “GIC” leadership, the U.S.A. has slowed world Generativity down to a random trickle. Not only has the U.S. suffered from short-term stasis, but the nations of the world will now suffer from long-term paralysis as the wheels of Generativity grind to a halt. Concurrently, both leader and followers are surrendering to Multinational Corporations that sponsor no Generativity and have no alignment with American Civilization other than capitalistic profitability.

Indeed, the Multinational Corporations have dropped the “R” in “R&D.” For them, generativity is a huge expense that places burdens upon dividends to stockholders. They assume no social responsibility and are dedicated only to development which translates directly into capitalistic profitability.

In this context, the Multinational Corporations are “dead-set enemies” of the Entrepreneurial-Driven Capitalism of the Watson era. To be sure, they have adopted the philosophy of Microsoft, Inc. and its leaders: “The only thing that we are afraid of is two guys in a garage.” (Think, Wright Brothers!) Accordingly, they have huge staffs of scientists and engineers scouring the garages of the world to discover the Generators who might create new markets and the Innovators who might create new “playing fields” for the applications and transfers of technologies.

Japan, Inc., has long held the Innovative Commercializer Positioning in the marketplace (see Figure 3). In this positioning, Innovative Initiatives are “nested” in the Commercializer Phase. This is the positioning which Multinational Corporations find most profitable and, therefore, most attractive: it emphasizes legacy contributions modified or customized by innovative technological initiatives.

Figure 3. The Innovative Commercializer Positioning Carkhuff, R. R., et al. The Freedom Wars. Amherst, MA: HRD Press, 2004.

This is “The Microsoft Model:” to appear “slightly innovative” while becoming maximally profitable. The long-term problem is that this apparently “risk-free” course is very vulnerable to both Generators and Innovators as when the U.S. retaliated against Japan, Inc. for “dumping” in the 1990s by pitting “True Innovation versus False Imitation.”

Most important, America has abandoned the source of its dominance throughout the 20th century: “Free Enterprise through Generative Innovation!” Historically, we have dominated by generating R & D “breakthroughs” and discovering new markets and servicing them.

It is uncomfortable for a nation of builders to chant “Second to the market and proud of it.”

We are a people who are committed to the front of the market curve: “First to the market and free!”

In transition, American Free Enterprise has dropped from its pre-potent leadership of Generative Innovation to a “Slightly Innovative Commercializer Positioning” which places her “back-in-the-pack” with all of the other “Wannabe Commercializers.” The U.S. has done this in large part due to her deference to the Multinational Corporations which satisfy stockholder demands on profitability and fail on creative leadership values.

Signing off for Freedomblog, this is Bob Carkhuff.

Remember, We the People, we must not retreat from Generative Innovator positioning in the marketplace. Think about it!

We invite your comments. Send to Bob@Freedomblog.com.

“May the road rise to meet you
And the wind be at your back.”

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Thanks for signing on. I’m Bob Carkhuff, and this is Freedomblog.

The theme for today is Roadmap to Freedom.

For thinking people, this means that the current model of American Enterprise must implement Generative Innovator positioning.

The march of civilization is the march of freedom. Free enterprise has brought us free markets and global trade. Participative governance has given us democratic governments and individual rights. Cultural relating has yielded human rights, meritocracy and social security. The human benefits are hard to calculate.

And yet the march of civilization is not without costs to its promulgators. The treatment of the U.S. in the global marketplace is consistent with the adage, “No good deed goes unpunished!” Until the 21st century, America has been the source of more than 90% of the generative breakthroughs in science and the innovative variations in technologies. Still, they are not necessarily the beneficiaries of their intellectual processing.

Take the case of Intel’s $2.5 billion semiconductor chip fabrication plant to be built in China. “Innovated in America—Commercialized Elsewhere!” is the new trade paradigm. There are as many possible manipulations to ensure the benefits of creativity as there are criminal machinations to steal intellectual property. But there is only one enduring leadership paradigm: Generativity! This is the fuel for “The Roadmap to Freedom.”

American Enterprise leads in the GICCA Marketplace. In other terms, Generativity drives Free Enterprise Economics, requires Free Democratic Governance, and is enabled by Interdependent Cultural Relating.

Figure 4. The American Enterprise Model Implementing Generative Innovator Positioning in the Marketplace (click image for larger version)

If we create, we can drive future markets. This means that we are continuously changing the marketing paradigm and the playing field on which it is enacted. Remember, Generators are aligned with change! We can “Reverse any ‘U-Turn’.”

In order to continue to exercise Generative Leadership, we must follow the “Roadmap to the Freedom Functions—Peace, Prosperity and Participation:

• Interdependently-driven Cultural Relating to generate Peace;
• Entrepreneurial-driven Free Enterprise to generate Prosperity; and
• Electronically-driven Participative Governance to generate Participation.

The cost of “The Roadmap to Freedom” is high: Continuous generative processing for continuous peace, prosperity, and participation requires “skilled, generative, thinking people.”

Our “Voyage of Discovery” has yielded our roadmap.

Our “Human Brainpower” will implement it.

We can create our own “Changeable Destinies.”

Freedom is thinking!

Signing off for Freedomblog, this is Bob Carkhuff.

Remember, We the People must implement Generative Innovator positioning. That is the “take-away” for everyone’s “Roadmap to Freedom.” Think about it!

We invite your comments. Send to Bob@Freedomblog.com.

Thank you Tom! Thank you Jack!

May the road rise to meet you
And the wind be at your back.