The Corporate Persona

It is funny how companies take on a personality of their own. Many times a company's success of failure is dictated by their culture. What I find interesting is that there are volumes written about corporate culture but few really seem to mean much. Let me tell you what corporate culture is not. Corporate culture is not a "mission statement." Is doesn't look like something that is generated by HR or anywhere else within an organization that is manufactured. The world culture comes from the Latin word cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate". This is interesting as corporate culture is cultivated but can only come from a naturally occurring source. I have seen good "corporate cultures" and bad ones. Neither of which really were things that people could control; they just manifest themselves based on realities that exist. The prevailing culture comes from the top; I have heard it many times, "speed of the leader, speed of the pack." When you see a group failing, look to the top and typically you will find poor leadership. Emotions and Feelings are human they are also embodied by companies as they are built out of the building blocks of people. Everything that "is" a company becomes the persona and is reflected in the corporate culture. In the witnessing of this culture both good and bad I have learned that good leaders spend a lot of thought in building, preserving and protecting a group's culture. This becomes an intangible asset more powerful than the people themselves. It is the power by which fuels both the internal and the external. It can take a new hire and drive them to success of failure. It can also bring new vendors and clients to the table just by its existence.

Entrepreneur.com called corporate culture, "A blend of the values, beliefs, taboos, symbols, rituals and myths all companies develop over time." I think this is a very accurate description as it talks to the elements of what comprises the culture but one thing the definition doesn't talk to is how the elements affect each other or which ones are weighted the most. If the truth be told you really cannot create the formula for the culture as it is a living think with everything becoming a chemical reaction to the others. This chemistry ultimately creates a unique ingredient that has the power to build or destroy what it touches. This energy is the force by which pushes a company to greatness or drags a company to its knees. It is so sad that very few pay any attention to the development of a strategy for the creation of a good and solid culture. I think most managers mid and high level look at it as an exercise that was taught in a business class that has no real application or relevance to true business success.

Corporate culture can be a headquarters initiative and a "in field" phenomenon. Many companies try to control or manipulate the culture without having true merits to its creation. This culture manufacturing can backlash. Once someone realizes that they have been mislead in their beliefs distrust begins to build that is much harder to pull down than the walls of China. Employees hate to be treated like cattle and want to be treated intelligently and fairly. Good managers and organizational leaders learn quickly whom they can entrust with the truth. This handing out of the truth builds trust and loyalty as it is a very rare trait in people especially when money is involved. Most will sell out to trickery and simple manipulation to get the results they desire and in so create a culture that becomes a hidden liability. It becomes a ticking time bomb that will go off when you least expect it and typically when you cannot afford it. It will take out your best people and leave you with followers that have no direction.

A quick way to create a dangerous culture is the use of disinformation. As a company our objectives, goals and directives are only as good as the sum total of the people carrying out those objectives, goals and directives. Bad culture comes from lack of leadership or poor leadership. A strong leader will create warriors while a poor leader creates thieves and victims. The results are evidence of the quality of the leadership. Poor results equal poor planning and poor execution. And the lack of a quality culture come from the lack of weight given to the creation of a strong culture and bond which can hold a company together in the toughest of times. In a soft economy like what we are experiencing now it is even more important than ever to bring forth strong leaders and to pay attention to the culture that we create if we are to survive to fight another day.

The sad thing is that many companies spend more time thinking about things that are not core to their business. They major in the minors and never get a chance to step up to the plate to hit a "home run." Many a fortune 500 contender has gone away do to a lack of focus on their core competencies, and maintained simple strategies that will take them to their ultimate goals. I work for an office equipment sales and service company that is owned by a manufacturer of office equipment. What is interesting is that we administrate ourselves to death. We spend more energy on things that do not make us money and refuse to focus in on money making activities. We know what problems we have but are unable to solve them. Our problems are just ignored as they are "too big" to surmount. Logistics, Supply Chain, Customer Relationship Management, Order Entry, Order Fulfillment, Service and Support all our noble things to excel at. These are elements of any business that if neglected will ultimately contribute to its failure. But without a strong culture even a company that has all of these things ironed out cannot survive especially in times like these when even the secretary is a pirate.

As I survive another merger I just watch the ants in the colony work, all the time thinking…

Let the games begin…

2000 years ago the way it was intended:

Psalm 23 (New International Version)

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

¹ The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not be in want.

² He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside quiet waters,

³ he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

⁴ Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

⁶ Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

The way it is now:

Pselling 23 (New Pirate Version)

A Psalm of Pirate Mike

¹ He (Ricoh) is my Manufacturer and Employer; I shall not want for a new Canon or Konica Minolta box.

² He makes me go into print shops without a mid production color machine,

He leadeth the PPBG right into my accounts and offers them my bread,

³ He continues to retrofit the C900.

He guides me in the way of business class color

For his reputation sake, and because he taketh away my Konica Minolta equipment.

⁴ Even though I cold call

Through the valley of the death of the copier,

I will fear no Xerox, Canon or Konica Minolta dealer or direct channel,

For you are with me in my RFP's with pricing support,

Your toner and drums,

They will offer us profitability and high yields.

⁵ You prepareth my compensation and high quotas as we approach a new fiscal year,

In the presence of my competition you give me a machine that useth fuser oil;

My oil applicator runeth over with that damn oil.

⁶ Surely you will offer me a promotion and company profit sharing,

All the days that I sell your product,

And I will dwell in the demo room, (at the direct request of my regional production director)

Forever. (Or until I can figure out to get a transfer to professional services, or managed print services)

Amen and Amen

Pirate Mike Commentary:

The bloodletting in this industry is just beginning. (Bloodletting is the withdrawal of often considerable quantities of blood from a patient in the belief that this would cure or prevent a great many illnesses and diseases - Wiki) Konica Minolta is finally merging Danka Imaging with Konica Minolta Business Solutions and going through reorganization. Maybe into a group named something like Konica Minolta Imaging? You can be sure there will be plenty of announcements short coming as they get ready to start a new fiscal year April 1^st. Expect to see them position the Danka group as their production experts as they try to hold onto their Canon base and high volume accounts. They leveraged a relationship with Oce and bought a Xerox dealer and pitch used docutechs and other odd equipment they couldn't market or support. I am sure that the "Danka" group will be how they try to reposition their production print business group as they move forward in the world of production printing. They have cut tons of positions sifting the wheat from the chaff or at least leaning down the talent that they feel is expendable. Their annual report is a good read but their Slides for 3Q / March 2009 Consolidated Financial Results are a bit grim. You can look at them yourself here. (Slides for 3Q/March 2009 Consolidated Financial Results)

Xerox has reduced their first quarter view by like 80 percent. You can read more about that in Business Week here. (Xerox cuts 1Q view nearly 80%) Canon is hell bent to replace IKON with its own direct organization while Oce just bleeds to death. All the meanwhile Toshiba and Kyocera keep plugging along hoping to challenge the big 4 while Xerox, Canon, Ricoh and HP figure out how to outlive the economy. Ricoh will do its own bloodletting soon as they look at their first born RBS and step son IKON get ready to battle it out. Be prepared to struggle to get first row seats as this bloody battle will be worth watching; as the IKON gladiators dismember RBS and their PPBG group. Soon the streets will be full of copier salesman that didn't see the writing on the wall. We are about to witness the death of the copier era, and then we will usher in a new era of managed print services and outsourcing like we have never seen before; as we all look for a new identity. Our jobs really don't end they just morph into new expectations and roles as we chameleon into what the industry and our customers dictate. As their needs change and evolve so do our products and offerings and the way that we offer them.

As the plot thickens watch for more takeovers and bold chess moves as companies start to gamble with everything they have to jockey into position to be around next year. It is anybodies game and no one can completely predict the outcome as the cast of characters thins down like a bad murder mystery. As the "who dunit" is still waiting to be unveiled to the unsuspecting witnesses. I wrote the above play on the Psalm that is well known as a parody to what is my life. As I look around for a solid indication that things are going to be ok what I do notice is more industry unrest.

This bloodletting that I am witnessing is getting more common and it is amazing how many people are showing up looking for jobs. All I can say is that it has been Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and was definitely worth the "E" ticket! I am excited (as I have no other choice) to watch the second round bouts between Gartner's Leading 4 and to see how the Challengers bring to bear their tactics and strategies to market. We are looking at gorilla warfare for sure as the pressure mounts so does the antics that go along with the business. I am interested to see how this affects the ancillary functions of our business like research, development and support, or if those areas go unscathed.

Wishing You Well in 2009

Pirate Mike

And they asked, “will this print envelopes?”

Over the years if I was given a penny for each time a new customer would ask, "will this print envelopes?" I would be a millionaire! The reality is even the few copier manuals that mention that they can print on an envelope like a number 10, you quickly find out that the service department that handles your account doesn't support it. Why not?

I mean come on, most fusing sections of a normal copier run from 160 degrees centigrade to 200 degrees! That is the perfect environment for a new feature called self sealing. That's right you just print your envelopes and they come out sealed for you! Not to mention that they come out very friendly, as they will come out looking like they are waving at you. As most of us in the business know it would be nice to have a real solution for envelopes!

Now there is Riso and offset duplicators which will do multi color envelopes but even a seasoned pressman hates envelopes. Now once you get to full color envelopes you start running out of options.

Sure there are specialty presses for high speed envelopes and you can always print flat and convert but wouldn't it be nice to have a full color digital envelope press? Can you imagine maybe even complex variable images along with your address information? A short run solution with the capability to run all day, and maybe for as little as 2, 10 50 envelopes?

Well there is an answer; let Pirate Mike introduce you to PSI!

Yes PSI has developed a digital envelope press that slightly resembles a copier with an AB Dick Envelope Feeder on the front with a conveyor belt delivery on the back! Print up to 55 #10 envelopes per minute in "one pass" as the website says.

• Wrinkle Free – High Impact
  
• Print color on difficult stocks
  
• Cost Efficient
  

For just pennies you two can print your own envelopes simply and efficiently! Ok am I starting to sound like an info-mercial I will stop! But it is still worthy of noting as this technology has taken so long to come to bear. I remember the first time that I had heard of PSI's new technology, it was from one of my clients a "Sir Speedy" franchise. They had seen this device at the national convention and were asking me if I could sell it. They know that I have a tendency to sell products that are not on the price list – IKON's or anyone else's for that matter. I sadly said "no" I don't think I have ever run into it! Till just a couple weeks ago when my bosses boss sent me a "demo video" of this new great product. It was the PSI envelope press. Ok you will find out that I call everything a "press", so don't get caught up in the minutia. I was ecstatic a new product! I love new products and am always looking for a way to offer something that I won't have 5 other bids for as we all know that copiers, printers, and digital presses are a dime a dozen. The only thing that sets us all apart is the quality of the local staff for a given vendor. Installation, implementation, training and support are what make you or break you in my opinion. The rest is history, customers are becoming very savvy and being taught by professional buyers and consultants on what they need.

It is hard for me to remember the last time I really sat down with a neophyte in the office equipment biz. Mostly I sit down with production managers, general managers, and C level operations and It professionals that can basically give you the part numbers for what they need. Now they may not know why or have been led down a particular path and need a bit of readjusting to their particular workflow or network typology but in general they have a pretty idea of what they want, who they want to buy it from and how much they are willing to pay for it. It is always amazing how still buyers will hold back information thinking that this is benefiting them. Only to find out that they omitted something that was critical for their own success or that was pertinent to the cost structure to make the project a winner. I never feel sorry for those types of buyers, I figure if you don't take advantage of my years of experience and use what has been paid for by my company, "my salary" to answer your questions and gather important data for you then "shame on you!"

Long term I do not know the robustness of these printers, the engine is made my Okidata and the service is completely seperate from whom you will buy this device from. I just was excited to see someone address an age old problem that now I can fix for a "nominal fee." I will let you beat that out of me! They say the monthly duty cycle on one of their engines is 150,000 per month. Now I am a bit skeptical of anyone's "maximum monthly duty cycle" as we all know that is in a white sterile lab for one month before the machine blows up, not for a typical 5 year lease. But at 55 pages per minute that gives us the potential to get 25,080 envelopes in an 8 hour day factoring in 95% uptime that is pretty interesting. Using the company's duty cycle that would average about 7,500 envelopes a day based on a 20 day work month. Not bad for the nemesis of the copier salesman.

We all hate envelopes so it is fitting that now we can make money on them, as at some point in our career a customer has hated us because our machine either wouldn't do envelopes or because it did do envelopes for a while then quit working all together after they glued everything on the inside together. Hurray for another thing to sell to fix a problem that is older than the copier itself.


Happy printing,

Pirate Mike

 

The sea of emotions

I have found the emotion of life is what fuels the heart, mind and soul. Without it we would not perceive our accomplishments or failures. Absent of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows we surely would take for granted our consciousness. It is to this end that we strive to feel and decipher the addiction that is our daily emotional fix. I have been “off the wagon” for some time now, and now in a weakened state I feel that it is time to check myself into rehab.

.. ..

It is now time to rehabilitate my heart, mind and soul from the daily bingeing that comes from a high pressure sales job selling capital goods for a global company. Just as coffee and cigarettes seem to be a prerequisite for a salesperson so to is his or her addiction to a high level of emotions a requirement. These emotions fuel us and drive us to our ultimate end. They are what makes us champions and like a lead weight takes us to our graves at the bottom of the ocean.

.. ..

Months after the initial shock that turned out to be a turning point in my mental career, I am still stunned. I wake up each day hoping the tidal surge will subside so that I can take residence back in my mind where my consciousness calls home. My heart is still heavy with the current that carries me along. Like the tides of the ocean, my soul is heavy from the flow of information that ebbs and floods from my mind to my heart and back. Waiting for a slack tide so that my heart can rest enough to pick back up when the information overload returns.

.. ..

Now a survivor of two corporate mergers I feel the pain of those whom have had to change their way of life over the greed of share holders and corporate executives. After watching first hand the inflation of egos and the supposition of truth for what surely was an advertisement of the worst kind. Mental marketing coming from all directions to sooth the savage salesperson and keep him or her at bay. Restricting the freedom of understanding and knowledge to minimize the impact of the truth was their only goal.

.. ..

Now I stand alone looking at the aftermath of their greed and manipulation wondering where this new direction will take me. I plot my course and compensate for the deviation that can be accounted for. With the hope that my calculations are correct I carefully proceed. With so many unforeseen reefs and barriers, I know that ultimately I am responsible for my destination and safety. With a heavy sigh I look to the North hoping the winds will subside. I too need a break like many of those that crew along side me. With the warmth that only a South wind can bring I look for a sunrise signifying that a new day has begun and again my opportunities are anew.

.. ..

I need to believe that my course is well thought out and that my helmsmanship is sure. We only get one chance to do this right and I do not want to wash up on a lea shore with no one to assist in my rescue. Even as a rudder can turn a massive ship, we as individuals have great influence on those around us and can take the team to new heights or destroy any good that is among the crew. With so many lives and families at stake I hope that those that are in power take into consideration their actions and direction.

.. ..

Bringing new blood onto the ship I see new deck hands daily. Shining their shoes and straightening their uniforms I see them proudly walk around in blissful ignorance. Ahh to be ignorant again and walk hand in hand with the honeymoon that only a newbie can embrace. For those that start up this adventure under the knowledge of the new owners it is a simple task. For those that started under the old captain a new charge could mean a rough trip for everyone.

.. ..

Just as we clean the decks and keep order of the lines we must tend to the corners of our minds. Holding to the truths that we know and leaving room for new understandings that will come from experience and the enlightenments of others. Consistent effort is the key to success and I too must manage the emotions that rule my head and heart. Just as adrenaline keeps us alert in the midst of a storm we must carefully watch ourselves as the storm subsides. Sleep comes to those that take refuge in the lull of action, only to be rudely awakened to dangerous seas as the storm’s anger builds anew.

.. ..

So to in our sales career we must maintain the pressure, even when the storm seems to subside. If we take the pressure off we will find ourselves in a dangerous position as our pipeline comes to an ugly end. We must be diligent and keep alert to the ever increasing dangers that lurk around every point. In this age of technology we are constantly being bombarded with information that can overload our emotions and carry us off like a tidal wave.

.. ..

As the immediate storm system subsides I wait to clearly take inventory during the daylight to reconcile the reports. I am also curious to see the changing of the watch that is to come so that I may know whom I will report to in the coming hours and days. What we do know is we have survived the first wave, but we do not know what is behind it. Only time will tell us what our true fate is to be. I for one am eager to meet my destiny.

.. ..

Pirate Mike

Cain & Abel – A copier odyssey of biblical proportions…

Typically my stories are filled with the normal corporate piracy and plundering, in this saga what is interesting is that the piracy is between blood brothers. Truly what is funny is the older that I get and the longer that I am in this industry the more the truths of my parents and the stories that I grew up with have more meaning. It is never shocking how the stories that we grew up with becomes more clear and are eternally applicable in many circumstances in our daily lives. The sad thing is that many times I am living the stories out and wish that I could just be a casual observer instead of being cast into a lead role.

As you will remember from the story Cain and Abel was the first and second son of Adam and Eve. Their story is much like the deepening division and dangerously real world drama between Ricoh Business Solutions and IKON. Cain the first born, a farmer, commits the first murder by killing his brother Abel the second born and, a shepherd. I liken this to the ongoing and ever growing attack from RBS the first born son of our Father Ricoh known as a farmer in the world of document management solutions and equipment and IKON the second born son a shepherd of high volume production solutions and a hunter. After the merger we were told "we are part of the Ricoh family." During this time offerings came forth showering IKON show rooms and offices with upgrades and golden trinkets in the form of upgrade incentives and lease forgiveness. We all felt the love from our father as we were welcomed into the family fold.

Both brothers were given a gift of the Ricoh Pro C900 Digital Color Production System. Cain went out into the field and started plowing the fields and looking for seed. Abel left for the forest to find a good place to perch and scout new kills from. Cain set out to wait for the rain, while Abel looked for something new to kill and takedown. The twist is that the coat of many colors had been bestowed upon Abel for his hard work and diligence like the biblical story in which Abel was able to please God with his offering. IKON was acquired and given the coat of many colors due to its hard work hunting and able and willing desire to lead in the hard world of production print. IKON was groomed to be in a place of authority in the production realm. Cain had worked hard and had produced the PPBG a dedicated (Production Print Business Group) and although they tilled the land they were unable to produce a crop. (even with the NexPRESS and IBM Infoprint) IKON with no former knowledge of the Ricoh family story was able to hunt down new opportunities and develop relationship which would place him in favor with his father and sell the new production device the Ricoh Pro C900.

Cain furious with his father and in great despise of his brother went constantly out of his way to position his brother in poor light. Constantly hammering away to move Abel away from the production opportunities and him shamed in the father's eyes. I have always been raised in this business believing that there was honor among thieves. It is interesting to me how 2 brothers can fight so furiously about accounts that one has no knowledge or presence in. Why would you cry so hard over something that you cannot manage in the first place? They admittedly do not have years of production experience as they have never had a product to sell into that space. They do not have the proper infrastructure and service organization to service such accounts. Nor do they have the professional service and analysts that are needed to be successful in these environments. And why would they want them? They are low margin, high maintenance and very frustrating at times. To please their father? To secure their position as the head in the family? And why would they try to destroy what their father just purchased? Do they think if they can discredit the purchase that will make themselves more valuable? Do they not understand that both the farmer and the hunter are needed in the family?

If we are working for the good and betterment of our father would it not be considered selfish to take on tasks that can be better served by another? The inherent selfishness of Cain, his jealousy, rivalry, and aggression are central to this ever evolving story. I would get deep into the details but they are still unfolding and I don't want to ruin the ending for you when I myself do not know what lies ahead. What I can tell you is as we travel further down this high volume and production print road with nothing but the Ricoh bag of tricks I can promise you that you will hear many an IKON warrior say over and over, "He is not heavy, He is my brother!" If only they could see that now, the pain and damage they could save us all.

And the honor they would bring to their father, if they only knew.

"In the end all we are left with are the memories of those that loved us and the stories we told to them." ~ Pirate Mike