Planning the Beachhead

Planning the Beachhead

          Next week I am going to Rotterdam for a conference.  It is a conference I attended last year, which in and of itself is meaningful in that it demarcates the passage of time in our current scientific and commercial initiative.  Last year there were 150 in attendance.  I suspect this year will be closer to 200 attendees.  This is only the third year of this conference and given the money-making nature of such gatherings, it is noteworthy that we are engaged in a new and maturing arena with lots “happening”, but no real breakthroughs yet.  We are hoping to be that major breakthrough, and I will work to secure a prime speaking slot for next year, when I hope to be able to announce our voila moment.

          That makes the positioning at this conference, which is a gathering of both businesspeople and scientists, very important.  The balancing act is challenging.  The balances that need to be struck are awareness v. discretion, learning v. presence, familiarity v. credibility and so-on and so-on.  In other words, we have to make people aware of who we are and what we are doing and yet not seem to be people who are hangers-on not getting far enough fast enough.  Our story for this year is that we are getting closer and expect to be there next year.  That is not too different than our message last year, but we were new guys on the scene then and since then we have met with two of the big players in evidence and a third has asked for a meeting at this conference.

          The reality is that our vision is unchanged, but a bit more realistic this year.  I am comfortable that message can be managed, but I also imagine that if we do not have demonstrable evidence of our progress by next year’s conference, we will start to lose traction or at least credibility.

          Such is the nature of project work, and probably particularly scientific research project work (I am guessing, because I have never led a scientific research attack force before). I am struck by the similarity of many new ventures I have been involved with over the years.  Rarely does one meet one’s aggressive schedule, but aggressive schedules remain a must.  Rarely does one stay around year to year unless one is truly making progress. The progression and the optics thereof are important, even though they do not substitute for real progress.

          The first year of this conference we sent one guy with incognito credentials.  He was a spy of sorts and came back with a report of who and what this was all about.  We went last year with no scientists, just businesspeople, and took meetings and introduced ourselves.  We were less well known but made a small dent in the community and left a minor impression since several bigger players followed-up with us and we have all since met.  This year we are taking scientists and making a stronger statement of our intent and seriousness.  We will also seek a speaking spot for next year (I tried at the last minute for that and was told there was no room at the inn).  I figure the word will get out that we are on the schedule to speak for next year and that will maintain the credibility that 1.) we will be around next year, and 2.) that we are confident enough to have something meaningful to say that we are prepared to open our kimono a bit.

          As with any new endeavor, we all have internal thoughts ranging from optimism to cynicism.  We have scientists, engineers, new business development people, managers, administrators, and investors.  They all have different tendencies in how they gravitate between optimism and cynicism.  Some are inherently leaners in one direction or the other.  Some vacillate openly.  Some vacillate inside and that is palpable through the optimistic veneer they adopt.  People are funny.  Some are predictable and some surprise you.  Some move against you when you notice and observe their tendencies.  Some move toward you when you notice and observe their tendencies.  Hard to tell which way people will move on any given day.

          Like a sports team going out on the field when the outcome of the match is unclear and their futures in their sport are unclear, there is a Kabuki involved with the process.  I’m not Knute Rockne, but I tend toward the cheerleader since I believe that people’s psyche shows through and any negativism is bound to get sensed by the opposing team.  Dogs attack when they smell fear, so the smartest posture to take is supreme optimism.  It makes no sense to take any other posture.

          So, I have sent an email to our attendees and I have dealt with the conference like it is our next Friday Night Lights event.  Prepare, plan, coordinate.  Take no prisoners.  Come home with the bacon.  Everyone needs to take this all very tactically and get the most out of it.  We are not having a winning season, but we are capable of a win and probably deserve a win for our persistence.  We have not always acknowledged our losses, but we must. Life does not award wins.  Life demands that we seize our opportunities and create our own wins.  This is what leadership is all about. 

          I have been to conferences like this over and over again during my forty-five-year career.  The lay of the land is almost always the same.  The only thing that changes is the posture we take and how we approach the game.  Because that is what it is.  It’s a game.  Not the work, but the Kabuki that surrounds the work.  So, we will paint our faces, stomp our feet, prepare for some shouting and looking tough.  It’s what we will do and we must gird our loins to do it once more.