Are you actively using intangibles management tools in your business? What is working for you? Any suggestions or recommendations for other readers? View and post comments
Intangible capitalist – that is exactly what we are. For 15 years we have been missionaries in the intellectual capital field and the mission is not over yet. We have especially focused on the measurement part of intangibles, what this book refers to as The New Balance Sheet, with our tool IC Rating. It works to a certain extent, but it is still a hard sell no matter how great the results.
I believe that the first part of this book should be used by anybody who wants to explain the necessity of intangibles. The pragmatic way it is described there is a guide for us to use in our own IC missionary work.
Agree with Peter about the hard sell, and also that IC management is a necessity. There’s the rub, how can it be a necessity if the business is “fine” and the entrepreneur/manager has no consciousness of IC assets? That awareness, consciousness is a current focus.
I am in Cyprus at the moment for my other business (property & design) meeting with very successful internationals, generously introduced by a client/friend for whom I an advising on design concepts and specifics for a villa under construction a top a ridge in Limmasol. Ample opportunity to be consious of how reliationship management leads from one synergy to another, leading to new ground for opportunity.
When time permits, I’ll capture observations toward defining the intangible elements at play. Thoughts: trusted introduction, mutual interest apart from the business, test of the business acumen, “sealed with a kiss” so to speak, perhaps that’s a handshake or too much great food and Zivania (In my case, it’s all that plus touring out on “the boat”). The build involves “passing it on” as in the movie of a few years back. Help further connections by extending introductions.
Example: as one contact shares need for ideas on the exterior of an office building going up in the old town, a client needs to learn about the potential use of mosiacs, a supplier artisan and antiquities conservator in my set of relationships becomes a bridge among all and the relational capital of each is increased. The guiding force, for me, is the integrity and quality of hose relationships–not casually entered, but consciously understood for their potential.
A turn-off for some not engaged in exploring IC but needing to understand it may be that turning such stories into captured data to map relationships (for example) can seem calculating and far from the authenticity sought in human relationships. In the early 80′s, trying to learn database construction, I choose to map my relationships and develop a relational database to capture and thereby better understand me networks–long before I was consciously interested in KM, IC, OD, etc. (I was a happy heritage interpretor!) I made the mistake of sharing what I was doing and found that some then questioned whether the relationship was a calculated one, somehow less sincere and authentic.
I think such human perceptions are a factor in openess to understanding the facets of a relationship that is, essentially, about human beings interacting and overlaying a business lens.
Perhaps I digress: to the point: tools I have used include relational databases, hand drawn mind maps, concept maps a la CMAP, even keywords affixed to photos where an application can integrate and present photos of people with mutual interests.
Yes, I am an intellectual capitalist. It’s great to have another book to add to the arsenal. The journey continues … congratulations on your efforts and I wish you success with the new book.
Cheers, Nick
Dr. Nick Bontis
Director, Institute for Intellectual Capital Research
Associate Professor of Strategy, McMaster University http://www.NickBontis.com
Smarter-Companies
Peder Hofman-Bang
3 years ago
Intangible capitalist – that is exactly what we are. For 15 years we have been missionaries in the intellectual capital field and the mission is not over yet. We have especially focused on the measurement part of intangibles, what this book refers to as The New Balance Sheet, with our tool IC Rating. It works to a certain extent, but it is still a hard sell no matter how great the results.
I believe that the first part of this book should be used by anybody who wants to explain the necessity of intangibles. The pragmatic way it is described there is a guide for us to use in our own IC missionary work.
John James O'Brien
3 years ago
Agree with Peter about the hard sell, and also that IC management is a necessity. There’s the rub, how can it be a necessity if the business is “fine” and the entrepreneur/manager has no consciousness of IC assets? That awareness, consciousness is a current focus.
I am in Cyprus at the moment for my other business (property & design) meeting with very successful internationals, generously introduced by a client/friend for whom I an advising on design concepts and specifics for a villa under construction a top a ridge in Limmasol. Ample opportunity to be consious of how reliationship management leads from one synergy to another, leading to new ground for opportunity.
When time permits, I’ll capture observations toward defining the intangible elements at play. Thoughts: trusted introduction, mutual interest apart from the business, test of the business acumen, “sealed with a kiss” so to speak, perhaps that’s a handshake or too much great food and Zivania (In my case, it’s all that plus touring out on “the boat”). The build involves “passing it on” as in the movie of a few years back. Help further connections by extending introductions.
Example: as one contact shares need for ideas on the exterior of an office building going up in the old town, a client needs to learn about the potential use of mosiacs, a supplier artisan and antiquities conservator in my set of relationships becomes a bridge among all and the relational capital of each is increased. The guiding force, for me, is the integrity and quality of hose relationships–not casually entered, but consciously understood for their potential.
A turn-off for some not engaged in exploring IC but needing to understand it may be that turning such stories into captured data to map relationships (for example) can seem calculating and far from the authenticity sought in human relationships. In the early 80′s, trying to learn database construction, I choose to map my relationships and develop a relational database to capture and thereby better understand me networks–long before I was consciously interested in KM, IC, OD, etc. (I was a happy heritage interpretor!) I made the mistake of sharing what I was doing and found that some then questioned whether the relationship was a calculated one, somehow less sincere and authentic.
I think such human perceptions are a factor in openess to understanding the facets of a relationship that is, essentially, about human beings interacting and overlaying a business lens.
Perhaps I digress: to the point: tools I have used include relational databases, hand drawn mind maps, concept maps a la CMAP, even keywords affixed to photos where an application can integrate and present photos of people with mutual interests.
Others?
Dr. Nick Bontis
3 years ago
Yes, I am an intellectual capitalist. It’s great to have another book to add to the arsenal. The journey continues … congratulations on your efforts and I wish you success with the new book.
Cheers, Nick
Dr. Nick Bontis
Director, Institute for Intellectual Capital Research
Associate Professor of Strategy, McMaster University
http://www.NickBontis.com