Spreading the message of innovation

It might have been almost a decade since his book Funky Business: Talent Makes Capital Dance was published and became the Bible for innovators worldwide, but Dr Kjell Nordstrom has cemented his place as one of the most sought after gurus in the world of business management. Consultant to some of the largest multinationals, Dr Nordstrom travels the world to spread his message about innovation and how to do business amid the madness of our new world economy.


You've been to Dubai before. What is it about this place that attracts you?

I think Dubai offers a taste of the kind of clusterification you can see in our times and how money, people, resources and ideas tend to come together in a small place. Hollywood was like this – the actors, the money, the ideas and the creative people came together in a very small spot, which revolved around a number of industries. The same thing is happening here and it's like a tornado that stands right up in the air.

I've already been here five to six times and this year I'm going to come in for three to for more times. I look forward to it every time.

What funky lessons are you bringing this time?

This time we will talk a little about ultra modern forms of capitalism and how it works and what the implications are for the single individuals.

What are some of the most important marketing lessons the world can learn from Dubai?

There are a couple. Dubai shows that you can, through an idea, actually change a whole region, which is the case here. It also shows that competitive advantages in our times are created by human beings and that they are not created by nature.

What do you think Dubai needs to learn at this stage?

I think sustainability is critical. Another is identity. Singapore, for instance, has had an identity crisis because everything came up instantly. It is natural that if you grow too fast you get personality problems, and this becomes an issue for city states like Dubai. Cities like Venice or London have been growing for ages and their personalities are well understood.

So what innovative management lessons does the UAE or the region need to implement at this stage of development?

I think there are a couple of things. Further liberalisation is a good idea. It's well known for other areas that the moment artists and painters move into a city or area is when the creative industries will come to a city to stay forever. They are extremely important for the city because they bring with them all the necessary components. When I say liberalisation, it is important that people just do not fly in and stay for a short period of time, but actually stay. People become full members of society. This is not really the case now.

Everyone says London is such a miracle. But we shouldn't forget that all of it is made by people from other countries than the United Kingdom that has moved there with their families, bought houses, stayed there, engaged in politics and became a part of the city. This is a necessary step for growth and development.

So if we applied these theories, how long before we begin to see change, or perceptible growth?

Growth in any aspects, whether companies or cities or even human beings, is a torturously slow process for the simple reason that growth is a case of learning by doing. Firms that grow too fast have to fail and try again and fail and then succeed. This is the same thing when it comes to cities, there will be backlashes, but you solve it and move forward. There are no quick fixes.

And how does one sustain this growth?

We have to understand that Dubai, like London, is driven by immigrants. This place has to keep on growing its attraction which is great today, but as one famous person said: 'greatness is not to be, it is to remain'.

You speak about talent making capital dance, but the UAE is in a recruitment crisis, struggling to find adequate talent. How do you propose we deal with this situation?

This is a thing I have just started to understand. There will be a global talent war. There will be a lack of talent in the world. Competition will only be in the beginning and we are now only in the beginning.

There will be a sellers' market when it comes to talent. This means we are coming to a situation where we have to treat people like stars. If we want these doctors, dentists or scientists, we have to realise that you are competing with the world's best cities to live in like Munich or Tokyo and this is to do with everything from schools to facilities and safety to transportation.

Will that work well in a multi-cultural work environment such as here?

I am a firm believer in diversity as a growth engine. There are very few points for argument and I hail it, welcome it and think that the more diversified we are, the better.

You have said the the next domain for businesses to explore is women. Could you explain?

This is simple case. Women today have the money to spend and will drive so many industries in the future. They are moving in at all levels in all societies, be it politics, business research and this will change the agenda. There should be no doubt about that. This is no longer a man's world.

How will that model work in countries such as the UAE, where the number of women in the workplace is one of the lowest in the world?

This is the competitive advantage you need to pursue. You don't have to be a professor to realise that and you cannot cut off 50 per cent of your population.

This is what I call "Eve-olution" and something that will form the core of my next book, for which we are finalising a publisher.

So what is this brave new world you are proposing? What is the manifesto you are going to launch?

They are four major things: If you want to understand our times, think female, emotion, personal and simple. If a product, service, idea or project fulfils these criteria, your company will fit right in.



THE FORUM

Dr Kjell Nordstrom will speak at the Management Innovation Forum, which runs from Sunday until Wednesday at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel. Log on to www.leaderspresents.com for more information.