Today is the one-year anniversary of me and Lenovo. As John Lennon sang, “..and what have you done? Another year over and a new one just begun.”
I tend to take start-date anniversaries seriously. October 11, 1988 was my start-date at Forbes and every year my editor, Bill Baldwin, would sit me down with all the stories I had written in the previous 26 issues, and let me know where I stood and what I should work on.
At McKinsey start-dates weren’t important. The entire firm went into introspection mode twice a year in July and December.
Anyway, if I had to list the ten professional milestones of 2006 for me, in roughly chronological order:
- Assimilation: Lowell Bryan at McKinsey told me, “No one is fully effective for six months.” I don’t know when exactly I began to feel comfortable in my own skin, but the first few months were predictably confusing as I learned Lenovo’s acronyms and internal vocabulary.
- Metrics: I brought in Omniture SiteCatalyst to measure our online marketing.
- Blogs: I launched the first corporate blog. It would have been sooner, but I was out of action due to the Memorial Day Bicycle Incident.
- Proactive Support: I started an informal blog monitoring and service/fulfillment support program with Mark Hopkins.
- Interactive advertising: we shifted dramatically towards a “direct” model of advertising, using metrics to back up the expense to revenue ratios.
- Viral: some good viral was produced (not by me), but I think I can take credit for changing some attitudes about the role of viral.
- Quality of Life: recovering from the Bicycle Incident put the long-distance commute between Cape Cod and North Carolina to the test. I think I have achieved equilibrium.
- Big Idea: not to jinx it, but I think I am succeeding in selling the big one for 2007.
- IT: we’ve brought in some new thinking to the types of systems needed to support a world-class interactive marketing group. These should bear fruit this year.
- Influence: slowly but surely I’ve built my network and have a much better idea today about who does what, etc. than I did in January 2006.
David,
Congrats on one year! Good luck in ’07. I would love to pick your brain on life in NC as the wife and I are considering a move there from NYC.
Coincidentally I posted about my first year in lenovo just today. Lenovo can be a confusing company to start to work to; with all the transition from IBM, in roles and responsibilities… but that makes it more fun.
I wonder about number 8, though…
Congratulations on your first year! 2006 was interesting, and the forum is agog with curiousity over the Big Idea… (or, at least I am)
The “big idea” has the potential to be fab if executed as designed. Good luck!
I’m particularly taken by your number 6 though 😉
Hey, you missed #11 … “Michael purchased 2 Lenovo computers as a result of meeting me via the blogs” 😉
Hey David,
congratulations!
I am still so thrilled with my new Lenovo tablet that I am looking to buy some more at Lenovo. I called today, but I have a question that I think would fit your blog perfectly.
I need to set up a network in my chiropractic office, with a Server and two work stations. To run the billing softwware I need to run Windows Server software. When I called Lenovo they told me that they don’t sell servers. much to my disappointment. They referred me to IBM. IBM I believe does not sell the workstations that I would use.
Could you clarify for me, and the rest of the world, more about where the cut off line is between Lenovo and IBM, and what I should do in my current situation. I am so thrilled not only in the machine, but also in the customer service I have received. I have an internet connection question, so called technical service. I refrained form dropping the “David Churbuck” connection to see what happened if I was an average customer. After two relatively quick transfers to the right level of tech support, the guy was very knowledgeable, and patient, and was very clear to understand and communicate with. I am thrilled with my system and want to buy a pre-configured Lenovo network, but I do not think this will be possible. Would you like to comment?
dk –
Will — happy to share my ignorance of the Tarheel state with you. A very nice place actually.
Esteban — I did not know we share the same Lenovo birthday.
Nonny — stay tuned for the Big Idea. The forum is going to dig it because it was designed with them in mind.
Effingpot — indeed. Execution is the rub on this one.
Michael — that was a high point. Better was your analysis of the out-of-the-box experience
Dr. Klein — let me ask around. Our server strategy is developing and I need to get smarter about it.
My “official” date is Jan 1, when I went from IBM to Lenovo, they gave me a week to choose… and here I stand. I was worried before it happened but haven’t regretted the choice a single time since.