Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Stand Up and Walk Away from the Monkey See, Monkey Do Crowd

The New Virtual Organization World
It's a New Principled World, It's Virtual, and It's Organized



Regardless of which part of the world you are in, I am sure you have heard a variation of the expression: "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones at others."    

Therefore, as a leading proponent, advocate and Architect of The New Virtual Organization World and everything that it stands for,  I had a seminal decision to make with respect to ALL Significant and Major Initiatives we have undertaken:
   
Option #1.    Either Stay 100% True to the uncompromising principles of the virtual organization management discipline in order to advance the cause of The New Virtual Organization World.   Principles which are based on the maxim "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" and which form the bedrock of The New Virtual Organization World.

(And if you had previously read :: A Global Need for Principled Leadership :: A Global Need for Principled Leaders :: A Global Need for Principled Geopolitical Leaders ::   and  :: Universal Virtual Organization Code of Ethics:  A Priori Ethics :: then you would know exactly what I mean by that - however, that being said, do not attempt to read them now because it would take you at least a full day to finish.)


Option #2.   Or Adopt "the ends justify the means" position  when certain existing "brick and mortar world" practices - which are specifically prohibited in The New Virtual Organization World -  can greatly advance the cause of The New Virtual Organization World.

In other words, Join the Club or Follow the Crowd  when it is expedient to do so, knowing full well that the consequences of such action would automatically place me in my own glass house wherein I would lose all moral authority to advocate on behalf of the virtual organization management discipline and The New Virtual Organization World.     Well, for starters, that is definitely NOT an option for me. 

Enough of the Cryptic Talk

I already know what's going through your mind right now this very second.   You wish I could be more specific and provide some concrete, real life examples.   Wait no more!  

What this means is that I had to forgo the typical deceptive, manipulative, and bullshit marketing and promotional practices that are needed to get out the message about The New Virtual Organization World to our intended audience in the brick and mortar world.    Instead, I chose to just stick to our own values and principles.
(Although, from an historical and short-term standpoint, these deceptive methods and practices have proven to be very reliable, effective and successful nearly 98% of the time.) 
So, here are some real-life examples of  what I am talking about with respect to each major initiative we currently have in progress.  

INITIATIVE #1.  League of Extraordinary Virtual Organization Executives

I have a small number of very influential friends and colleagues--die-hard, dyed-in-the-wool Brick and Mortar CEOs at Global 5000 organizations--who don't really share the same level of enthusiasm that we have for the  League of Extraordinary Virtual Organization Executives but nonetheless would be very pleased to do me a favor by lending their name and prestige on our website in order to attract their colleagues to our cause (the Monkey See, Monkey Do effect).

However,  as tempting as it sounds and as grateful and honored I felt, it was really a no-brainer decision for me:  I decided to pass on it for the simple reason that this goes against everything that we stand for.  

Moreover, the League offers 100% confidentiality to its members with respect to the public at large. And with respect to existing members, the membership list is 100% Top Secret and Confidential (and there are many valid and legitimate reasons for that).  The only way a member gets to become aware of the existence of another member is through participation in a voluntary monthly excursion which consists of  ME and up to 20 League members. And once a League member becomes aware of the identity of another member, he/she is expressly prohibited from revealing that member's identity to any other member.

In other words, if a member never participates in one of the monthly excursions, then, for all intents and purposes, he/she will never know the identity of the other members AND will never get to meet ME and the other members face-to-face.  That member will only be aware of my identity as the founder of the League.

As well, I go out of my way to discourage every prospective member from applying for membership in the League by providing them with just about every single bit of information about who we are, what we do, and the purpose for our existence - for ONLY ONE REASON:

I want to make sure that each member is clearly aware of  Who I Am, What to Expect from Me personally,  What the League Is Really All About,  what they are really signing up for, and that we will only settle for "leaders with grit."  I don't want anyone to experience "buyer's remorse."    

I am clearly aware that some will think that I am clearly out of my mind, delusional, arrogant, blunt and to the point, and without an ounce of business and marketing-savvy.    As well, I also realize that I do come across as a "breath of fresh air" for people who despise all the bullshit, crap, lies, deception, bait-and-switch,  and smoke-and-mirrors that they have to deal with on a daily basis and that the League represents an excellent opportunity to get a brief respite from it all when we get an opportunity to meet.
As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together.  And if you fall into that category, there is no need to thank me - the pleasure is mine!     
And last but not least, I want to make sure that the annual membership dues is very transparent to everyone who visits our website.   No need for you to send a request for more info - or to schedule a meeting with a membership executive -   before disclosure of the membership dues. Typically, that is done out of fear that prospective members could develop sticker shock and not bother to continue down that nice, long yellow brick road with Alice in Wonderland.     

When I notice that sort of practice on a website, that automatically turns me OFF.   I expect others to assume that I am intelligent enough to discern the value of what they are offering to me based on the information provided on their website and that I am able to do a proper cost-benefit analysis.   The bottom line is this:  I don't like to be treated like a MORON, nor do I want any morons around me who need me to treat them that way.      

Thus, if a prospective member lacks the intelligence and foresight  to discern the value of this membership, both to them personally and to their organization,  based on the tremendous amount of available information provided on our website (or if such individual is just too damn lazy or busy to take the time to find out), then the League and I have NO need for them, period.   

The bottom line is this:   We have absolutely no need for Monkey See, Monkey Do executives who come to the League of Extraordinary Virtual Organization Executives website hoping to find out who else is a member before they make a decision to accept our invitation to join the League or to request an invitation.   Our website is designed to leave them exactly where we want them to be:  Far away from the League because we only have a need for "leaders with grit."

Surprise in Store for 2018 and 2019

We are cutting back on the total number of League members worldwide from 50 to 20.  (To reflect the maximum number of members who can participate in our monthly excursion.)

As well, the annual membership dues will increase substantially during the period 2018-2019 for NEW MEMBERS ONLY.

WHY?   The opportunities that will be made available to new members will exponentially increase in the months and years ahead.  The bulk of the hard work will have already been completed.   And these NEW MEMBERS will greatly benefit from the pioneering efforts of the original League members.   

To use an appropriate metaphor:  The Chef has already prepared the dinner, placed the food on the dining table and arranged all the dinnerware and silverware, and all that is left for the guests to do is to:  Sit down at the table and eat.

INITIATIVE #2.     VOMI Global Think Tank

When it comes to 99% of so-called think tanks around the globe, they should really be called "mouthpiece tanks," for the simple reason that they are nothing but a mouthpiece for their sponsors  - the people, businesses, foundations, special interest groups, and government agencies who actually fund their so-called research.   Research which really amounts to nothing but "regurgitated garbage" that is in line with their sponsors' agenda.   

So how do you break out of that vicious cycle and incestuous relationship and provide real meaning to the "think" word  in a "think tank" and conduct "real research" instead of just regurgitating the same old crap over and over again in order to fit your sponsors' agenda?

Well, instead of following the same old Monkey See, Monkey Do approach that all think tanks follow in order to fund their activities, we bring on board Official Global Ambassadors from every corner of the globe who fit a specific profile in order to fund the VOMI Global Think Tank:
C-Level Executives whose Circle of Influence includes  C-Level Executives from Forbes Global 2000 and Equivalent Enterprise Level Organizations and Governments who have a dire need for the services that VOMI (not VOMI Global Think Tank) and our partners provide.   
These Official Global Ambassadors MUST currently be employed at the highest levels of business, government and academia and are specifically forbidden from engaging in any sort of  activities that could even be remotely construed as "sales activities."   The ONLY THING that they are allowed to do is, refer  their "existing" friends and colleagues who are currently part of their Circle of Influence to the VOMI website in order to explore the "Internal Providers License" solution.   That is All!

If  their colleagues have a question regarding such solution, they (our Official Global Ambassadors) are specifically forbidden from engaging in any sort of conversation with such colleagues and are required to advise them to contact VOMI through the proper channels listed on the VOMI website.

Should such initial referral eventually result in the acquisition of  VOMI's Internal Providers License ::  then this Official Global Ambassador will be duly rewarded for such referral. All backed up in writing by an "Official Global Ambassador" appointment document  AND Agreement!   

(Please note that the referral cannot be to the Official Global Ambassador's current employer nor can such referral result in a conflict of interest.) 

Judging by what you've just read, I know this sounds completely insane and definitely NOT what everyone else is doing. The question I hear most often is "Why handcuff  me from trying to swing things in your favor?"

But we have our own reasons for this rigid stance :: just imagine having a Damocles sword hanging over your neck ::  and it is completely in line with the teachings of the Virtual Organization Management discipline as well as the philosophy behind it.   So, let's see if you can figure it out on your own - the method behind the madness.   The clues are all over the VOMI Blog

No Ambassador Advertising to Assist You in Making a Decision

And, last but not least, VOMI Global Think Tank does NOT advertise the names of the Official Global Ambassadors on its website although each Ambassador is assigned a biographical web page that they can share in their correspondence with members of their existing Circle of Influence.    

Again, there is a reason for that: We have absolutely no need for Monkey See, Monkey Do executives who come to the VOMI Global Think Tank website hoping to find out who else is a member before they make a decision to accept our invitation to join or to request an invitation.   Our website is designed to leave them exactly where we want them to be:  Far away from VOMI Global Think Tank because we only have a need for "leaders with grit" who can think for themselves and have no need to follow the Crowd.
   
INITIATIVE #3.    Launch of 3 Separate and Distinct Consortia               


The Vision

Now let's talk about the idea behind these consortia.   The virtual organization management discipline makes possible a world of virtual organizations I call "The New Virtual Organization World."   It's a world we are all headed toward whether we want to or not, and it's not a question of if, but when we will all get there.  

Being the founder of the virtual organization management discipline, I have this vision of  The New Virtual Organization World reflected in the January 23, 2014 revised version of my original paper "My Vision of The New Virtual Organization World(which continues to evolve by leaps and bounds since the introduction of my original vision in 2007).      

However, as you all know, it's one thing to have a vision but it's a completely different thing to execute on and realize that vision.  

The Reason for the Consortia

What this means is that, after 20 years of preaching about and teaching the virtual organization management discipline and standing by, hopelessly waiting for some Pioneers, Investment Gurus, Think-Out-of-The-Box Executives, Visionary Leaders, Change Agents, Game Changers, Great Thinkers, Brilliant Educators, Revolutionary Leaders, Legendary Policy-Makers, Legendary Innovators and Futurists with Foresight, etc., to begin to implement my vision of The New Virtual Organization World,  I finally came to the realization that I can preach about and teach the virtual organization management discipline all I want, until the cows come home or until hell freezes over, but unless I took steps to realize my vision of  The New Virtual Organization World, it would  remain just that, a vision that would have just continued to slowly fade away with each passing day.  

Thus the reason for these three (3) consortia.   They represent the backbone and infrastructure of The New Virtual Organization World.   They bring life to and serve as a catalyst for the development and orderly arrival of  The New Virtual Organization World.   They serve as a concrete example of what the virtual organization management discipline makes possible AND how every single organization and governmental entity can begin to make use of it and benefit from it NOW, TODAY, THIS MINUTE and SECOND instead of viewing the discipline as just some abstract notion of how to organize in a virtual environment.

These consortia are designed to bring together the aforementioned list of stakeholders I have been waiting for.    As well, they are also designed to rally Today, Now, and This Very Second you and your colleagues (Yes, I mean, YOU);  all these Innovative Executives and Strategic Thinkers; Organizations seeking New Markets for their products and services;  Governments around the World; Individuals from All Walks of Life;  AND Investors Worldwide who are seeking lucrative investment opportunities, to participate in the building of the infrastructure of The New Virtual Organization World.

My Job
    
My job as the titular head and founder of these consortia is to impart and distill the essence of The New Virtual Organization World and to offer the proper Spiritual Virtual Organization Infrastructure Guidance (nothing to do with religion) needed to ensure that all stakeholders are proceeding on the right path, in the right direction, in an orderly fashion,  and in accordance with my vision of The New Virtual Organization World. 

No Smoke and Mirrors

So how do we go about promoting these consortia and recruiting new members?   The answer is simple:  Through extensive relationships built during a period of over 40 years of being in business, and through social media.  No smoke and mirrors  - just plain old-fashioned, hard and smart work!

Please note we are clearly aware of the fact that the standard method is to offer FREE MEMBERSHIP to a few blue chip companies, get a few FAKE ENDORSEMENTS or nice words from some Key Executives to place on our websites in order to attract dues-paying members, etc.

Well, now that you know I don't care for the Monkey See, Monkey Do Crowd, let me tell you what we've done when faced with this situation.  

Several individuals had contacted us regarding a FREE MEMBERSHIP in return for bringing to us their friends and colleagues as dues-paying members.   I said, NO - for the simple reason that you should judge people by what they do and NOT by what they say.   

My number one issue with FREE MEMBERSHIPS is this:   If your organization is not willing to pay the membership dues, that can only be for one of three reasons:     

1) Your organization can't afford the membership fee and, that being the case, it has no business being on the Consortium in the first place since we require organizations and governments who will be actively involved in building the infrastructure of  The New Virtual Organization World at a financial cost which will dwarf the cost of membership in the consortium.   

2) Your organization may be able to afford the membership fee.  It's just that you don't really understand anything that you've read on our website and, therefore, you are not willing to fill out an application, let alone spend anything at all, regardless of the amount, in order to find out for yourself. In which case, we have NO NEED for your presence there (even if your organization were willing to pay the membership fee).

Why?  That's because we are looking for Collaborators instead of Lookie-Loos, Fence Sitters and Can Kickers who need convincing and have absolutely NO intention to Contribute.  Your presence there would be a huge distraction and very disruptive to the Real Deal team players who understand their goals and mission and are there to Contribute.  Our Consortium is NOT a social network or Country Club.  OR,

3)  You and/or your organization have absolutely no intention at all to Collaborate and Contribute on a consortium.  Instead, you may think this is all "bullshit" and all you want to do is to come in and go on a little reconnaissance mission:  poke around to see who else is there, what they are involved in,  how far along the process they are at, and once you have gotten the information you came for, just bail out.   And as far as referring to us these so-called dues-paying members, we'd have to be very gullible, if not total morons, to believe you in the first place. 

No Member Advertising to Assist You in Making a Decision

As well, we do NOT want to advertise the names of our members on the website although each member is free to mention their consortium membership on their own website, social profile or resume.     

Again, there is a reason for that:  We have absolutely no need for Monkey See, Monkey Do executives who come to a Consortium website hoping to find out who else is a member before they make a decision to accept our invitation to join or to submit an application.   Our website is designed to leave them exactly where we want them to be:  Far away from the Consortium because we only have a need for "leaders with grit" who can think for themselves and have no need to follow the Crowd.  

Surprise in Store for All Consortium Fence Sitters

The membership dues are bound to substantially increase instead of decrease over the long run.  Eventually, it will become necessary to impose a limit on the number of organizations which can join the consortium and the membership requirements will become much more restrictive.

Current members will NOT be affected by any membership dues increases and their dues will remain fixed for the lifetime of their membership, including annual renewals.  The reason being that their contribution during the consortium's early stages would have established a very firm and solid foundation for all NEW members.  It's our way of rewarding them for their dedication and contribution when we needed each other the most. 

INITIATIVE #4.   Allowing Investors Access to Consortium Members and Lucrative Investment Opportunities

It has gotten to a point where I no longer reply to potential investors who are interested in investing in The New Virtual Organization World.   They reach out to me from just about every corner of the globe. All they want from me is the typical business plan, financial projections and executive summary, and a minimum return on their investment,  so they can fund Consortium projects ranging anywhere from USD $3MM to $1 Billion.   I also receive many invitations to do the regular dog-and-pony show presentation to a group of investors.  

But when I tell them that VOMI itself  has absolutely NO NEED for loans or investors, they wonder how that can be.   However, I do tell them that if they are interested in investing in, or financing, very lucrative The New Virtual Organization World projects, I HAVE ONLY 2 CONDITIONS:   1) They need to join one of these 3 aforementioned Consortia, and 2) they must assign one of their representatives to actively participate (in that consortium) on a full-time basis.   

And if they are willing to satisfy these conditions, this will automatically provide them with "Insider Information" about:   1)  priority consortium projects and the opportunity to invite members of their own existing investment portfolio to participate in these projects;  2) what sort of lucrative and groundbreaking projects some of the members of the consortium are interested in and working on over a period of time; and, last but not least,  3) which of the consortium members are involved in partner discussions with each other.   

And by virtue of working with and having direct access to these individuals, they can also offer to finance or invest in their colleagues' projects.

I then go on to explain that VOMI or the Consortium itself has absolutely NO CONTROL over what projects that a consortium member chooses to participate in nor the financing or investment vehicle used to complete such projects.   

In other words,  VOMI itself does NOT have a need to participate in the typical dog-and-pony show or get involved in the standard Monkey See, Monkey Do process used to finance and build projects. In fact, VOMI itself has absolutely nothing to do with the financing of these projects.  It's strictly up to each consortium member to decide which project is of interest to them. 

And regardless of what I tell these investors or lenders, it's as if I were speaking an extraterrestrial alien language.  Like a bunch of robots, they keep repeating the very same thing to me:   "Thank you for giving me this information.  Just give me a business plan, financial projections and executive summary for any shovel-ready projects you have, and we can draw up the paperwork and approve the project as soon as humanly possible."    

They are so stuck in that Monkey See, Monkey Do mindset that they refuse to take the time to understand that I am actually giving them an opportunity that is at least 1000 times more substantive and lucrative than what they were originally asking from me.   The only thing they are looking at is that,  they have to join a consortium and, somehow or another,  they just can't seem to wrap their heads and minds around that notion,  because that's not the way things are normally done in their line of work.  

It's as if they are unable to think for themselves when they are placed in unfamiliar territory.   They'd rather walk away from billions of dollars in opportunities and settle for deals which may result in a  total loss of their investment - a daily occurrence for major lenders and investors -  due to the fact that they only have a superficial knowledge of the players involved and nothing but a cursory understanding of the projects financed.   
Hence the primary reason why I insist that all investors and lenders become active members of a consortium.
However, that being said, our Ultimate and Overriding Reason stems from the belief that it is in the best interests of both the Consortium and its Investor and Lender members that we bring about a certain amount of cohesion and discipline, a level of stability, and a degree of consistency when it comes to the selection of investors and lenders for projects which will be developed worldwide over the next 60-100 years.

Think About this for One Quick Second:  As a Consortium member, who would you rather deal with when it comes to having your projects financed?

1) A fellow consortium member who is a Subject Matter Expert on the sort of global projects that you will be developing over the next 60-100 years.

2) Or a complete outsider - some Tom, Dick and Harry or XYZ Investor and Lender out there, regardless of their size and reputation in the financial services industry,  who is totally clueless about the players involved as well as the philosophical underpinning, the nature and scope of your projects.

As a result of this permanent neurological disease or brain dysfunction that 99.9% of investors and lenders (if not all of them) seem to suffer from, I am strongly inclined to just leave it up to each consortium member to decide which financing or investment vehicle to choose for projects they may be interested in and refrain from making these opportunities available to a select group of lenders and investors.
As for these lenders and investors, I say, mentally, of course, "What a paradox! People who are good at making money and yet have no brains.   It's a damn shame they are unable to get their head out of the sand." 
Thus, if you believe you are a lender or investor who is an exception to the rule, I welcome you with open arms!

In Conclusion

If, upon review of these initiatives, you find that you and/or your organization meet our qualification or membership requirements, and may have an interest in any of them,  Stand Up and Walk Away from the Monkey See, Monkey Do Crowd.   

Apply Now to join one of the following: VOMI Global Think Tank :: Virtual Campus Dormitory Consortium ::  Virtual Residential Community Consortium :: The New Virtual Organization World Consortium ::  League of Extraordinary Virtual Organization Executives  ::  VOMI Executive-In-Residence

In any case, whether or not you and/or your organization meet our membership qualification requirements, I invite you to share this document with any of your colleagues whom you believe this would be of great interest.







About Author:   Pierre Coupet, CEO & Q of Virtual Organization Management is the founder of Virtual Organization Management Institute (VOMI), VOMI Virtual Organization AcademyVOMI Global Think Tank, Virtual Organization Leadershipand Virtual Organization Recruiter:: founder of the modern virtual organization management and virtual organization recruitment disciplines pioneered since 1997:: founder of League of Extraordinary Virtual Organization Executives:: and Architect of THE NEW VIRTUAL ORGANIZATION WORLD Collection. Contact directly via CHAT.

Stock Photo: courtesy of Pixabay

Copyright 2007-2020.  Pierre Coupet.  VOMI. Virtual Organization Management Institute. VOMI Virtual Organization Academy.  Virtual Organization Recruiter. VOMI Global Think Tank.  All rights reserved.  Cannot be  reproduced without permission.