Phase III: And You call yourself a DMer?

(the goodbye party that the 2nd year DM class threw for us... it was great)

I just finished my degree in Design Management which is defined as:

The identification and allocation of creative assets for a sustainable strategic advantage.

In plain English, Design Managers (DMers) figure out what they've got for themselves or organizations that is awesome and that no one else has, then they find out where the cracks are and guard them so no one else can poke at them, Set up their awesomeness to not do to harm others or the planet and if possible benefit people and the planet, and then make some (lots of) money while doing it.

I've been in a funk (and finding out my fellow DMers are in the same funk). So today I put down the German Chocolate Cat Tongues and had a *smacks the head* moment....DUH I need to analyze my problem and discover my "key findings" so that I can develop personal recommendations. Whew!

This revelation came after IMing with a classmate yesterday and then by chance I happened to run into two more classmates last night while I was out with Sarah S. (Merv on the V train and Lydia while I was having Red Mango).

All signs point to getting my DM on so Here we go: We'll start with the first tool we learned in school... S.W.O.T (or S.P.O.T if you're Richard). P.S. this will be a little hard cuz SWOT is meant for analyzing a company but hey it works on everything... I think.

(SWOT courtesy of Wikipedia ((couldn't find SPOT tho)).

Strengths of the Completion of Grad school

• Realization of Free-time
• A Degree that "will get me ahead in life"
• Beginning of a new Era
  
• A Huge toolbox of DM tools
• Network of DMers
• Advantage over other job applicants
• A really silly but cool cap/gown/sash-thing
• Time to develop own thoughts/ work on DM

Weaknesses (Problems if you're Richard)

• End of an old Era
• Loss of continuous intellectual challenges
  
• Missing classmates and routines
• Not being challenged to present
  
• Not being challenged

Opportunities

• Expressing ideas to new people
• Spreading the DM love
  
• New ventures/jobs/opportunities
• A changing economic climate
  
• Techmology (Listen to Merv: Twitter, Facebook, Skype, blogspot, Etsy, and more!!!!)
• Websites/Newsletters/Eblasts (create our own community)
• Our own DM network=our own DM organization? Free?
• DMI (get involved)
• The Pratt review/Catalyst
• more tk...........
  

Threats

• Lack of courage (but Jackie's class fixed that)
• Current jobs lacking support
  
• Global meltdown
• End of the world
• Massive Swine Flu Epidemic
  
• Becoming Disconnected!!!!

Key Finding from SWOT:
I'm fearing losing touch with my classmates and still want the challenging atmosphere we gave eachother.
--------------------------------------------
NEXT: I'd like to run through the Deming Cycle with the Key Finding and see what I come up with.

(The Deming Cycle courtesy of Wikipedia, I personally am intrigued by the orb in the center)

Plan:
I will not loose contact with my DM classmates. Sorry dudes, your stuck with me. I will create some sort of community to keep us on a touch-base level. We're some smart assed people and I'd hate to lose that. Lydia mentioned a website? I'm interested. I always thought a Skype/conference call night would be hilarious.

Do: Okay so this I now need to Do. I will send this blog to all of my classmates and they'll know my intentions and craziness at a new level. Then if they still want to talk to me... we'll KIT.

Check: Richa is good at checking on things so I'll put her in charge of this checking part. Richa... you need to check on this. Thank you! And in Richa's absense I think I'll appoint Nicole to check on it. She's a good checker too, but I don't really trust that Mike character, he was sketchy.

Act: Based on Richa's or Nicole's checking... we will act and make the changes necessary. So if this plan ends up being a website... or a conference call or just a stupid 'Wisconsin Girl In NY/UK" blog... we'll make the changes Richa or Nichole deem necessary then start the lovely Deming Cycle over.

Ha, there we go, one problem solved and it only took two tools... Well for now. I think I might have missed some Key Findings (like the insy weensy challenge at work thing) and may need to go back but that's enough for tonight. Maybe tomorrow I'll attempt a value chain exercise or go crazy and run it through the acclaimed GADMAP process.