SCIP: State of the Organization

[Trip Krant]

How would you assess the organizational health of SCIP?   How relevant is SCIP relevant today?  

[Trip Krant]

The finished announcement for SCIP Massachusetts Chapter Presents: Fireside Chat with SCIP Fellows:

DESCRIPTION
Join us for this special event to hear SCIP Fellows Jan Herring, Clifford Kalb, and Ken Sawka share their perspectives and lessons on competitive intelligence practice and the state of the CI. Attendees will have the chance to meet these CI leaders and pioneers and engage in a question and answer session. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to hear what our leading experts have to say and to be a part of this special evening.

Better, much less cringeworthy. I'll admit the previous line about a “unique opportunity to hear CI giants” set me off.

[Trip Krant]

An event about other events:

FUTURE SCIP MASSACHUSETTS PROGRAMS

Tuesday, July 16, 2013: Are You in the Loop? Highlights from SCIP 2013 & State of CI Discussion Breakfast meeting FREE Event! Locations Sponsor: Forrester Research, Cambridge, MA

Couldn't the actual "State of CI Discussion" be a breakfast meeting, and bigger events be reserved for things that are substantive?

At least it is free.

[Trip Krant]

In the latest issue of scip.insight (May 2013) the new executive director broaches the subject of information security:

Often companies focus on internet security, but fall short in areas that are less obviously revealing to the world disparate pieces of information that, if woven together by competitor experts, lay the groundwork for early warning against your company.

So while we discuss the value of a SCIP membership in terms of learning best analytical practices to view the outside competitive world, SCIP will also bring your organization credibility by supporting your efforts to build an organization that is effectively protects its own intellectual property that in turn gives shareholders confidence. It is that underlying shareholder value that SCIP generates. Join us in this issue as we address the challenges of information security.

I don’t know if this is an announcement of new a strategic direction for SCIP, or if it is a letter that was intended to introduce an issue of scip.insight devoted to infosec (in which case they did not publish any other material related to the subject).

It is a good idea that SCIP and CI start to work the field of infosec – it is also about ten years late.

[Trip Krant]

Executive Director Message June 6, 2013

As a result, let me announce the following news:

In a few weeks, SCIP will introduce features to our membership including a Quick Start CI Decision Toolkit and set of how to guides offered each month for one year to our renewing and new members. We will also be adding a subscription to a strategy magazine that will feature digital access members will get free of charge. We have also uploaded our strategy brief as our commitment to letting our membership know what the overall direction of the organization is. We welcome to visit our site and review the strategic direction.

We will be moving to a more focused and streamlined model over the coming months and will make a very focused effort to continually improve content and to include the contributions of our members. I look forward to SCIP's European Summit that will take place 5-7 November, Rome, Italy, where we have already lined up a stellar group of primarily European speakers and global thought leaders. I will also be unveiling some new and exciting upcoming Events and Initiatives at that conference so I look forward to seeing all of you there.

This must be the strategy brief:

The Strategic and Operational Plan Summary for 2013: “Building Comm... (PDF)

[Trip Krant]

I hope a “more focused and streamlined model” means increasing the autonomy of SCIP regional branches, severing the relationship with Frost & Sullivan, and purging the Party Planning Committee from the SCIP payroll.

[Trip Krant]

Starfish and the Spider is required reading at many winning organizations; and it should be required for SCIP officers, directors, and regional chapter heads as well.

Its themes should be taken to heart, and implemented - not just paid lip-service to.  As it currently stands SCIP simply is not an organization configured to succeed and grow in the 21st century.

[Trip Krant]

New SCIP Exec-Director Nan Bulger has reportedly taken aggressive and decisive action against the Party Planning Committee - purging the PPC's figurehead from the SCIP payroll.

Is this truly a new day for SCIP? Does Nan read this thread? Will SCIP be able to rid itself of the Frost & Sullivan parasites? Can Trip be un-blocked from the SCIP LinkedIn group now?

Time will only tell.

[Trip Krant]

The SCIP event ABOUT other SCIP events...I'm not making this up:

SCIP Massachusetts Chapter
Presents

Are You in the Loop? Highlights from SCIP13
Breakfast Meeting

Tuesday July 16, 2013
8:00-9:30 AM

FREE so Bring a Colleague
Forrester Research, Cambridge, MA

Miss the SCIP Conference in Orlando? Join the SCIP MA Chapter for conference highlights, discussions, and networking! We will fill you in on:

• Key take-aways from the sessions
• Developments in CI practices
• Updates on other attendees you may know
• The news from SCIP headquarters
• Information about next year’s conference

If you attended SCIP13, join us to share your perspective and information on the sessions which you attended, as well as network with chapter colleagues!

This event is free so bring a colleague who is interested in competitive intelligence.

Last year’s “In the Loop” event prompted discussions of several interesting CI topics. We hope the same dynamic happens this year.

This is event is at the tech research firm Forrester.  You would think a SCIP event at Forrester should involve getting briefed on disruptive technologies coming down the pipe, right?  Nope, another knitting-circle to prop up the myth that SCIP is actually relevant.

Seriously, the strongest criticism of CI is that it has become a low value information-reporting-centric practice.   This event is entirely devoted to low value information-reporting!

#Fail

[Trip Krant]

Boston SCIP activity update - CIdea Fest 2013

Planning for this year's CIdea Fest is underway and we want you and your ideas! Last year's CIdea Fest brought out a variety of chapter members, who came out to hear and exchange ideas with CI leaders like Nan Bulger and Robert Lehman of Fuld & Company, as well as new practitioners presenting their approaches...and we're bringing it back for 2013!
Have an interesting case to share? Got a life hack for a pressing CI problem? Put great new tool to work? Maybe you have a success or other lesson learned?
Share with us how you addressed a notable challenge, implemented a novel approach or solution, and generated other good ideas in CI practice past or present. Explore with your SCIP colleagues your challenges, questions, and perspectives on all things competitive, strategic, or market intelligence. Like last year's program, the CIdea Fest will present featured chapter members who will briefly present their ideas and topics, followed by questions and engaging discussions. We look forward to hearing from practitioners from all industries, all functions, and at every level of experience.

This event will have few novel ideas, if any at all.  Same old material from the 1980's.

88 KITs are needed for time travel.

[Trip Krant]

Just what the heck is a "life hack for a pressing CI problem", anyway?   Sounds like knitting-circle talk.

[Trip Krant]

Line-up for Boston SCIP CIdeas Fest 2013 : http://www.scip.org/Training/EventsDetail.cfm?itemnumber=19538

My presentation titled "Derp, derp, derpity, derp! - the current state of SCIP" was not approved.