History in Business

History can be used to help us better succeed with today's projects specifically with the approach and delivery. However, history needs to be viewed in a different way to be effective as the format taught in the classroom is not conducive for several reasons:

First the traditional classroom approach is chronological based on short periods, in decades or eras, like the reign of a monarch (Victorian, Edwardian) or political leaders. The arrival and adoption of a technology takes much longer periods, like the spread of paper, or industrial revolutions. We tend to view history by dates and specific region.

Second, the events that occur within a nation or state, like, wars and battles, revolutions, natural disasters. Yet events typically have a knock effect, for example. American and French revolutions had a profound affect on Europe and its empires. It triggered and fueled nationalism, independence that led to redefining of boundaries through the 19^th Century.

Third it tends to bottle inventions and breakthroughs in emerging technologies as singular events, made by hard working individuals. Typically, these only occur when various components are available and put together. Very often there are competing parties that may be completely unaware of each other and working on the same problem.

As a result, the experience for the reader is not interconnected across expanses of time or more importantly events, or across geography's and regions, or the globe. It is not interdisciplinary and very memorably, as it deals with technology in a singular fashion.

Most importantly it is less relevant to business in lessons learned, and can very readily turn off the audience.

There are history books targeted at business leaders but very few explore the practical application of emerging technologies to business problems. They provide little insight into our use of information technology (IT) and the delivery of projects.

This was first demonstrated by James Burke through the first “Connections” series (1978). He turned the examination of emerging technology into a detective story through an interdisciplinary approach.

He charted the course of technology innovation from ancient times showing emerging technology as a jigsaw made of many pieces.

He also connected seeming unrelated events or inventions to each other over centuries of time. Very often we see reinventions like the safety pin. This is becoming even more prevalent today as we take a more holistic view across regions and time.

He looked for things happening in spite of, and not because of, their inventors' intentions. Often an invention (or component) will sit on the shelf until the time is right.

For example:

• How the popularity of underwear led to the invention of the printing press.
• How the arrival of the cannon in the 13th century led to the development of movies.
• How the stirrup led to Telecommunications.
• How the plough led to the modern day computer.
• How uniform coinage lead to the atomic bomb.
• How the Kellogg Corn Flake led to the diesel engine.
  

  
  
  

   

  Burke's approach opened up a new approach to exploring history and extracting key lessons for today's world. There is no doubt he has been the single most influence on the Lessons from History series.

   

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hrSRn_RYGA

   

As part of the selection process for this series numerous historical projects are carefully researched and analyzed. The objective is to determine which are significant in achieving a first, and how well do they transcribe to the business world. 

For example, these projects were part of a race by competing individuals or organizations. Examination of winners and losers provides a better understanding of the project, the players, and the decisions made which distinguished the project and made it successful. Once selected the series outlines the stages involved in delivering a complex project providing a step-by-step guide to the project deliverables.