Michael D. Moberly   December 28, 2015   ‘A business blog where attention span really matters’.

I began researching, publishing, conducting seminars, and consulting 20+ years ago on an array of issues related to identifying, assessing, monetizing-utilizing, and mitigating risks to organization’s IA’s (intangible assets). Throughout this period I have had the good fortune of consistently engaging phenomenal decision makers, a percentage of which at first blush anyway, express satisfaction in assuming their organization functions very nicely thank you, as is, even though their operating practices are clearly rooted in the pre-IA era. In other words, they exhibit little overt interest in the change, possibly disruption, they assume would accompany engaging their IA’s.

Those otherwise successful business decision makers – leaders convey dismissive indifference-un-curiosity about capturing and exploiting IA value, i.e., as sources of revenue, competitive advantage, and sustainability. Ironically, much of which is already present – embedded in organization operating culture, merely awaiting exploitation. Fortunately, I find only the most intractable few will sustain such dismissive positions following my engaging them in a respectful discussion, or, learn a key competitor’s advances are attributed to utilizing their IA’s.

I realize in some instances, the dismissiveness – reluctance a decision maker may be exhibiting insofar as engaging their IA’s is rooted in unfamiliarity and/or concern that doing so…

• may exceed their leadership and decision making comfort zone.
• may be too (organizationally, culturally) disruptive, costly, and time consuming.
• necessitates more clarity regarding organizational benefits, i.e., competitiveness and returns.
• will be interpreted as being futile because IA’s are seldom, if ever, reported on conventional balance sheets or financial statements.

For the reluctant, it’s worthy to note again, it is an irreversible economic fact today that 80+% of most organizations value, sources of revenue, competitiveness, and sustainability lie in – evolve directly from IA’s. Organization decision makers are therefore respectfully encouraged to not merely acknowledge their intangible assets, rather commence an effective strategy for their utilization and exploitation. (Readers may find other posts helpful.)

Mr. Moberly is an intangible asset strategist and risk specialist and author of ‘Safeguarding Intangible Assets’ published by Elsevier in 2014.