This afternoon I’m driving from my office in Southborough down to Hopkinton to meet up with some co-workers from China that I haven’t yet met (face-to-face). Both of them worked on my third-place idea from last year’s Innovation Conference. They built the idea and it was demonstrated at EMC World in May of 2008. We’ve continued to work together and have also generated new ideas which were subsequently accepted for this year’s contest.
Needless to say I’m looking forward to meeting them in person and deepening both the friendship and the working relationship.
It’s the beginning of what for me will be an excellent week:
EMC Innovation Showcase 2008.
My week looks like this.
Tuesday
At 8:30 AM I have to dress up and present my own idea to the judging panel. Several posters away the team from China will be presenting our joint idea. Twenty-eight other presenters will be there doing the same.
Then I’ve been invited for lunch with the CTO of EMC because I was selected to be part of the class of 2008 EMC Distinguished Engineers and Fellows. Not only is this cool but the food is free, which is my favorite kind of perk (other than collecting beer cups at Fenway).
(I wish I hadn’t mentioned Fenway today ouch that hurts).
Tuesday afternoon is the opening of the Innovation Showcase as hundreds of employees gather from around the world.
Wednesday
The event continues with a day full of speakers and awards. There are actually two awards ceremonies. In the morning the XAM Coding Challenge winners will be announced. As the organizer of this event I can tell you that the entries were awesome, and that EMC has flown in winners from Scotland and Russia to receive their recognition in front of a worldwide audience.
When I say worldwide, I mean it! The event is broadcast live around the world, and we’re actually setting up bi-directional video/audio links to hear from global innovators in locations such as China, India, Russia, Israel, and Ireland. I’m looking forward to meeting and hearing from these teams.
In the afternoon the second group of winners will be announced (for the idea contest), and then I do believe several of us bloggers will have a little gathering Wednesday evening to put a face to the blog.
Thursday
A technical leadership summit will occur Thursday morning and afternoon where groups will be split up into five teams and given some tough technical challenges to dig into. The recommendations coming out of the meetings will be turned into an action plan.
EMC’s employee quarterly review happens Thursday afternoon. As employees arrive to the review they will be greeted by live demonstrations, posters, and handouts of ideas from this year, from last year, and from the XAM coding challenge.
And finally, on Thursday night I’m taking my wife to a gala event for the official induction of the new EMC Distinguished Engineers and Fellows down in Providence, RI.
Friday
Back to work. Innovation doesn’t change deadlines. ;>)
I was driving my daughter around the other day, telling her about my week in the same way that I just told you. She said “contests, contests, contests! Is that all you guys do?”. I thought about what she said. It occurred to me that she probably, like most teenagers, has an image about the working world, and my recent conversations with her about my job just don’t fit. So I followed up with a question of my own.
“Sounds like a fun place to work, doesn’t it?”.
She agreed. ;>)
Steve
