People... There are no business problems, just cultural problems. As Bossidy and Charan argue in Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done, strategy and structure are worthless without a change in beliefs and behaviors. "Leaders get the behavior they exhibit and tolerate." It's all about people. So here's to your best behavior in 2003!

Adoption... As others have observed, we tend to overestimate change in the short run and to underestimate change in the long run. So while new business processes and technology -- like common data standards, integrated applications, and wireless connectivity -- offer the promise of increased productivity, their adoption and implementation will continue at a modest pace.

Cost... While computing power increases geometrically year after year, technology doesn't necessarily become cheaper. Think medical technology. The more technology the medical industry adopts, the more expensive medical treatment seems to become. Oops. Will real estate technology similarly improve service and simultaneously increase costs? If so, who pays?

Build Your Brand... Thanks to our new sponsor, Ken Morris and the Morris Southeast Group in Florida. If you would like to sponsor the PikeNet Dispatch, please send e-mail or call me at 415-485-6700. Next dates available in February.

--Peter Pike