Can PSFs "PSF" themselves?

Tom Peters has invented a new verb: to PSF.  I love it! 

Tom Peters has a slew of posts this week here, here, here, and especially here, about how companies can PSF themselves, essentially creating a new internal department or initiative that brings new and very unique value, and innovation to an enterprise and to the marketplace. 

Peters writes breathlessly about what's happening at Schlumberger:

As I see it, and you doubtless know my longterm, noisy bias toward the "PSF-as-center-of-value-added" (PSF = Professional Service Firm), Schlumberger is transforming itself into the biggest and most powerful "PSF" in history. Moreover, paths like this, from IBM and UPS and Best-Buy to Schlumberger, are open to many firms.

So right!  Now, can PSFs bring this same excited professional passion to transforming THEMSELVES?  Do you see this happening at your PSF?  Could you outstrip your rival if your PSF "PSFs" itself, as Peters urges?  Is your PSF doing Peters' WWPF - Work Worth Paying For?  Is your PSF "destroying organizational barriers?  ... Wholly reimagining the entire enterprise?"   

It's an exciting, yes, even thrilling, notion.  (Or do I need to switch to decaf?)

Do tell, readers and fellow bloggers: Are PSFs PSF-ing themselves?   

Comments

[Scott Boutwell (AEC Tech Trends)]

While I like the promotion of 'PSF" by Tom Peters, and think that awareness can only help the professional services industry, 'PSF-ing' seems to be fairly basic to most (or all) service companies.

Isn't being 'PSF' a table-stake for any services firm? Whether is is breaking down organizational barriers or imagining (note: I want more clients who will pay me to imagine....), it still comes down to providing significant and timely value for my clients.

I think the real PSF opportunity in the marketplace is for traditional 'product' firms (like Best Buy) to reinvent themselves as PSFs....providing significant differentiation in crowded and mature industries.

[Charles David Livingston]

It's interesting how certain historical 'product based' organisations spotted the PSF model long ago and managed to leap up the value chain e.g. the 'M' in 'IBM' stands for 'machines'; not that they build too many these days!!!

Equally there are millions of existing service based firms operating within the PSF arena which simply don't 'get it'. But they will. Increasing globalisation and technological advancements to name just two should help take of that.

Plenty of opportunities to get excited about - I think I need to hit the decaff too Suzanne!

[Suzanne Lowe]

Thanks, Scott and Charles, for thoughtful replies. It's fascinating to watch the wake-up call that's currently underway for "traditional" PSFs, which may be realizing that they need to dust off their "value propositions" before some other firm (increasingly the products-based firms!) get clear on it first.