By Susan Caba
George Brill provides a product or service that millions of people use frequently, rarely think about, probably couldn't understand if they did think about it, and—in these days of ubiquitous Internet commerce—couldn't live without.
His product? Software, which lets a manufacturer share information with suppliers and customers without compromising security. Brill, founder and CEO of St. Louis-based Talisen Technologies, is a pioneer in collaborative connectivity and security issues.
Brill was a structural engineer with the U.S. Navy at McDonnell Douglas Corp. when he jumped into the fledgling world of business-to-business electronic commerce in 1991. At first, McDonnell Douglas was his only customer, but he soon found a worldwide market.
Seventeen years later, the company has expanded to provide sophisticated software that manages a facility, its energy use, its information systems and its business processes in an integrated way. Think of it as "the whole ball of wax" solution to business problems that are ever more complex.
Who or what is your inspiration or
motivation?
"The part I really enjoy is where there is no road map for doing something. I enjoy the challenge of getting into a space that's never been there before. Other people haven't done it. People can't say you are doing it right or wrong. And you live with the consequences. I like that blank canvas.
"There's a term, convergence. It means that not only does your computer talk, your TV talks and your lighting and your cars and your appliances. And there is still a concern about security. We make them all work together in a big picture for big customers. We call it facilities information management. It builds off things we've done in the past, one thing strung together with another, gluing them together so they work together reasonably."
What's the most efficient or productive time of day for you?
"Late is good. Early is tough for me. I'm slower to start in the morning and I accelerate later in the day. I wind down from about midnight to 1 a.m."
What is the most creative aspect of your work? What is the least creative or least satisfying?
"The things I like to do the most are getting to create new technology or businesses or relationships. We're in a technology business and yet, probably the most critical things out there are relationships. The big problems that are going to come up are going to be how to negotiate problems and issues with customers, employees and even partners and your success in those negotiations depend on good relationships.
"The least satisfying? The 'adminis-trivia.' The farther you get away from an idea or a product or a relationship, the less satisfying it is."
What is the most distracting element of your workday/workweek? How do you manage it?
"In our business a lot of things come rolling in at one time and I thrive on that, but it probably makes me less efficient. I try to focus on the important aspect of each thing as it comes along, the personnel issue
you had no idea was going to happen,
walking into a meeting with a new customer,
dealing with an issue with a long-standing customer."
Do you work differently while traveling than in your office?
"I speak more to people by phone. When I'm in the office, I like to walk in and see people."
How do you use devices and electronics—Blackberries, cell phones, iPods—to manage work flow? Are they, on balance, more often a tool or a hindrance?
"I don't like to crack a laptop open on the road. I have a PDA, a Palm Treo. The Treo is much quicker. The more quickly I can get to the information, the better. It's one of the first real devices that allows me to be as mobile as possible and do every aspect of my job. I can check e-mail, make phone calls, watch a movie on an airplane, send a memo. We continue to evolve to see how much we can do securely on (the Treo). You do have to work through incorporating it properly so it can all be supported. Although, you get it perfect and then you have to get a new one."
What are some of your rules for success?
"I could put them into four words:
Vision. You have to be able to continually provide some vision to be moving forward.
Operational expertise. A lot of people have great ideas but can't implement.
Leadership. You can have a great idea and a great plan, but if nobody follows you, you can't get it done.
Balance. You have to remind yourself all the time that there are multiple branches
to your life. On a given day, you know you cannot fill all those buckets. What I usually try to do is focus on which bucket IÕm not taking care of. At the end of the day, take some tally."
If there is one thing you would like to do differently in the average workday, what is it? Why don't you do it?
If I could do one thing differently, it would be anything that would allow me to put on a ball cap that converts what I'm thinking into words on paper. The act of
sitting in front of a blank page is something I don't look forward to. Looking at better ways to translate whatever is in my head, whenever it's there, would be useful. There is probably not an overnight solution."
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