Archive for September, 2012

Monday, September 24th, 2012

Martyrdom

Would you “kill” for a good idea?

Would you “die” for one?

While we tend to throw these metaphors around – as we should – lightly and tongue in cheek – we wouldn’t really kill nor do we really want to die for a good idea – any idea for that matter – certainly not in our world – but rather we use these throwaway idioms to signify our passion and the inspiration we get from exciting new ideas. That is, most of us anyway….

I once wrote about “Falling on Swords” and considered various scenarios that might or might not be worth the ordeal – my bottom line, by the way, was that very little is worth it…and ideas were certainly not amongst them.

And therein lies the issue – if you won’t “die or kill” – if you won’t “fall on your sword,” then how passionate are you really? How seriously good is your idea? How much could it really be worth?

People who value open systems believe that is just the point – value comes not from owning but from sharing. Not from passion for what is mine but from passion for sharing. From understanding that access is the new ownership – it’s not what I hoard, it’s what I can use when I want.

I write this as I make my way home – mentally energized and physically exhausted – from an intense weekend in Marathon, Greece, where I attended a Marathon weekend of sharing, collaboration and teamwork – with 300 eclectic but like-minded people from around the world who had but one goal – leave with more than they entered because the sum of the whole was worth way more than whatever they might have given away.

The event is called Stream and is hosted by WPP (full disclosure…I work for them) in various locales around the world – but always with the same goal – put in a penny worth of thinking and take out a dollar…not a bad investment strategy – these days, n’ést pas?

The core strategy is simple – set up an environment where ownership is irrelevant and where passion is built by abandoning what you might have once held dear and precious – not because you have lost faith – but rather and better – because together with others you have built on your thinking and others have built on theirs and the resulting new mash-up is exciting, exhilarating, motivating…and by the way, might only last until another addition; another build on; another source of input.

It is truly a Marathon – with the understanding that solo thinking is for sprinters – who lose steam over the long term – while the most powerful outcomes will be built and evolve over time with deep and committed collaboration.

I listened to and participated in conversations ranging from discussing the launch of a new technology that cleans the air; to behavioral economics; to the problems brick-and-mortar retailers have with “show rooming”; to the notion of Generation World (shameless plug).

I watched an expert fly wild-looking drones; I tried the new Windows 8 operating system (a game changer); I drank too much cheap Greek red wine (worse on the stomach than the head…); and I saw a 3-D printer develop quick design prototypes…in 3-D…imagine that…must be why they call it that…

I shared meals, conversations, walks, drinks, ice cream, cigars – with a ragtag collection of interesting, smart as anything and open for anything people and came away with something new each time.

And again…here’s the key – I might die for your right to think but no way was anyone there going to immolate themselves for their own intellectual property – to the contrary – the key was to argue your point – own it – be ready to defend and then do it all over again with your new thinking.

Again – I reiterate – you have to be ready to burn – or else, why bother? – but in the end you burned with the clean passion of shared discovery and building new and not the smoky, stifling fire of the siloed old and used.

Listen:

“Although prepared for martyrdom, I preferred that it be postponed.”
Sir Winston Churchill

You see – by definition Martyrs are created by those ready to die – who sadly have those ready to kill around to oblige – Stream is about eliminating both sides of that self-limiting equation….

So to those who believe in self-immolation; to those who are so passionate about their ideas that they practice suicide murder; to those who are so convinced they are right that they will kill you to prove it….

I say – I’m ready for martyrdom too – only the date changes with every new idea I listen to that affects the idea I’m holding…

And if you must wear a vest, make it grey flannel….

What do you think?

Posted by David on 09/24 at 05:39 PM
  • Do we think it is possible to create a Marathon experience for all the fanatics in this world? Get them together, throw them in a room and lock the door. Let the people in the Arab world who kill for a stupid video, the ultra fanatical orthodox Jews who won't allow the voice of a woman on the public radio ...
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    Posted by Edna Kissmann on 2012-09-26 10:30:29
  • I've met a lot of passionate start-up CEOs since leaving Microsoft. Many are prepared to "die" for their idea because they have so much invested in it and feel that's the only way to be. Some cannot waver from their path or take on feedback because they seem frozen by the possibility of fluidity. What I discovered co-writing the book Pioneers ...
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    Posted by Mel Carson on 2012-09-25 22:57:20
  • The further I read in this article the more Increasingly insightful it gets... and I wonder.. how can we have the culture of Marathon in our agencies where, while battling as a team, the members still have to cash in some credit for their own. I don't mean I have a problem with that because at the end we all ...
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    Posted by Mohamed on 2012-09-24 20:21:56
Monday, September 17th, 2012

Where Do They Get All Those US Flags?

Answer me this…

Where the hell do the various protesters get all those American Flags to burn?

I swear I went looking before July 4th – Independence Day in the Unites States and I had trouble finding one!

Don’t worry – this isn’t a political diatribe – nor is it a religious screed – not even a thinly veiled politically correct rant…

My real question is about Freedom of Speech and the exponential effect that instant immediate access of digital channels brings to the fore.

I am passionate on this subject and have written about it before.

I fully believe that Freedom of anything demands accountability in return. Speech is no different. And while words might not kill – they can wound – and sadly we know that they can incite to suicide, murder and mayhem.

Which begs the question – which words then are restricted; what actions need to be curtailed; where do I have the right to limit your ability of expression and at the end of the day what is my right of reaction.

In my opinion – when I invade your privacy – as we have seen so often – I have no right of freedom to share or otherwise disseminate that information. And if I do and I cause you serious anguish – even onto death I must suffer the consequences and accept accountability – not hide behind some lame interpretation of open Internet.

And although the corollary might seem trite given the sad and horrific deaths in Libya and elsewhere – but the young royal couple of England are fighting the same battle.

By the same token I have no right to incite anyone against you because I don’t like your religion, race or creed. This goes across the board. And there are no excuses.

Lord knows I don’t have to agree with you; I don’t have to like you or what you stand for – but I will fight for your right to credibly and respectfully express yourself.

On the other hand – racists and bigots and fanatics have no right of expression. Sheer baseless hatred has no place in our global society and we as citizens of Generation World need to be vigilant in our own evangelizing of the values we cherish and share.

I leave it to you to decide if a poorly made and written movie with an ignorant basis, that has ignited way more than burned flags – leaving death and destruction is protected or not.

Perhaps Salman Rushdie gives us a clue – as he suffered serious personal consequences of the same question.

Will we have to limit Sacha Baron Cohen? Ricky Gervais or any of hundreds of comics who poke fun at us all – regardless of race, religion or creed?

Will we become so politically correct that we will lose our ability to have real dialogue and discussion?

And will we become frightened to express ourselves; to laugh; to cry; to share because the consequences become no longer legal but violent.

Frankly we have the obligation to speak out when Freedom of Speech is being abused. It is our accountability as part of Generation World – it is the price we have to pay for the openness and the connectivity we enjoy and for all the good and great it has brought our world.

And that obligation crosses all boarders and all boundaries – none of us get a free pass to insult the other.

And there can be no recourse to violence simply because I feel insulted – where does that ever end?

Listen:

“Because if you don’t stand up for the stuff you don’t like, when they come for the stuff you do like, you’ve already lost.”  Neil Gaiman

And there you have it – we need to be sensitive. We need to stand up for the right to be confronted with what we don’t like – because if we don’t soon we will be bereft of all expression….and the consequences of that scenario are too frightening..

“If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.” George Washington

And as I said – with it all comes the accountability for what you say…

One last thought…

“Freedom of speech does not protect you from the consequences of saying stupid shit.” Jim C. Hines

What do you think?

And by the way – WHERE DO THEY GET ALL THOSE FLAGS!

 

Posted by David on 09/17 at 12:51 PM
  • Complicated issue. Nicely articulated in NY Times by Somini Sengupt — "One of the challenges of the digital age, as the YouTube case shows, is that speech articulated in one part of the world can spark mayhem in another. Can the companies that run those speech platforms predict what words and images might set off carnage elsewhere? Whoever builds that ...
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    Posted by lianna on 2012-09-24 05:07:10
  • very true... very well written, liked the brain behind it...
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    Posted by Haider on 2012-09-18 11:52:49
  • Thansk David, Another great topic, seems like an endless debate, freedom vs. accountability. If we look at the real world we find all of these laws that govern us and decitate the way we live, it's not to take our freedom but rather protect it, we are not living in a "perfect" society yet and untill then we should ...
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    Posted by Munther on 2012-09-18 06:56:25
Monday, September 10th, 2012

What’s More Important To Your Business?

What’s more important to your business…?

Deep behavioral analytics of your customer’s every engagement with you that are then fed with all your appropriate Brand messaging linked to your ROI and internal processes…

Or

Employees, who in their own day-to-day behavior, act in compassionate, kind and caring ways towards your customers – ignoring, perhaps, the very analytics, ROI and process that you think define your Brand.

Bill Taylor asked that same question in a post on the Harvard Business Review Blog Network where he posits that “It’s More Important to Be Kind than Clever.”

This is a must read for all, as its message resonates way beyond business; way beyond technology and analytics; way beyond ROI; and way, way beyond how many look at Branding. In fact, I believe the insight is core to our very existence as humans and it’s a message that gets lost in our frenetic, frantic belief that somehow digital social connectivity has changed the DNA of our deepest personal interactions.

Taylor shares a beautiful and simple story of a manager at a Panera Restaurant whose seemingly small act of compassion towards a very sick woman delivered a swell of Facebook responses and the usual following swell of “expert” commentary on the power of social media and “virtual word of mouth” to boost a company’s reputation.

No doubt this little mini-case will be used by some to justify marketing spending and others to “prove” Brand power.

Taylor takes a counterview and suggests that there is “the hunger among customers, employees, and all of us to engage with companies on more than just dollars-and-cents terms. In a world that is being reshaped by the relentless advance of technology, what stands out are acts of compassion and connection that remind us what it means to be human.”

I will go a step further – I can make the company/brand liking itself to more than a commerce case and go back years and years to prove that point – ever see the movie Miracle on 34th Street? Macy’s, a US-based retailer, latched onto the compassionate and turned themselves into the Brand that represents the “true spirit” of Christmas and some 150 years later is still successful, with a new movie and a parade that is still viewed around the world.

However – the point here is well beyond brand. Of course you can make the case that the Brand encourages that kind of behavior from its employees – that its website is all about caring and little acts of the same. And that its marketing efforts are boosted by that behavior.

But it is the employee that makes the difference – not the Brand. And I believe we are all craving human acts that seem somehow revolutionary in their execution – think Hunger Games (“They needed someone to set the whole thing in motion.  They needed you.”) – that help us remember who and what we are. People – not postings in some social network.

It amazes me that so many still don’t get it. Social media and “virtual word of mouth” (as opposed to real word of mouth…come on!) exist, as I have written before, because we are human; because our DNA demands it; because it is what makes us the species we are.

Technology is an amplifier and an efficiency mechanism. And Brands are stories we tell and share – the best last; the rest fade into oblivion.

Panera was lucky – you cannot program compassion; you cannot create business rules for sympathetic response; you cannot make kindness a corporate program driven by ROI. You either encourage the right behavior or you don’t, and you hope that you have hired the types of people who don’t just represent your Brand – they represent the best there is in all of us.

Imagine what a better world this would be if the behavior of one wonderful person in a small store somewhere was viewed as SOP (standard operating procedure) for the human race instead of a major marketing coup – and personally I find that it wasn’t to be a sad commentary on who and what we have become.

Two quotes to end today…listen:

“One’s life has value so long as one attributes value to the life of others, by means of love, friendship, indignation and compassion.” Simone de Beauvoir

Read as: nothing has value unless we attribute value to the life of others….

And the second…:

“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.” Dalai Lama

Read as: not even brands can survive….

The message?

Seems to me it’s pretty simple – value is driven by human passion – not by Digital contact….

So I thank Bill Taylor for writing this piece and I thank my dear friend and teacher Sam K. for having called it to my attention.

What do you think?

Posted by David on 09/10 at 08:50 PM