"A person who won't read has not advantage over one who can't read." - Mark Twain
Stay curious, my friends.
In today’s ultra-competitive business landscape, a strong brand is essential—and digital signage can be a powerful ally in that effort. Not only does digital signage attract customer attention, but it can also build business and customer loyalty. Indeed, one survey found that four out of five product brands that use digital signage increase sales by up to 33 percent. Another found that moving from static posters to digital signage when advertising outdoors can boost monthly revenue by as much as 800 percent. And we have seen similar results in indoor implementations as well.
The reasons for this are simple. Digital signage creates eye-catching and often interactive experiences that engage consumers and help them remember your brand, your product, how it made them feel, and what compelled them to share their experience. And most people enjoy digital signage, viewing it as “a cool way to advertise” and a “good way to learn about sales and events.” As Nancy Fletcher, president and CEO of the Outdoor Advertising Association of America, puts it: “Consumers are paying attention to the information presented to them and acting on it, whether they are drawn to a location featured on an ad, discussing the ad with friends and family, or attending an advertised event.”
The good news is that digital signage keeps getting better. Thanks to the latest innovative technology, digital signage is becoming ever more impactful, immersive, and versatile. Consider the following three trends that can be applied to the next generation of digital signage:
Video installations are getting bigger. Whereas just a few years ago, businesses used 55- to 65-inch displays as the basis for digital signage, today organizations are creating digital signage from displays as large as 98 inches. In addition, an increasing number of companies are taking advantage of seamless video wall technology and affordable prices to combine multiple displays into large video walls that make a huge impact — especially in public venues and places where crowds gather. The result is that what was once a medium for individuals has evolved into an ever-more powerful tool that can attract entire groups at the same time.
Digital signage is becoming interactive. From vibrant touch screen solutions to real-time body and face tracking, digital signage has becoming increasingly interactive, allowing companies to create highly immersive and customizable experiences that build brand loyalty. For example, retailers are installing interactive kiosks that offer coupons and rewards to repeat customers. Airports are implementing interactive way-finding stations that help travelers quickly find the services they need. Public venue installations can enable crowd-sourced, curated content submissions and social engagement. And advertisers are building digital signage that can sense who’s viewing it, offering up customized ads based on factors such as the viewer’s age and gender. Ultimately, interactive digital signage can give consumers the information they need, right when they need it—improving brand loyalty.
The opportunity for creative applications is growing. While many organizations are installing video walls, in today’s world, there’s no reason to limit oneself to the four walls of a building. From ceiling and floor installations to counter tops, digital signage can enhance almost any surface. Companies can design see-through installations on glass surfaces, overlaying text, images, and video onto physical objects that sit behind the glass. They can build captivating 3D installations that people can view in virtual reality using lightweight glasses. And they can tile displays into non-traditional shapes to create a mood or atmosphere that complements their brand. Taking this a step further, NBC Olympics, a division of NBC Sports Group, built a series of huge video walls featuring finish carpentry, which masked the walls into organic shapes, in their coverage of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Similar approaches were also used at the Woody Gutherie museum. Likewise By tapping into these technologies and creative installation design, businesses can generate highly memorable experiences that elevate their brands above the competition.
These are just a few of the ways organizations can use digital signage to attract customers and build brand loyalty. And with today’s advanced technology, the sky’s the limit for creating unique, highly inspiring installations. To learn more about how digital signage can strengthen your brand, please attend my keynote, “What leading brands are teaching us about interactive digital signage,” at Digital Signage Expo 2017. I hope to see you there!
Jennifer Davis will present Seminar 13 entitled, “What Leading Brands are Teaching us About Digital Signage,” on Wednesday, March 29 at 4pm at DSE 2017 to be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center. For more information on this or any educational program offered at DSE 2017 or to learn more about digital signage go to www.dse2017.com
This article was originally published on AVNetwork.
Looking back in the early days of my career, I think about the lessons I learned that have helped me throughout my career. Now that I’m the CMO of Leyard’s international business and vice president of marketing and product strategy at Planar, I’m sharing those lessons in the hopes they will help new employees as they enter the professional workforce.
As a new professional, you’re ready to take on a new set of challenges while working to build your manager’s trust and confidence in your abilities. Yet starting out on a new job can be daunting. Not only are you required to learn a new role, but you must navigate an unfamiliar company culture complete with a new set of processes, politics and personalities. As Michael Watkins, author of the guide, “The First 90 Days” has said, the first three months in a new job are both “fraught with peril—and loaded with opportunity.”* To do well in college, the professor gives you a syllabus and timelines for every assignment. The work world isn’t that way. You have to figure things out for yourself.
Here are seven lessons I learned early on in my career that can help you to embrace the opportunity, while avoiding the peril as you start on a new job:
1. Come prepared
A great way to hit the ground running is to learn everything you can about the company you’ve been hired to work for — before your first day on the job. Follow the company, its leaders and industry competitors on social media. Learn about the executive team. Read recent press releases, blog posts and news articles to learn about the company’s products and services, and where the business is headed. Having that background before you walk through the door will give you a significant head start, helping you to ramp up more quickly.
2. Dress appropriately
How you dress is a part of your personal brand, which combined with your work and behavior, defines who you are as a professional. Look at how the leaders in the company dress, and take clues from them. If you don’t know the dress code, the easiest thing to do is ask. And if in doubt, it’s best to err on the side of dressing more formally and more conservatively than what’s required, especially for young employees attempting to demonstrate their professionalism.
3. Take notes at every meeting
If I had to choose one thing to help young professionals demonstrate that they’re ready for the challenge, it would be pen and paper. By taking notes at every 1:1 and team meeting, you show that you’re prepared for new tasks. When you take notes, you communicate that you’re an active listener who’s engaged in the conversation and focused on taking action. And by documenting conversations, you establish yourself as a resource whom the team can rely upon to follow through on their commitments.
4. Listen and ask questions
Over the years, I’ve noticed that the new hires who adapt the most rapidly are first and foremost good listeners. By listening and observing, you get to know the different players and personalities at your new company, what their interests are, and how they interact. You also quickly learn the priorities of the company—including what has and hasn’t worked in the past. As a new hire, you should also take the time to ask questions. The first 90 days on the job are a grace period during which you’re not expected to know everything. By seizing this time to think strategically about the company and ask good questions, you demonstrate your curiosity while at the same time accelerating your learning curve.
5. Display a positive attitude
Studies show that that almost half of new hires fail within the first 18 months.** Interestingly, the biggest reason for this isn’t lack of skill, but attitudinal issues such as lack of coachability, low levels of motivation and the wrong temperament. By being humble, flexible, energetic and openly receptive to guidance, you will quickly establish a reputation as an employee who’s ready to work. Moreover, you’ll demonstrate that you’re a “can-do” person and a great team player.
6. Form the right relationships
Nearly every job has its share of gossipers and complainers. As you encounter these people, make sure to keep your distance. Instead, form relationships with productive co-workers who are focused on making a positive difference. Ask for guidance from those you respect. And take your co-workers to lunch to learn about the company culture and build a rapport.
7. Ask for feedback
Don’t wait for your manager to offer feedback. Proactively ask for it after you’ve spent a few weeks on the job and have had time to adjust to your new role. What’s going well? And what can you improve upon? By proactively asking for input from your manager, you make sure you’re moving in the right direction. And if adjustments are needed, you can quickly make them so that you exceed expectations in the long run.
With these guidelines top of mind, you will show your employer that you are ready and motivated to do your best work.
This article was originally published on Leaders in Heels blog.
"If you want to build a big business, solve a big problem." - Scott Cook, Intuit
Each year, the National Basketball Association (NBA) has a fixed number of games among a fixed number of teams. This means each season is a zero sum game. There will be equal number of wins and losses. Those wins and losses might fall on different teams each season, but still they are equal to the number of scheduled games.
Like other things that are fixed in this scenario, we have to optimize within those constraints or work around them.
This creative thinking lead to the development of fantasy leagues. When you pick players from multiple franchises and pit them statistically, you aren’t as limited to the same number of games or teams. In fact, a fan can have multiple teams, each created with different players and played with different strategies.
Looking back in the early days of my career, I think about the lessons I learned that have helped me throughout my career. Now that I’m the CMO of Leyard’s international business and vice president of marketing and product strategy at Planar, I’m sharing those lessons in the hopes they will help new employees as they enter the professional workforce.
Congratulations—you’ve graduated and landed your first professional job! There are still many lessons to learn, even if you are starting your career in the discipline you studied. While every office environment is different, there are some things that are important no matter where you work. Here are the top four things I wish I would have known on my first day on the job so I could have done my best work every day, from the very first day.
You are there to do a job
Unlike some roles in which you trade your time for a paycheck even when customers aren’t present, an office job is different. Even if you work hourly, you are expected not just to be there, but to accomplish real work every day. If you are unclear about your job responsibilities and what is expected of you, ask your manager. Observe the respected leaders of your company and their approach, and see how you can model your behavior and habits after theirs.
One of my first jobs was in a retail clothing store, and my boss was an exceptional mentor. She taught us the old retail mantra: “If you have time to stand, you have time to sweep.” The same is true in an office environment. Don’t wait to be told. Find out what you are responsible for and keep yourself busy and focused on the goals of the company.
Understand how your work matters
It’s not enough to just keep busy. You must also understand how your work contributes to the business. Learn who benefits directly from the work you do, what internal and external customers need, and how the business makes money. Having this context will motivate you to excel in your responsibilities, make better decisions and make everyone (including yourself) more successful.
A chief financial officer once told me that even if you do not have an interest in finance and accounting, it is important to know how the score is kept in business. Not knowing would be like playing in a soccer or softball game and not being able to read the score board. Learning to read the score board and how your own activities put points on that scoreboard will help you better understand the value of your work to the company.
Work at the office
Even if your employer has a flexible work-from-home policy, I would advise you to show up to the office. While it may be convenient to avoid the commute, it’s important to get to know your co-workers, for them to get to know you, and to learn from your peers. It is too isolating to be at home, even in today’s modern world. Out of sight is out of mind is something you want to avoid while building your career.
The exception to this is if you are in a field that requires working at the clients’ place of business. If being on location is the best way for you to satisfy customers and grow the business, then by all means, do your work there. Just be sure to regularly connect and update your manager and colleagues so you can continue to build those important relationships even when you are out of sight.
Early in my career, I made a point of visiting my boss at the beginning of every day to check in and tell him my plans for the day. This won’t work with every manager, but if you have a relational boss, this kind of face time could have a positive impact on your productivity and the trust you build with the team.
You build relationships in the office
Get to know your co-workers by showing genuine interest in them. Ask questions. How long have they worked here? What are their responsibilities for the company? Do they have advice for you as you start out on the job? If possible, find a mentor who can serve as a resource for understanding the company and its specific job roles. Building your network within the organization will help you to quickly learn and establish yourself as you work toward your first promotion. Just be sure your interactions aren’t distracting—hanging out at the water cooler all day will not help develop your career!
Following this advice will help you to quickly become a valued member of the team. It won’t be long before you are no longer the new person in the office and you will be in a position to show hospitality and help other employees get to know the organization and their colleagues.
This article was originally published on the Leaders in Heels blog.
"You don't want a theory about the customer. You want to really know the customer." - Norman Winarsky
You can imagine the excitement of the first tribe to learn to control fire. Maybe the remnant of a lightning storm or perhaps the spark from a flint tool, it was probably lauded as the greatest invention of the age. “Better than sliced bread,” the patriarch announced. “What is bread?” replied his confused, but adoring family. Anthropologists claim that the discovery was a turning point in the cultural aspect of human development and it is no wonder. Fire has a lot to teach us about innovation.
It’s intuitive.
Professor Chris Dede from Harvard commented in a seminar recently that fire is a wonderful technology, because you can get warm just by standing beside it. It’s purposes are obvious.
Intuitive interfaces and natural technologies are very important to modern technology advancements as well. The best products tell you how to use them using only the basic human senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch. Buttons are meant to be pushed. Tones to be answered. Doors handles opened. At my company we make electronic displays and video walls, and some of the best innovations we have invented are things that can be appreciated simply by passive observation. The displays simply look better.
It is multi-functional.
Fire can be used as a source of heat on a cold day, a source of light on a dark night, and as a way to cook food. It is also a useful weapon unto itself and can be used to forge weaponry. It was and still used in ceremonies, religious and secular. After all, what is a prayer service or a birthday cake without candles? Even the sight or sound of it can be a source of comfort (as evidence by the cable channels that present a virtual, crackling fireplace). The product manager for fire, didn’t have to spend time doing in-depth research or SIC code analysis to determine the target market or problem it solved. In the ancient world, fire solved them all.
Most technology advancements since fire have had to pick a problem (or few) to solve. The need for relevant information drove the printing press, newspapers and Twitter. The need for better return on marketing investment has driven innovations as far flung as the questionnaire to Google Analytics. The needs solved by our modern inventions, like the smart phone or cloud storage, solve multiple problems. But at the core, the best technologies offer their users multiple ways to use the technology.
It scales.
Fire is infinitely personalizable. You can collaborate at a bonfire or you can use a personal lighter on your cigar. You can ignite a gas burner on a stove to make yourself a pot of tea or you can use a grill to cook food for a crowd. The same fire that creates the fearsome scene of a forest fire blazing out of control is the same in the fireplace where you sit and rock your sleeping infant.
As we think about technologies that have impacted our world, they also can scale up and down. They can improve individual lives and the experiences of groups. This is a holiday week in the US and I am reminded that airplanes, such an amazing invention, started in the early 1900’s by moving a person or two (either the Wright brothers or the New Zealand farmer, Richard Pearse, or the Brazilian, Alberto Santos-Dumont, living in Paris, depending on which account you read) and now allow families to be reunited across the continents. And yet, this same technology is used by aviation enthusiasts individually and many of the aerodynamic concepts forms the basis of today’s drone technology and helps fuel innovation in our space exploration and automotive industries as well.
It changes lives.
Being able to control fire allowed the expansion of human activity to the darker and colder hours of the night. It wasn’t a technology just for those who learned to use it. It was a technology the changed lifestyles, which changed lives, which changed the course of history.
The technologies that I think the most fondly of are ones that changed my life. My RIM Blackberry (and the Palm Pilot before that) changed the way that I waited and communicated. Uber has changed the way I move about a city and think about material assets. And business to business innovation changes lives as well, enabling new business models, customer connections, and efficiencies never before possible. I am sure you have similar examples of how technologies, both consumer and commercial, have changed your life.
The smart phone alone has changed so many things about our lives. Your elementary school math teacher would tell you that you need to learn long division because “you won’t always have a calculator with you.” Boy, we proved her wrong!
It can be used for both evil and good.
Fire can be used to warm and comfort or burn. Seven people die each day in home fires (National Fire Protection Association Report 2013). According to the US. Fire Administration (did you know there was such an agency?), the risk of dying in a fire was 10.7 per million in 2014. Strangely, the highest risk states of fire death is Mississippi, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and the highly urban Washington DC. It seems no one is safe. There is even a special name for intentional fire starting (arson) and experts attest that most fires are caused by children just playing around. Even in a world where we control fire, it can sometimes get out of control, if we mean harm or aren’t careful.
The guiding principle of physicians – primum non nocere or “first do no harm” – illustrates that innovation or knowledge in itself is no enough. It must be accompanied by ethics. Whatever the intervention, medicine, or procedure, the person who knows more has an obligation to use the technology for the benefit of the patient or mankind. “Don’t be evil” was famously the corporate motto of Google. It is said to have been suggested in an employee meeting on corporate values. According to the founder’s letter in their pre-IPO filing in 2004, the motto prohibited conflicts of interest and required objectivity, and perhaps the elevation of long-term good, over short-term gain.
I think the recent US election coverage illustrated how technology can be used for good and evil. How many of breathed in the noxious fumes of fear, misinformation, or tragedy in our social media feeds? Often without taking the time to put out the fire or at least check to see who started it (and why). And messages can resembled a fire in so many ways. Both the good (as information illuminated or revealed) and evil (as lies spread like wildfire or good ideas or even relationship were burned, or at least singed).
It is taken for granted.
Earlier this year, LiveScience published a list of the top inventions of all time. The top of the list was the wheel. Strangely missing was fire. Although both the nail and the internal combustion engine (both made possible by fire) made the list. The light bulb was included (which for many applications, including street lighting and the Easy Bake Oven, replaced fire). It does make me wonder what other technologies or innovations we are inventing today that will be so ubiquitous, so understood, and so taken for granted that they won’t make tomorrow’s list?
This article was originally posted on LinkedIn Pulse.
Potential customers will lie. They don’t mean to, but they can’t help themselves. Find a way to test customer behavior, not customer opinion. Then you will uncover the truth.
To become great you need to compete against the best.
We have seen a number of celebrities and taste makers go from representing brands to becoming a brand of their own. Actresses going from being a “Cover Girl” or spokesperson on late-night TV for the latest acne cream, to launching their own line of skin care or cosmetics. Reality TV stars who went from having their wardrobe supplied by brands doing product placement to them having their own lines for sale. It is happening with increasing frequency among consumer goods, but what about B2B products?
In the future, I see more opportunity for this as well. Thought leaders, influencers, business consultants, and others creating their own products. They have long created services, in the form of trainings and consulting engagements. Sometimes that extended to a book publishing deal or some syndicated programs or online classes (which are more of a product). But would your business be more likely to buy an ERP system named after a large, respected accounting firm? Would you specify a video conferencing system if it bore the name of a major publisher or business luminary? It is more of a stretch in some cases, but not only is it possible, I think it is the next wave of how B2C business successes are influencing B2B practices.
Paying attention is the key to ongoing relevance and evolution in our businesses and in our careers.
Some of you will excel at the ideation that comes from seeing what others are doing in different markets or segments. Others will excel at refining and improving the concepts once they are proposed. Others will focus on implementation. Some will enable ideas to reach their potential with proper funding and leadership. And others will make their mark in measurement and analysis. All of those super powers are required.
But no matter if you have super strength, super flexibility, or super speed. We can all improve our power of observation with practice. And we can all enjoy the payoff of paying attention.
Read more about companies can take inspiration from other industries to grow their businesses. Download the free eBook “The Payoff of Paying Attention”.
"While it is evolutionarily helpful to worry about what could go wrong, if you are being chased by a cheetah, it can make it hard to soak up the joy that is around you."
- Amy Whitaker, the author of Art Thinking
Looking back in the early days of my career, there are several things I wish I’d known. Now that I’m the CMO of Leyard’s international business and vice president of marketing and product strategy at Planar, I’m sharing lessons that would have been helpful when I started my career, in hopes they will help recent graduates as they enter the professional workforce.
In most professional environments, email is the most commonly used communication tool. While you have likely used personal email for many years, there are different protocols in the work place. These 10 guidelines will help ensure you are communicating what you want to communicate and how your message is being received.
1. Never use email to criticise or gossip
Never say something on email that you don’t want printed and put on the company bulletin board. Never gossip or take a harsh tone in email. Assume every email will be read by more than the recipient – before you hit send, would you be comfortable sending it to everyone in the company?
2. Never use email to discuss a heated or controversial topic.
Because you can’t read an email and determine the intended tone, it is not a good medium for discussing sensitive things, being sarcastic or delivering feedback. A good rule of thumb is that if there are more than 3 replies in the thread, it is best to take the conversation off-line to a meeting (in person or at least on the phone). You can reply to the thread saying, “It looks like this topic is a good one for us to discuss further. I suggest that we don’t continue in email, but rather schedule a call or meeting. How would tomorrow at 3 PM look for you?” Plus, a measured response demonstrates maturity and self-control, which are always good in the workplace.
3. Use proper language and full sentences
Do not use text slang (do not use LOL, BRB or the number 2 in place of “to” or “too”). In some offices, using this shorthand in messaging applications (like Lync or Skype or WeChat) is okay, but not in email. By using proper grammar and spelling, you are showing that you are professional, intelligent and do not take unnecessary shortcuts.
4. Respond to every email
Unless it says that no response is necessary, reply to all emails addressed to you. It can be with an answer or with more questions. It can be with a simple “thank you” or a message of completion to a project request. If you want to acknowledge the email, but don’t yet have the answer or have anything to report, reply back saying when you will respond. “I wanted to say that I got this request and have begun work on it. I expect to be done on Tuesday and will let you know when it is complete.” Keeping it short is fine, and often preferred. Responding to emails is a way to make and keep commitments while building trust.
5. Set your out of office when you are away
When you are on vacation, travelling for business, or even away from your desk in meetings (if they last longer than when people would expect a reply from you, which varies by job and person), set your out of office message. Most email programs allow you to set your out of office for a particular time and deliver different messages to internal and external parties. Keep it short and professional. Say how long you will be out of the office. Tell them you will get to their message as soon as you can, but they should expect delays. Offer them an alternative contact for immediate assistance, if one is available. Never disclose personal information in an out-of-office intended for external parties (i.e., “I’ll be partying on the beach in Miami for Spring Break”).
6. How to use the To: line: strategically
If you want someone to take action or the email is addressed to them, put them in the TO line. Most emails should be to one person or to a small group where all of the roles are clear and be sure to clarify who you need to respond to which aspects. For example: “Kevin, I am copying you so that you can help me estimate the costs. Gary, can you help me greet our guests at 2 PM tomorrow?”
7. How to use the CC: line: judiciously
Include people in the CC if they need to be aware of the discussion, but are not active participants. If you are sharing good news or a compliment, feel free to copy in that person’s manager. Avoid the temptation to copy the world in on emails, especially if the content is bad or difficult. (And remember it’s often better to handle difficult news in person rather than over email.)
8. How to use the BCC line: carefully
Blind carbon copies are often used to complain or as a way to “cover your tracks”. My advice is to be honest and do not use it to be sneaky. In general, I don’t think it is a good form of communication and I don’t use it. The times BCC is acceptable is sending company-wide email to avoid unnecessary reply-alls, or if someone introduces to you to someone else via email. For example, a good use of BCC would be if Bill thinks you should know Sue and sends an email suggesting you have coffee sometime with Sue. You can move Bill to BCC to thank him for the introduction (telling him you are moving him to the BCC), then remove him from the conversation you and Sue as you figure out when to schedule the coffee.
9. How to use “reply to all”: rarely
Replying to all is rarely a good idea. It clogs up emails and makes people look like amateur communicators. The exception to this is when someone is trying to schedule a meeting or brainstorming to build upon each other’s ideas. But even then there are better ways, such as using the busy/available tool in the calendar.
10. Don’t forget how to write a letter
I like to send hand-written notes. It is bit old-fashioned, I know, but because it is rare, the gesture is genuinely appreciated. I have gotten thank you calls and emails from folks who received a thank you note and felt compelled to respond. It is a great way to build relationships.
This article was originally published on Leaders in Heels.
"You will never climb Career Mountain and get to the top and shout, 'I made it!' You will rarely feel done or complete or even successful. Most people I know struggle with that complicated soup of feeling slighted on one hand to feeling like a total fraud on the other. Our ego is a monster that loves to sit at the head of the table, and I have learned that my ego is just as rude and loud and hungry as everyone else's. It doesn't matter how much you get; you are left wanting more. Success is filled with MSG."
- Amy Poehler, comedian, actor, and best-selling author
We live on a blue planet that circles around a glowing ball of fire, reflected by a moon that moves the sea. We are surrounded by miracles.
When I was in college, I combined majors in history and business, which necessitated a lot of writing. The professors began classes by asking that students write a minimum number of formatted pages for each assignment. After the first few, the professor then implemented a page limit. I tried not to take it personally, but I did notice a pattern. More was not always better.
Thus my love-hate relationship with editing began in earnest. And now, I think of editing as a more encompassing task and valuable talent, because I don’t see it limited to writing. Sure, we edit copy for an ad, content for a blog post, speeches or videos for length, or even these articles to match the attention span of the reader. But I am now very aware that editing is something you must do in your life overall.
Identifying which stories need to be told. Selecting the right things to focus on. Making each word and each moment of the day the highest impact possible. Taking out everything extraneous so that the important things can be achieved.
Just like editing, it is easier said than done. You’d think it would be easier to strike words from sentences or sentences from paragraphs than it was to write them in the first place, but anyone who has done it knows it is not true. Just like curation makes the museum collection, so does editing make the writer.
And in life, editing is hard. But worthwhile.
This article was originally published on LinkedIn Pulse.
Read about Edward Teach and tell me that he wasn’t the world’s first master brand manager.
He had the look, with his thick black beard and how he’d light his hat on fire to frighten his enemies. He flew the skull and crossbones symbol over his ship (an early example of a logo?). He had the catchy name. He had the reputation that would cause ships to surrender without a fight (useful for a pirate who wants to preserve his crew and his ammunition). He literally got paid more because of his strong brand. And, thanks to creative work of his biographers over the years he has the legacy, having inspired popular lore, books, films, and even amusement park rides.
In Alice Rawsthorn’s TED talk, she talks about “pirates, nurses, and other rebel designers,” and what we can learn from them today. Check it out.
We think of Facebook as something personal, because it has a password and most of the content is personal in nature, but it is public. It is open space. We think the lock on the gate let’s us in, but in fact, the lock on the gate let’s us out.
We think of a public square as public space. But with headphones and heads-down mobile technology, it might be more of a private experience. Add to this augmented reality with personal interests represented and the public square might be very private.
As the lines between public and private space and information blur, what are the implications to privacy, to communication, and to the responsibility we have to our fellow users of these spaces and systems?
According to former president at SRI who helped launch hundreds of innovation projects and companies, here are four things a CEO must be able to do:
- Articulate a clear value proposition. In the first few sentences or minutes of a pitch to an investor or a customer. If it takes pages, it is too nuanced and not strong enough.
- Prove they’re passionate about the customer.
- Demonstrate their ability to build a winning a team.
- They must know how to execute
I’d add a fifth one and that is
5. Be strong enough to say “no” to good ideas to remain focused on the great idea that will lead to substantive results and breakthroughs in the market.
These are things that professionals in any position should strive to do.