“We only see what we look at. To look is an act of choice.” John Berger, Ways of Seeing
To solve the problem, you must first define it. And your first question probably isn’t the right one to ask.
I recently heard Beau Lotto, the neuroscientist whose TED talk on illusions has generated over 5 million views, speak at a conference* during which he said:
“courage is more important than confidence”
As I have been reflecting on this in my own life and work, including the current search for my next career step, I think he is right. If you are given the choice to be confident or courageous, you should always choose courage.
Confidence is believing you can. Courage is knowing that you might fail, but doing it anyway.
Confidence’s posture is upright, which makes it fragile. Confidence can’t fail. Courage leans into the wind, gets up when it falls down, and is more resilient.
Confidence is proud and can push others away. Courage is vulnerable and draws others in.
Confidence can be external facing, seeking the approval of others. Some acts of courage are public and heroic, but many are private and quiet. Doing the right thing, even when it is hard and no one is looking.
Confidence is complete and closed off to learning new things. Courage requires it.
Confidence requires prior relevant experience (otherwise it starts slipping into the danger zone of “over confidence”). Courage can forge it’s own path.
Confidence is a feeling. Courage is a decision to act.
In your own life, in your family, in your business, and in our communities, how can we put our personal and societal pressure for confidence aside, and instead cultivate more courage?
*The conference was TIDE (Technology, Innovation, Design, and Experience) produced by Avixa in conjunction with the InfoComm show. Amazing event. You should go!
This article was originally published on LinkedIn Pulse.
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” – Socrates
“Seeing too much is seeing nothing.” – Kai Wong, director of the China: Through the Looking Glass exhibit at the MET
Read more by Jennifer Davis about finding your focus.
Prior to the official start of InfoComm 2018, Avixa will host the first ever Integrated Life conference. On the afternoon of June 5th, Jennifer Davis, on behalf of her consulting business, BridgeSpan Media together with Canvas Research, will share some new and exclusive research conducted for this event.
In May 2018, a small sample of high net worth US households were surveyed highlights were shared at the conference. This summary research was conducted to inform a larger study that is being designed to delve deeper into trends, purchase motivations, and to provide a larger sample that would allow for regional insights (as homeowners in Dallas or Los Angeles face different issues than those in Chicago or Manhattan).
Use the Contact form on this website (or a direct message via Twitter) to express interest in the full research report once it becomes available. It will provide insights for the whole value chain from manufacturing brands to integrators and resellers providing local design, installation, and support.
Contact the research team at Avixa to share your interest in the residential market, as we partner with them on these efforts.
Marketing holds the potential to drive business strategy and growth for the long-term, but only if you have the right talent in your organization.
I had a chance to share some thoughts and techniques on how to hire marketers with great strategic thinking and business skills to build out your leadership teams. This keynote presentation is now available on OnConferences, a virtual conference featuring business leaders across multiple industries and functional disciplines.
In this talk, I share the advice I give to CEOs when they are hiring marketing talent. This same advice applies up and down the organization to make sure you have the strategic horsepower to fuel your growth.
“Love makes you brave.” – Rich Kannwischer
“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” – Terry Pratchett
I recently spoke at the GeekOut on Marketing Technology hosted by the Technology Association of Georgia. As promised, here is the presentation with resources and references of case study examples noted. There is so much more to know about each of these case studies and the portfolio work of the talented firms I mentioned. Happy exploring! Download here.
“You don’t make mistakes. Mistakes make you.” – from The Last Word movie
Read more by Jennifer Davis about making mistakes.
Dogged pursuit of our goals is what sets winners apart from the also rans. Developing mental toughness isn’t just about being resilient. It’s not just about enduring. It’s also about training yourself to access your reserve tank when you think you just can’t go any further.
I attended a seminar hosted by 22squared which featured the author, entrepreneur, music lover, and ultra marathoner, Jesse Itzler. His high energy presentation talked about how you can develop your grit.
We all think we know our limits. Whether you’re pushing your body, mind, or spirit, there’s always that moment when you feel like tapping out. We think we know our limits, but in fact, we lie. To get past that point, Jesse explains a perspective-altering rule he learned from a Navy SEAL who came to live with for a month:
He would say that when your mind is telling you you’re done, you’re really only 40 percent done. And he had a motto: If it doesn’t suck, we don’t do it. And that was his way of every day forcing us to get uncomfortable to figure out what our baseline was and what our comfort level was and just turning it upside down. We all have that will. It’s just a matter of how we apply it not just to the once-a-year marathon, but to a variety of things in our daily lives.
Mental blocks take many forms:
- The rational arguments (“I don’t want to injure myself” or “no need to over do it”)
- The empathetic encouragement from a spouse, friend, or co-worker (“come here and rest” or “it’s okay not to finish”)
- It can take the form of entitlement (“I earned a little rest and relaxation”) or self-doubt (“I can’t do any more”)
- It is often accompanied by justifications that give up the control of what you think about your efforts to others (“My boss will understand how hard this is” or “Everyone knows that I did everything I could”)
- Sometimes we throw in the lame excuse in the mix (traffic, weather, you choose)
- And sometimes we throw in the unhelpful or incomplete comparison (“I have done more than everyone else”)
These mental blocks - when your brain taps you on your shoulder reminding you of your discomfort and pointing you towards the exit - can occur anytime your goal isn’t bigger than your obstacles or your love of comfort (literally your comfort, or your comfort zone, figuratively).
To achieve our best we have to tamp down our inner sloth of laziness, the inner gremlin of criticism, and the ever-helpful voice in our heads that wants you to wrap us in bubble wrap to protect us from the bruises of effort. Instead, surprise them all with our resolve. Remind them that you aren’t fragile. Turn that resolve into actions. Actions of how we spend our time, our money, and our energy to accomplish really amazing things reserved for those who put in the effort.
The next time you feel like giving up, slacking off, or tapping out, instead retire your bubble wrap and realize you’ve still got 60 percent left.
You can find Jesse’s New York Times best-selling book, Living with a Seal: 31 days training with the toughest man on the planet, at your favorite reseller. Mine is on order.
This article was originally published on LinkedIn Pulse.
“What and How nearly never work without knowing first the Who and the Why” – Jennifer Davis
Join Jennifer on June 5 from 3:45 PM - 4:45 PM for a panel discussion on "Changing Consumer Habits and the Effect on Technology Experiences in Hospitality and Entertainment." This interactive panel will be part of the Integrated Life program at InfoComm, produced by Parks Associates.
Over the past few years, entertainment habits have shifted dramatically, ranging from streamed content to immersive interactivity. Today’s behaviors and preferences related to audio and video experiences are very different from habits of only a few years ago. New devices and greater interactivity affect perception of in-home AV needs for the newest generation of consumers and influences their expectations at hospitality, dining, or entertainment venues. This session examines the changing consumption habits of consumers and how those changes will affect all areas for AV products, services, and installation.
Proud to be among the speakers inspiring innovative and impactful use of digital to drive customer engagement and company growth at the Technology Association of Georgia's GeekOut on Marketing Technology later this month in Atlanta, Georgia.
Register and find out more at http://www.tagonline.org/events/geek-out-marketing-technology/
I'll be speaking on "Pixels in Places: Digital Marketing Hits High Street in Customer Experiences That are Worth Sharing," sharing how technology in physical environments can further other marketing initiatives when it is considered as part of the larger customer journey.
Other topics of the day include the following:
- Feeding the Beast: Content Ideation Tools and Case Study (Vlink Solutions)
- Keeping the Lights on – How Martech Helps (GE Power)
- The Intersection of MarTech & FinTech (Kabbage)
- The New Frontier of Channel Management (Schneider Electric)
- B2B Customers Are People Too! (NanoLumens)
- Fueling Growth with Technology, Process and People (QASymphony)
- Maintaining High Touch in the World of High-Tech Marketing (Amy Walker Consulting)
- Managing a Centralized Tech Stack in a Hyper-Growth SaaS Company (SalesLoft)
- Cutting Edge Marketing Technology Needs a Classic Foundation (PRGX)
- Meet Me at the Intersection of Art and Science: How to Monetize Marketing Through Technology (Metric Marketer)
- Strategy Led Technology Selection: What Agencies and Clients Need to Understand (rDialogue)
- Engaging Buyers with Digital Mental Darts: Bridging Sales and Marketing with Reverse CRM & Viewer Analytics (Equifax/iFolio)
- Marketing Technology Tools and Trends (The Swarm Agency)
- Marketing vs. Technology: Evolving Landscape and Skills to Succeed (Tropical Smoothie Cafe)
- The Rules of Audience Engagement for Immersive Technology (Launch)
See you on the 24th!
Growth stops when you lose the tension between where you are and where you could be.”
“Once you get beyond tokenism, diversity changes the chemistry and effectiveness of a board.” – Joseph Evans, State Bank and Trust
For more on the importance of diversity, read "Fighting for Diversity: from the room where it happens."
Join me at the OnBoard breakfast on June 13th to honor the inductees into the hall of fame and to celebrate the progress that has been made to put more diversity on corporate boards in Georgia.
“Be the leader people would kill for, not want to kill.” – Trish Mueller
For more on leadership, check out "The Momentum of Business."
When an organization needs to add leadership, especially in times of growth and change, the process is fairly straightforward: the senior leader crafts a job and gets help from HR or an executive recruiter to find the best candudate. But what if it worked differently?
What if you helped recruit and hire your own boss?
It is not uncommon for staff to be involved in the interview process and some companies incent employees for referrals, but I am thinking beyond that. What if you thought about what you wanted in a manager and what you thought the business needed in a leader, and actively helped recruit that person into your organization?
Here is 7 reasons why reverse recruiting makes sense.
1. You can make sure there is a fit
Each person comes to the job with certain strengths and interests. You have yours and your colleagues have theirs. Who better to recommend the kind of leader that will compliment and cultivate these strengths than you? What are you looking to develop and in what areas do you want to be mentored? Hiring your boss is a great way to ensure that you are getting what you need from your career. It is a wonderful thing when the development path of individual employees and the business needs align, for a long time. And being involved in hiring your manager can start building this tenure and growth into your career at your current employer.
2. You can be more successful
If you select the manager that is the right mix of mentor and challenger, you will be successful which will translate into more opportunities for you, and your colleagues. And if there is a good fit and complimentary skills, you may find yourself being able to focus on the parts of your job that you excel at, making you even more successful longer term.
3. You will be happier
Extensive research, like this article in Forbes, has been done on why people leave companies and the analysis shows that people rarely leave companies, they leave managers. Employee engagement begins, and can end, here. Your direct manager has more impact on your job satisfaction than virtually any other factor in your work life, more than compensation, work environment, or specific responsibilities. Choosing wisely, can have an impact on your life, stress-levels, and overall career success.
4. You position yourself as a leader
Let’s say you are a senior marketing director for a company who needs a Chief Marketing Officer, a Controller, or a head of operations at your company. Do you want to wait until the CEO appoints a new leader or brings in a few final candidates for you to interview or should you be more proactive? To make a recommendation for a new hire is a risk, but no matter how they ultimately end up doing in the role, you having a conversation with leaders in your company to make suggestions on what they should hire and giving them some people to consider, helps position you as a leader and someone committed to the cause of growth. If you go proactively to the CEO to find out more about the role and how you can help recruit the best candidate, it shows that you are a committed, ambitious, and high-performing employee who connected in the community.
5. You learn more about your business and the objectives of your boss
When you ask senior leadership what they are looking for in a new hire and how their performance will be evaluated, you are getting a fresh perspective on what a successful candidate might look like and how you can help them be successful once they are onboard. Many functional leaders or individual contributors are surprised to hear how much of their boss’ performance measures are based on things like enterprise value (ie, stock price, market share) rather than on successful execution of activities. This perspective can make you a better leader in the business, as well, able to tie your own activities with the overall business goals.
6. You can influence the company
Those conversations about the role and success measures, can also put you in a position of influence. What is missing from the job description that you think is critical, but that the hiring manager might not be aware? What competencies would make this person successful leading your team? Want more diversity in your organization? Hire a woman or person of color. Ask what is changing in the function or market that might cause the company to want to adapt what they are looking for and recommend accordingly.
7. You broaden your network
When helping to recruit, don’t stop with the people you already know. It is always better to build your network before you need it and there is no better way to do so than to reach out to see if people are interested in working for your company. You have something to offer them. If they aren’t interested, they might know someone who is who they can introduce you to. Ask your college professors for recommendations, see who serve on non-profit boards that you respect, attend networking meetings or industry association events and ask around. Scour LinkedIn. Referrals will lead to referrals and pretty soon you have met a dozen people who might be your next boss, at your current employer if things go well, or elsewhere in the future. Or maybe some of them may go to work for you someday.
In his book, Under New Management, David Burkus describes how teams are built at IDEO, the legendary industrial design firm. The teams pick their leader, the leader doesn’t pick the teams. The talent gets to pick their place in the organization chart, under the manager and on the projects that make the most sense to them. Managers who find themselves without teams, can’t execute projects and are probably not in the organization long. I imagine those with too many employees, find themselves with more interesting work and bigger responsibilities and reward. What started as an experiment years ago, still permeates the culture. Perhaps it is time for your organization to do an experiment of its own.
This article was originally published on LinkedIn Pulse.
You own the problems that create problems for your customers. They might not be your fault, but they are your problem.
For more about your relationship with customers, read "Customer Feedback."