Inspiration Notebook

Today I attended Creative Mornings, which featured a talk by Scott Thomas. Creative Mornings is a monthly breakfast lecture series. The events are free of charge, feature a 20-minute talk, and even include coffee to help kick start your Friday.

Scott Thomas is a designer/developer well-known for his work with Designing Obama. He spoke about a new project he has been developing called The Noun Project. The project features an immense catalog of universal icons available for public use, and even provides cross language translation.

Creative Mornings was started in New York by Tina Roth Eisenberg (you may have heard of her blog and design studio swissmiss) who wanted to create accessible events for people to come together and become inspired.

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Each Tuesday in our morning meeting, we have the chance to talk about what inspires us. We all agreed that this talk, featuring Yves Béhar and his idea of 360° design, was a great way to start the day. Check out Yves’ talk at CUSP 2011. Yves talks about asking the right questions, and how his team re-imagined something as simple as a shoe box.

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Canright Communications believes that purpose and vision should drive any sales and marketing plan and project. During the Discover phase  of our Canright Project Methodology, we make sure that we understand a company’s purpose, vision, and goals and how a marketing project will support them.

The primary tool at use at this initial state is the Ideal State Action Planning (ISAP) process. The ISAP process gives a concise framework and method to define the ideal and present states of a problem while suggesting pathways to make that ideal state a reality.

The ISAP process is derived from neurolinguistic programming (NLP) and communication modeling techniques pioneered by Richard Bandler and John Grinder. Dr. Robert Wright, CEO of the Wright Leadership Institute, created the ISAP process from ideas in Grinder’s book Precision: A New Approach to Communication. In addition to NLP and communications modeling techniques, Dr. Wright added his own focus on purpose as a way to ensure that an ideal state flowed from a larger mission, as discussed in his book Business with Purpose.

In practice, an ISAP is a simple process. All of the major stakeholders and members of the Canright team meet to define the vision or ideal state that a project is to achieve. Three flip charts with note takers are set up on the front of the room–one on the left labeled Present, the one in the middle labeled Pathway, and the one on the right labeled Ideal. Sometimes we use a laptop projected on the wall with a Word document divided in three columns.

We ask questions to determine where the organization wants to go as a business and with the project. We also ask questions about where things stand at present. As questions are answered, answers and observations, the note takers write on the appropriate charts.

The conversation progresses, and the present and ideal states become increasingly clear. Pathways tend to emerge, almost as if by magic.

The process takes an hour or two and results in a concrete definitions of the present state, the ideal state, and the pathways required to achieve the ideal state. The information on the flip charts, along with a transcript, serve as the basis for recommendations, proposals, and reports.

Canright conducts kick-off ISAPs for all its major projects and in initial sales meetings as a way to quickly define and determine client needs.

Tags: B2B marketing, Canright Project Methodology, Wright Leadership Institute
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Here are quotes and assessments on the economy in 2010 from panelists at tonight’s Massachusetts Institute of Technology Enterprise Forum Chicago program on the Economic Outlook for 2010. Tim Curley, a financial advisor at UBS Financial Services, moderated in front of a sell-out crowd.

Bryce Bulman, Senior Vice President, PIMCO/Allianz Investment Management
“PIMCO coined an expression called ‘the new normal.’ We’re not setting to a previous mean but going into new territory. We’re not going back to 2005 or 2006.”

“There are risks. The Fed is looking to exit from the mortgage market. It put a trillion dollars in buying mortgages. What happens when the Fed doesn’t buy mortgages like they have been? It could result in better values for patient bond investors.”

Adolfo Laurenti, Senior Economist, Mesirow Financial
“We are probably going to see big (GDP growth) numbers. Why, then, are we feeling so bad?

“The numbers for growth look good on paper. Most of those growth numbers will be quarter by quarter and build off temporary factors. In the first half of the year, the stimulus package. Massive inventory rebuilding for one or two quarters.

“Very little will contribute to a sense of momentum ahead. Temporary factors will not create momentum to create jobs and thus income.”

Mark Keeley, Keeley Investment Management
“My whole thesis is patience. People get impatient especially in their investment. . . . If you’re not moving money around, you’re not doing what you’re supposed to. Sometimes the best thing is to do nothing.

“If you remember one thing from tonight, it’s the point on retirement,” Mark said, in response to a comment about the job prospects of Generation Y and the retirement prospects of the Baby Boomers.

“Retirement income and inflation are related to purchasing power. This is the key point. When you stop working, you have to make money on your money. Your number is purchasing power and in an inflationary cycle it will be scary. That’s the real wild card. When we print all this money, there are repercussions.”

Angela Librizzi, Regional Director, Goldman Sachs Asset Management
The Goldman Sachs forecast is not optimistic and fraught with dangers but also hidden opportunities. “We need 100,000 new jobs to stay flat and 250,000 to decrease unemployment by 1%. We have a ways to go.

“Now that the economy is more normalized, we will see a dispersion of high quality and low quality. You’re always better off in quality. Owning good businesses is where you will win in 2010.”

That’s because the fundamentals of human capital and creativity in the United States remain sound. As Mark Keeley put it:

“We’re the greatest innovators in the history of the world. The Chinese are the greatest imitators in the history of the world. The Indians are poor, smart and hungry, and that’s what we learned to be, but they learned bureaucracy from the English.”

-Collin

Tags: economy, MIT Enterprise Forum Chicago
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We always get a number of lovely holiday cards—some are pop-ups, some have some really beautiful illustrations on the front. But, from a marketing perspective, the ones that stood out this year for us were the ones that were unusual and highly creative. Innotech Benefit Solutions sent us a card with the word JOY on the cover, with the O being the image of their logo. Our staff was delighted, since it got our attention, yet wasn’t commercial-feeling. It felt joyful and gave us the impression of a company that loves what they do. The other card that got our attention was from a friend at JP Morgan Compensation and Benefit Strategies. They took a humorous take on the iphone and its many apps. Each app on the card identified a person at the firm: our friend Tom had the “Caroling Buddy” app, while other colleagues were identified with apps such as “Toast Giver,” “Snowball Pitcher,” and “Festive Tie Wearer,” among others. The message on the front: “Holiday apps you may find useful…(and inside) “in addition to all the special gifts we bring you the rest of the year.” Acknowledging the business aspect, yet creative, warm and tasteful. Who ever said financial and benefits people weren’t creative? —Christina

Tags: B2B marketing, benefits, compensation, creativity, financial, holiday cards, holiday marketing, marketing
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My husband and I have declared this to be the Year of Writing—capturing our thoughts, sharing ideas, connecting with old and new friends and acquaintances, and discovering more about what’s going on around us. Collin sent me Steve Rubel’s, “Correspond to Connect,” which seemed to be in line with what we were thinking—with Steve putting it more in terms of a social media perspective.

Here is what he said on writing every day: “This year, vow not to lose sight of the art and importance of daily correspondence. Reach out to new people—even those you don’t agree with or those in other countries. Solicit and share new ideas.” This seems to be what social media is all about: connecting ideas, words, observations, and things I care about that someone else might care about too.

Writing is one of those activities that, when beginning it, I rarely know what is going to pour out. Things flow from my fingers that I didn’t know I cared about. A wonderful way for me to know more about me.

-Christina

Tags: connect, Social Media, writing
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I’ve been reading the Julia Child book, My Life in France, and am struck with her and her husband’s curiosity and their delight in things novel and unique. They took such joy in exploring and learning about France, its people, its culture, and above all, its food. Mrs. Child found her passion for cooking in the lessons that she began at Le Cordon Bleu, the most prestigious of cooking schools in Paris at that time. I was particularly entranced with her striving for perfection, reading how one of the chefs told the class to practice, practice, practice. She described watching this chef scramble eggs, and it made me want to go scramble eggs for dinner tonight, using his technique. (I am planning on trying this as soon as I get home—I know we have plenty of eggs, in case I mess up the first batch.)

There is a striving for perfection for the sheer pleasure of preparing an exquisite dish or meal, a striving that is thoroughly engaging to read about. Julia Child exudes joy as she describes her days of shopping for the best ingredients or of finding the best resource for kitchen utensils in all of Paris. She is fully engaged in something that just plain gives her pleasure, and her happiness is catching. It appears to be what she was born to do: she went on to write THE definitive book for English-speaking cooks called Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

As I read of her time in Paris in the ’50s with her husband, the words “indomitable spirit” seem to suit her. Difficulties did not stop her when she knew what she wanted. She shared early in the book that she had drifted, not knowing what she wanted to do and not applying herself seriously to anything, until she found French cooking. But, then she was a force to be reckoned with. She did not let mistakes bother her much in what she called her “experiments” in cooking. It was all very scientific to her, and all about learning. Great recipe for life, I’d say. And definitely inspiring.

-Christina

Tags: cooking, determination, discovery, France, Julia Child, Paris
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In this world, you now vote with your mouse. Here are our most clicked-on articles, milestones, and recommendations from 2009:

• Top overall clicks: www.collincanright.com
• Top outside article: Social Media is Here to Stay…Now What?
• Top milestone: A tie with McDonough Associates brochure (11 MB) and Wright Leadership Institute website
• Top recommendations: 1. Ork Posters 2. TED Talks: Bill Strickland

Tags: 2009 review, Canright Communications
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I keep a cartoon from The New Yorker near my desk, which seems to sum up this past year and perhaps the year to come. In the cartoon, Charles Dickens is sitting with his editor, and the editor asks: “I wish you would make up your mind, Mr. Dickens. Was it the best of times or was it the worst of times? It could have scarcely been both.”

Looking back at our newsletter articles from late 2008 through the present, it is both. It’s the best and the worst of times. In the past year-and-a-half, the economy was the worst it has been since the ’30s. Trust in various institutions was undermined. Banks failed. Foreclosures hit new heights. Unemployment reached an alarming high. Entire industries shifted or declined.

Yet, of the many difficulties and seemingly endless bad news, encouraging themes have emerged. Our articles this year focused on three resounding themes: new ways of doing business in a challenging economy; leadership; and networking/social media.

It’s the organizations that get creative and experiment on how to provide greater service that make it. Just as nature experiments following a forest fire, said Dr. Bob Wright of the Wright Leadership Institute, companies also need to try on new ideas, new technologies, new ways to do business in a challenging economy.

It may be more difficult to find the business, but there are industries that do well during recessions—and some businesses use the economy as a time to reinvent themselves. Here is an excerpt from one of our late 2008 newsletter articles:

“‘Innovative’ is the key word. A number of speakers and winners at the Chicago Innovation Awards…made the point that it’s especially critical for companies and individuals to focus on innovation. ‘Try as many things as possible, in as short a time as possible, using as minimal resources as possible,’ said keynote speaker Barry Moltz.” To quote Albert Einstein: “The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.”

Leadership was also an important theme this past year. Companies are recognizing that, to thrive, they must empower their people. Our favorite example is transformational leader Brad Anderson, vice chairman and former Best Buy CEO, who received the 2009 Transformational Leadership Award, sponsored by the Wright Foundation for Transformational Leadership.

Here is an excerpt from our April issue: “In his acceptance talk, Mr. Anderson emphasized that he isn’t and has not been the agent of transformation at Best Buy. Rather, he sets a vision and has created an environment in which employees have the freedom to pursue ideas at their local stores.” People feel empowered by the trust and freedom offered by their leaders. It opens the door and invites creativity.

This is important because “American business faces a crisis in trust,” said Joe Plumeri, CEO of the Willis Group Holdings, speaking at The Executives’ Club of Chicago in October. One consequence of today’s economic climate is that people and companies are afraid to take the risks required for growth and to restore trust.

Yet businesses must be willing to embrace change and new visions, and it’s a shared responsibility for everyone in a company. “Time to stop whining and start designing (the future),” said Dr. Don Beck, a world-renowned expert on organizational and societal transformation, who spoke at the November 20-21 Transformational Leadership Symposium: Staying Ahead of the Curve.

As Brad Anderson said in his address to the symposium, “We’re sitting on something very precious. We’re sitting in a place in time in which we may have an opportunity to do better than we’ve ever done before in our lives and discover a completely new way.”

And, finally, we talked a lot about networking and social media.

Here’s what we wrote in July: “During the course of the spring networking events, one constant in conversations, promotions, and email messages was this: social media. As the conversations suggested, it proved to be an important part of the event promotion mix but not the be-all and end-all it may seem. For promoting an event, the best approach is an integrated approach in which a personal touch predominates.” In other words, it was that final phone call that brought in the extra attendees. People want to connect, whether it’s via a networking event, a seminar, a phone call, Twitter, LinkedIn, IM—the choices keep expanding, because it all comes down to connections and relationships.

From our May issue: “The most critical element of creating and maintaining contact with a network is to use as wide a variety of means as possible—and as often as practical—from emails to blogs to newsletters to social media to phone calls to face-to-face meetings.”

Business happens through effective networks. In our October issue, we wrote that “effective networks are active, living networks.” Networking and social media are part of an entire mix of tools for finding new clients and helping to set up in-person meetings and conversations. All in all, it still is face-to-face meetings—off-line connections, if you will—that remain the goal of most network contacts. It’s important to learn how to be a hub, or focal point, in a network and understand how to maintain your networks—because ultimately, it comes down to relationships. As we wrote in October, “Humans are social, and, in business, it’s always about relationships.”

To read the full text of any of our newsletters, visit our newsletter home.

Tags: Best Buy, Brad Anderson, Charles Dickens, economy, innovation, Joe Plumeri, leadership, networking Chicago, Social Media, technology, Willis, Wright Leadership Institute
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No organization or leader can be complacent because none are too big to fail; the characteristics of great leadership and how to develop them are known; individual transformation, growth, and development follows a predictable model; and leaders must speak to followers using the appropriate cultural language to foster change.

That’s a pretty fair summary of the four speakers at last weekend’s Transformational Leadership Symposium: Staying Ahead of the Curve, sponsored by the Wright Foundation for Transformational Leadership. It doesn’t at all do the weekend justice in terms of the excitement of the crowd, the quality of the attendees, or the depth of the content. It’s only a taste.

For the entire experience was a feast. One of our clients went home after the Friday night dinner and told his wife it was the best symposium and conference he had attended. This was before the Saturday presentations. He had heard a short, pointed talk from Dr. Judith Wright about the need for transformation in our challenging times and an inspirational story of surviving to thriving in retail electronics as a result of multiple organizational transformations from Best Buy Vice Chairman and former CEO Brad Anderson.

In the interest of time, here are a few quotes and ideas that struck us over the weekend:

“We all have transformational qualities.” Dr. Ron Riggio presenting the four primary components of transformational leadership, based on decades of leadership research. They are:
1. Idealized Influence–bring a positive role model.
2. Inspirational Motivation–inspire, envision, energize.
3. Intellectual Stimulation–challenge, think, innovate.
4. Individualized Consideration–empathize, care, mentor, coach.

“All leaders live a great life. . . . Transformational does not take place without building new neuropathways.” Dr. Judith Wright explaining the neuroscience of learning and how the brain must physically change. Her Theory of Evolating breaks the process of individual transformation into six phases, each of which is supported by recent advances in neuroscience research.

“One of the most critical jobs of a transformational leader is keeping people engaged throughout the entire process of transformation and change, especially in the middle when you can no longer see the beginning and aren’t close enough to see the end.” Dr. Bob Wright discussing the engagement phase of evolating.

“Time to stop whining and start designing. . . . You need to see what life conditions produce the behavioral patterns you want to change. . . . All problems are a response to the life conditions that have to be met. . . . The big challenge today is meaning and purpose.” Dr. Don Beck talking about the dynamics, systems, processes, and cultures of humanity.

“If you’ve never failed, you’ve never lived.” Brad Anderson quoting Best Buy founder Dick Schultz. The company has been successful because they have persevered and always invested in their people, allowing them to fail in order to innovate and achieve success.

View video clips of the Transformational Leadership Symposium on the Wright Leadership Institute’s Facebook page.

Tags: leadership
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