Purchases always solve problems. And, problems are always driven by deeper needs. In between the problems and the deeper needs are tensions. These tensions are value-driven: in other words, they are driven by wanting the world to be one way and not another.
Each value has two poles: a positive and a negative (e.g., clean/dirty, love/hate, freedom/suppression, etc.).1 It is the battle between these two poles—because moving towards the negative is always a possibility—that creates tension in customers’ lives. It’s these tensions that companies should seek to solve.
A company’s goal should be to create offerings that move the customer closer to the positive end of the value spectrum. By doing so, the customer associates positive movement in their lives with the brand.
Different companies can solve similar problems in people’s lives. It’s the way in which they uniquely reduce the tension that differentiates one brand from another.
Consistently giving customers tools to overcome tensions reinforces behaviors. Reinforcing behaviors is what makes customers develop a relationship with a brand and makes them likely to consider that brand first when making a new purchase. Reinforced behaviors lead to purchases.
When an ad falls flat, it’s usually because it has nothing to do with tensions or it solves a problem that the customers don’t associate with the brand—it isn’t linked to a reinforced behavior. It may be visually appealing; it might even be clever enough to win an award. But, just being visually appealing or clever doesn’t drive purchase. The lack of effectiveness results in companies constantly switching directions. And when they constantly change directions, they lack the consistency required to create reinforcement.
Companies that don’t solve a tension have weak brands. Companies with strong brands consistently help customers overcome tensions and become the heroes in their own journeys.
The best way we’ve found to uncover these tensions is to talk to your customers: specifically your Brand Lovers—the customers that love you the most. These customers love you because you help them in their lives over and over again. As a result, they have a better perspective of what you can do when you’re at your best than your average customer does.
Once you understand these tensions, you can more clearly express your ability to solve problems and more easily reinforce desired behaviors to a larger customer base.
If you’re like most businesspeople, you’ve entered problem-solving meetings excited to devise a solution, but then left feeling like you wasted valuable time.
Often, the solution is similar to something already in place or it was brought up early in the meeting. It feels like the meeting could have been more easily accomplished in an email that didn’t take you away from your desk.
With results like these, it’s easy to question the value of brainstorming. And, it’s understandable why most businesses don’t devote time to regular brainstorming sessions.
What is Brainstorming Really?
Most “brainstorming” meetings look something like this: A bunch of people get in a room and suggest solutions to a problem. People comment on the ideas as they come up. Eventually, one mediocre idea triumphs.
But, this isn’t brainstorming.
Brainstorming, as conceived by advertising executive Alex Osborn, consists of coming up with as many ideas as possible (wild or tame), without passing any judgment.
Brainstorming is about producing ideas, not picking a solution.
This why most problem-solving meetings produce poor solutions: they fail to set aside time to focus solely on generating ideas.
Ideation + Evaluation = Less Ideas
By not focusing solely on idea generation, what ends up happening is that the meetings become a free-for-all with anyone being able to say what they want, whenever they want.
It may seem like this the best way to encourage people to think freely and create a steady flow of ideas. But, it does the opposite: it causes people to fixate on ideas and have their thoughts drift toward existing solutions.
As creativity researcher Patricia D. Stokes observes, “Free to do anything, most of us do what’s worked best, what succeeded the most often in the past.”1
Additionally, allowing people to say anything they want combines the processes of ideation and evaluation. Ideation activates a different part of the brain than evaluation. And, by switching back and forth between these two modes of thinking, you impede the ability of either function to work at its maximum level. In short, switching between ideation and evaluation hinders the generation of ideas.
These sessions end up resulting in a battle over a narrow range of ideas. And, that isn’t brainstorming.
Evaluating solutions should come after the brainstorm has ended, not as part of the brainstorming session.
Creating an Environment of Openness
The brainstorm leader’s goal is to make sure that communication isn’t forced in one particular direction. The leader should help keep everyone on track and set an open, nonjudgmental tone for the session.
The leader must make it clear that there will be no criticism of ideas. The goal is to get as much feedback, ideation, and data out of the group as possible—not to discuss a specific solution.
This method is contrary to the way most people approach group brainstorming. The goal is not to come into the meeting with an idea in mind and then try to win people over to your way of thinking.
Brainstorming isn’t an essay contest or a debate. Evaluating and deciding on a solution comes later. It is essential that the leader makes this distinction clear.
Focus exclusively on generating ideas without judgment. This forces people into being more open and receptive, creating optimal conditions for idea generation.
Facilitating the Art of Listening
The most important factor in producing ideas in a group brainstorm is listening to other people’s ideas, without constantly focusing your attention on the solution you want to champion.
Hearing is a passive act of sensing sound. Listening is a conscious, active process that requires you to give your full attention to the person speaking.
Creating an attitude of openness by not allowing evaluation in the brainstorm makes it easier for people to listen. It’s harder to fixate on a solution when there’s no chance that a decision will be made. The natural impulse to prove a solution becomes minimized.
The creative process is the result of linking ideas to existing memories or ideas and creating new combinations. By listening to others during a meeting, you have the opportunity to receive new ideas that can combine with your own ideas and memories to create more new ideas.
Ideas propagate ideas.
Generating as many ideas as possible is important, as there’s a direct correlation between the quantity and quality of ideas: the more ideas generated, the greater the quality.
Like Ray Dolby, creator of the Dolby NR noise reduction system, advised, “You have to have the will not to jump at the first solution, because a really elegant solution might be right around the corner.”2
Two Keys to Making Your Brainstorming Sessions Work
Establishing an environment of openness and listening to others creates the best conditions for brainstorming.
Create an environment of openness. Only produce ideas; don’t evaluate them.
Actively listen. Pay attention to what others say. Ideas propagate ideas.
Focusing on openness and listening will vastly improve your ability to generate original and valuable ideas.
Everyone I’ve taught these keys to—whether in my creativity workshop or when I introduce them before leading meetings—has found them to be valuable in their own work. I hope you do too.
A company is stronger if it is bound by love rather than fear.
Herb Kelleher
The passing this week of Herb Kelleher—the man who filled the skies with flying hearts—made me reflect on compassion and the way we treat ourselves and each other.
At the beginning of each year, many of us set resolutions for ourselves and our businesses: we want our personal lives and our business lives to be better than they were the year before.
These resolutions are usually about fixing something that we perceive to be broken. We fixate on the negative. We give in to our inner critic. And, in doing so, we often forget to cultivate the positive.
This is to the detriment of ourselves and our businesses.
The goal of every leader should be to care about their teams and genuinely want to build them up individually and collectively. True leadership is about leading people, not organizations.
For us to be compassionate towards others, first we must be compassionate towards ourselves.
This year, when setting your goals, don’t focus purely on negative things that need to be changed. Instead, also take time to reflect on the positive things inside of yourself and how they can be enhanced and amplified.
This year, begin your leadership goals from within.
While revolution must be led from the top, it rarely starts at the top. The spirit of revolution already exists in the hearts and minds of motivated employees and loyal customers. It shows up in the individual stories that employees tell about the work they do. And it shows up in the individual stories that customers tell about the products they love. Often a leader need only act as a kind of managing editor, shaping the stories to align with a shared vision.Marty Neumeier1
Despite what many agencies still claim, brands aren’t logos or taglines and they can’t be made or changed with a single ad campaign.
A brand is a living entity with three elements: vision, culture, and customer. These elements influence each other and collectively create a perception about the company. That perception is the brand.
There’s more than one way to create a brand. But, we think there’s only one way to create a brand that will be relevant now and in the future. And, that’s creating an Authentic Brand.
“The strength of the team is each member. The strength of each member is the team.” Phil Jackson
A healthy workplace boosts morale, lowers turnover, decreases absenteeism, and increases productivity. With the holidays upon us on and the finish line in sight, it is important to keep team morale high. Below are 3 Tips to improve morale as we approach the end of the year.
1. Confront Grievances Head-On
With the hectic schedule of the season, it’s easy to dismiss a team member’s frustrations as something that can wait until the new year. Although these problems are often minimal, without being addressed they can lead to more significant issues. Use these instances to confront the issues together with your team. Let them know you are sincerely interested in their well being and in finding solutions to the problem. When your team knows you have their back, it will boost morale.
2. Tie Team Efforts to the Vision
Give your associates a reason to believe. Remind your team why their work matters and how it ties to your company’s higher purpose. Sharing the deeper meaning and purpose of someone’s work can have a significant impact on their motivation. Use examples from associates success stories to illustrate how their efforts pushed the company closer to achieving its vision.
At The Life is good Company, they continually remind their customers and associates that 10% of profits go towards helping kids in need. So no matter what your job is at Life is good, you know your work positively impacts the quality of care delivered to vulnerable children.
3. Lead by Example
As a leader, It is essential to come to work with a good attitude. Your demeanor will set the tone for the rest of your team. A healthy attitude contributes to your team’s success and productivity. When you have high morale, your colleagues will: be more likely to collaborate with you and each other, be more creative and provide better customer service. Be consistent with your efforts. You can’t expect the team’s morale to be positive if your attitude towards work changes with the wind.
When teams are motivated and confident, they accomplish more, and they also have fun being a part of the brand.
Google “How to Say Thank You” and you’ll get 2.18 billion results. Most are instructional. It’s surprising that something we learned to do as children has that many search results.
Somewhere in between childhood and adulthood, we forgot how to say thank you and, most importantly, mean it.
This is especially true in business where the market often forces companies to focus on short-term transactions rather than long-term relationships. When customers hear a “thank you” in business, it’s usually the result of a company policy instead of something genuine.
Saying something and meaning it comes across a lot differently than when you just go through the motions of saying it.If you don’t mean it: it’s just words. When you mean it, the words carry emotion. It’s the difference between someone faking a smile and a child opening up that gift they’ve wanted for months on Christmas morning.
Over a decade ago, a sales associate at Cole Haan sent me a handwritten thank you note. Thousands of transactions between then and now, and I’ve yet to receive another personal letter from any company that wasn’t mailed with a purchase. Recently, this thoughtful gesture came to mind when I received a beautifully wrapped scatola misteriosa from an upscale boutique, reminding me just how impactful personalized surprises can be. To this day, when I’m looking for something new, I check to see if Cole Haan has something I like first. And, guess what: my last clothing purchase was from Cole Haan.
All it took to make me consider Cole Haan first was a handwritten letter that took no longer than a couple of minutes to write. But, it was genuine. And, the sales associate had to look online to figure out how to thank me.
At its heart, saying “thank you” is about caring for customers. Customers want to matter and they want to engage with brands.
Yet, most companies are missing the chance to engage with their customers beyond trite responses to happy customers and copy-and-paste legalese for angry customers.
This is a big missed opportunity. But, it’s not an opportunity that can be feigned. It can only be done with caring. And, a good start is creating a culture that cares enough to genuinely say, “Thank you.”
In a society that values goals and results, it’s easy to see why play isn’t valued by adults.
Play is a state more than it is a thing. Play involves doing something enjoyable for its own sake. There is no goal aside from enjoying the experience.
But, play is not a trivial activity: play makes people happier, it helps develop empathy, it reduces stress, and it strengthens resolve. Continue Reading
“Before I can tell you the story, you have to try the shot.” – Fred Mossler Co-Founder Zappos.
You mean the one with the scorpion in it?
“Yeah and you should shoot it together, you definitely don’t want to eat the scorpion alone.” – Fred
“BJ, The Scorpion Shot is so popular, that we are now vertically integrating scorpions into our business model.” – Tony Hsieh Zappos CEO
We are celebrating Nacho Daddy’s 5 Year Anniversary in Las Vegas.
Fascinated by all things culture, I am naturally intrigued by the story and the sense of community that taking this shot provides.
Gulp! It’s gone, scorpion and all.
Soon after we are sitting in the middle of T-Mobile Arena where the biggest show in Vegas is about to go off, the Knights take the ice, and the crowd goes wild. Maybe it’s the tequila or the scorpion, but I am vibrating even though I have no clue about the game of hockey, but I understand people can feel the energy and it is electric.
Brand Rituals are All Around Us
Separating Oreo’s and dunking it in milk, or Breaking a KitKat into halves and eating it on a break, Popping the cap of the Pringles tube or if you want to get fancy The Stella Artois’ 9-step pouring ritual. These brand rituals play a crucial role in building a sense of belonging and community around the brands.
Rituals offer consumers the chance to interact with a brand. Because people want more than just consumption – they appreciate experiences.
Over the years I have observed different strategies that work towards creating powerful and emotional experiences. Here are a few questions to consider when building your plan:
Can you create and experience specific to your audience?
How can it be specific to your brand?
Ritualize Your Brand
Our job is to explore the elements of your brand that lend themselves to becoming ritualized. How might you make your product or service part of the daily lives of your customers? Is it even possible?
How might you use brand rituals to create a greater sense of “team” and “family” with your employees, and to fuel their passions for supporting the brand?
Creating a ritual around your brand, whether it’s focused internally or externally, is one of the most useful tools you have to engage people and it’s one of the critical components necessary for building a successful cult brand.
“The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness. Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what you are doing.”
Jon Kabat-Zinn
The truth is that many of us spend most of our time in the office. Think about how you can transform the lives of those around you by becoming more aware.
This shift toward more humanistic management practices doesn’t merely improve productivity, creativity, collaboration, loyalty, and profitability; it can also help the people around you become better spouses, better parents, and better citizens.
You can invite your employees to grow by finding ways to make the workplace more engaging (less static), more inspiring (less mundane), and more open (less fixed). As Abraham Maslow put it, “We must try to make a particular kind of people, of personality, of character, of soul one might say, rather than try to create directly particular kinds of behavior.”
When we practice mindfulness, we are training our brains to examine internal and external cues rather than react to them, so we can better manage emotions and develop into our full humanity.
A brand becomes stronger when you narrow the focus.
Al Ries and Laura Ries, The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding.
Keeping a brand on course is one of the most critical and difficult challenges executives face. A narrow brand focus will help keep your brand aligned with your core business and in tune with your best customers. Below are four questions that can help your organization stay focused on what is most important for the brand.
Why do we exist?
Beyond making money, it is essential to know what purpose your brand serves. Knowing what problems your brand helps solve for its customers is key to building a strong, profitable brand.
What values and beliefs unify our employees and our customers?
Recruiting a high-performance team is vital to your organization’s ability to deliver on its brand promise. Knowing the core values that resonate deep within your organization and with your Brand Lovers is essential for attracting passionate employees and creating customers who love your brand. The more you understand what your brand stands for, the better you will be at drawing in people who love working for you and enjoy doing business with you.
How do we measure success?
If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there. Having a brand promise of what success looks like allows your organization to remain focus on the big picture.
What is holding us back?
Making progress toward the brand promise of a brand is not easy. It does not come without sacrifice and a lot of hard work. To be successful, you have to let go of the norms and embrace discomfort. The solutions that worked to get the brand where it is today will not ensure success in the future.
Now that you’re in the final stretch of 2018, have you done a thorough, top-to-bottom progress evaluation on your brand? Where are the big misses? What’s behind or underneath the numbers? What needs to be done differently?
Which of these challenges will you take into consideration as you plan for 2019? Pick one or two to bring to your next executive session.
