Coordinates 08.22.01
Welcome to Coordinates 08.22.01
I’ll admit—recent news has gotten me a bit fired up. Does business always lead to downside costs and unintended consequences? Should I be disillusioned with capitalism? To be sure, there are some benefits. Yet, can businesses and brands Do Better and meet consumers’ desire for purpose-driven companies and brands?
And how can we all do a bit better? Below is a round-up of content to help you Lead Better, Perform Better, and Brand Better.
Finally, as we close these last weeks of summer, we offer a parting word to encourage you to rethink how you work with time.
In the below, my hope is always that you find at least one insight that inspires to action.
Warmly,
Kathy
Insights to Inspire to Action
Do Better.
Business results and actions may look rosy in the moment, but the downsides and unintended consequences often play out to show that it wasn’t as it seemed.
Was Jack Welch a great CEO? David Gelles wrote a book about Jack Welch called, “The Man Who Broke Capitalism.” He contends that the tactics (e.g., offshoring or outsourcing, stack and rank employees, layoffs, focus only on shareholder value and manipulating results to deliver reliable quarterly profits) that made Welch a famous CEO caused irreparable harm to American business. I found this interview compelling and, frankly, sad. (This is also a good article from the author.) GE is no longer what it was when Welch ran the company, because he built a house of cards. And in the process, he paved the way for modern capitalism.
What will happen to Clif Bar? I was stunned to see the Clif Bar founders finally sell and to none other than Mondelez of all companies. I’ll be honest, “sell outs,” is all I could think when I read the news. Could they not have found a buyer that was more aligned to the values they espoused for so long? What will be the unintended consequences of such a buyer?
Toms went to Bain. This buyer choice struck me as odd at the time, as well, but I suppose everyone needs an exit strategy. Yet, how has Bain done with Tom’s shoes? The company is still struggling. Could another buyer have driven better outcomes? Or were the unintended consequences of the Toms’ model too much to overcome?
Q: Are you taking a long-term view and thinking through different scenarios to know how your decisions might have unintended consequences?
Lead Better.
What might be getting in your way of leading well? Watch to learn about Leadership Mind Traps, and learn more about the book on the topic by Jennifer Garvey Berger.
Get inspired to lead and think on a different level. Think what you want of Bill Clinton, but I loved his Master Class on Inclusive Leadership. If you have access, worth a watch.
Up your impact. Check out the book “Cues: Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication” by Vanessa Van Edwards for great tips on how to up your connection and impact in any room.
Q: How might you take your leadership up a notch? What might you want to practice to up your leadership game?
Perform better.
On Becoming Superhuman & Avoiding Reckless Ambition. Listen in to Episode 51 on The Sustainable Ambition Podcast with Dr. Sahar Yousef, a cognitive neuroscientist and faculty member at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. Sahar researches and teaches busy leaders and their teams how to be more productive and effective at work, runs the Becoming Superhuman Lab, and teaches one of the most popular MBA classes, called “Becoming Superhuman: The Science of Productivity and Performance.”
On The Success Factor: A Blueprint for High Performance. Hear Dr. Ruth Gotian discuss her book in Episode 60. For decades she’s studied and researched the most successful people of our generation, including Nobel laureates, astronauts, and Olympic champions, to understand what they do when the world isn't watching that ultimately put them in an elite class of people who achieved exceptional success.
Brand better.
Consumers need bread crumbs. Brilliant piece, as always, by Roger Martin on the importance of rooting brands and products in norms to which consumers connect.
Getting to a better creative brief. I think most of us in the business might agree that creative briefs can be better. Yet does this article state some of the obvious (e.g., tap into emotions and why people care)? Or, can neuromarketing and the structure proposed offer a better jumping off point for your creative work? Worth a consideration.
Get brand inspired. Are you familiar with Tony’s Chocolonely? If not, check them out. It’s a purpose-driven brand founded to make the chocolate supply chain more equitable for all involved, specifically eliminating slave labor. The brand communication is intentional, including the chocolate bar shape that is irregular to remind consumers that “the profits in the chocolate industry are unfairly divided.” Smart branding that has made it the #1 brand in the Netherlands and is now winning hearts internationally. How might it inspire you to brand differently?
Q: How might you connect better with consumers or help creatives generate better work?
On Watch, Take Notice
What’s new. What’s brewing.
Purpose over value. Does purpose still matter? According to an IBM / National Retail Federation 2022 study, yes. Consumers now segment into 47% being purpose-driven consumers, trumping the 37% who are value-driven consumers.
A focus on inclusion. What’s next and what’s important around inclusion? Learn more from Wunderman Thompson.
The resale market is on trend. More retail brands are entering the market. REI’s been reselling gear for over 60 years and other outdoor gear providers are following suit.
What is the metaverse? I’ve been ignoring the metaverse, because I think it’s hype more than reality. So I leaned into a short video only to tell me more.
Effective altruism. A building movement that considers all beings on the planet and takes a longterm view. What can we do to enable everyone today and tomorrow to have a richer, better life?
The Monthly Progress Practice
At the beginning of each year, we share our Monthly Progress Practice. Progress is made through small, consistent action. Practice makes progress. We offer a monthly guidance on small actions or inquiries to inspire positive change this year.
Our guidance for August: Rethink your time.
Shape the experience of it to serve you and how you want to feel. Slow it down, speed it up. Flex it. Maximize short periods. Focus on the quality vs. the quantity.
“Good and evil both increase at compound interest. That is why the little decisions you and I make every day are of such infinite importance.” — C.S. Lewis
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