My Thumb Hurts

I stabbed it on something sharp in my purse this morning as I was rushing to get out of the house and make my train.

My purse is a bit of a minefield, so I’m not even sure exactly what the offending object was.

My thumb bled a little bit and now it has a dull ache under the nail which is making it quite hard to type, particularly on my blackberry.

So it hurts….literally.

But it also hurts… figuratively.

The constant state at which I (like I am sure many of you) are texting, typing, twittering etc. Is giving me a thumb ache.

It used to be at the end of the day I’d feel my weariness behind my eyes.

Now it’s my aching thumb.

It makes me wonder about these prehensile digits. Will they really begin to grow to enormous sizes like in that book “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues” by Tom Robbins .(Loved the book, never saw the movie).

Will we start do thumb exercises on newborns and toddlers to give them a leg up in the 21st century?

Maybe it’s a sign that I need to ease up on my steady digital diet.

Or maybe it just means I should just be more diligent about cleaning the sharp objects out of my purse.

That’s my point of view. What’s your twist?
Do your thumbs ever hurt?

Find Your Inspirational "Happy Place"

We all have a "Happy Place".

I'm not talking about a location we just enjoy.

But a place where we really feel at home, and connected to our "true" selves.

A place where we are able to think clearly, remember what's important to us, and get back in touch with what we really want and believe.

Mine is a house on a lake in Western Massachusetts that belongs to very close family friends.

Many of my happiest childhood memories involve family outings to this place.

I was lucky enough to spend some time there this past weekend.

Up early before anyone else on Saturday morning I sat looking over the still lake, and I felt rested in a way that I haven't in a long time.

I didn't realize how much I had been missing and needing this place, until I was back there.

While I am lucky enough to get back to this lake once a summer... I was thinking how can I harness the energy of this place when I need it on a more regular basis?

I started to think about other places where I felt this kind of peace that, for me, often leads to a renewal of creative energy.

I realized there were a few other more local places that gave me a similar feeling:

- the second floor of my local library overlooking the Hudson river
- the quiet car of the Amtrak Acela train along the coast to Boston
- the sanctuary of my synagogue

These places seem to be quite different from one another on the surface.

But when I thought about it they have a lot in common.

Many involve a view of water, all are relatively quiet, all involve reflection and an ability to be with other people but also be alone with my own thoughts at the same time.

By identifying these similarities and realizing I had more options than a scenic (but somewhat impractical) 3 and a half hour trip to Western Massachusetts, I immediately felt better.

The renewal I need to keep the creative juices flowing is here and accessible.

It's just up to me to make the time and conscious effort to visit my local "Happy Places" more often.

That's my point of view. What's your twist?
Where's your "Happy Place"?

Keep Your Ideas in a Drawer

Not forever, but at least for a day or two.

Sometimes we get so caught up in a new idea that we want to shout it from the rooftops or share it with the world...right away.

But my experience is that most ideas actually benefit from a little marination.

I always try to adhere to the 24 hour rule.

I'll work feverishly on something, then put it away in a drawer for a day. Then when I take it out, if I am still as passionate about it as I was 24 hours before I will share it as is.

But most often what happens, is when I read it a day later, there are a lot of things I'd like to keep the same. But also a few tweaks I'd like to make.

This doesn't mean watering it down.

It just means taking a second look to see if it makes as much sense as I thought it did during my burst of creative energy.

And often it means showing it to someone else for a second opinion.

However, I've found if I do show it to someone else, it's really important to be clear what kind of input I'm looking for.

The smart folks at ?WhatIf! call this "signalling". In other words, inviting commentary in a positive way.

For example, "I'm excited about this idea, I am still working on it and was wondering if you could help me build it?" or "I am looking for input in this specific area..."

This will avoid some of the well-intentioned but often soul-crushing input we often get when opening our ideas up to others.

In either case, letting a idea breathe for a day or so often helps it to become stronger.

And by the way, this 24 hour rule applies nicely to those impassioned late night emails we all write, usually when we're fed up about something. Put the email in your drafts folder and see if you feel the same way in the morning.

That's my point of view. What's your twist?
Do you give your ideas some breathing room?

5 Ways to Be a Better Client

I got good response (many via Facebook) on Monday's post on "5 Key Agency Mistakes".

A few people suggested I turn the tables and outline some criteria for being a good Client.

The following is based on reader suggestions (thank you, you know who you are) as well as my experience (again) having been on both sides of the table.

So here goes:

5 Ways to Be a Better Client:

1.You hired the Agency for their expertise- now listen
Clients spend a lot of time seeking out just the right partner to help them attack a particular problem or maximize and opportunity. And then many end up questioning and pushing back on every suggestion. Some challenging is definitely healthy, but pushing back on everything signals either a bad fit, a lack of trust, or the inability to cede control. Let the experts do the job you chose them for.

2.Ask for ideas outside of your Agency's core competency
At the same time, it's great to bring your agency into decisions that are outside of their immediate zone of expertise. It shows that you really value them as a strategic/creative partner and it may also lead to a fresh point of view. I've gotten fabulous naming suggestions from a graphic designer, and terrific partnership ideas from my research company.

3 All great work begins with a great brief. Or at least a well thought out one. Take the time to write down and think through, what you really want. What does success look like and how will the idea/output need to be socialized before it is implemented? This can be a collaborative process with the Agency, but take the time up front to do it and really listen to the Agency's suggestions and concerns. They've seen lots of briefs (both good and bad) and can recognize pitfalls early on (see point 1).

In case you haven't seen it hilarious video about the process of creating a "better stop sign". Notice how the brief keeps evolving.

4. Be demanding, but not completely unreasonable. It's fine to push and we are all under a lot of pressure for deadlines and fire drills from management. But too many "I need this by tomorrow at 8 am" (when you are calling at 6pm) will just burn out the Agency and over time the work will suffer. It's a bit like the boy crying wolf. Step back and think is it really an emergency, or just poor planning. If its the latter, think what changes you can make to minimize this.

5. Say thank you, often and loudly. Nothing motivates like genuine praise. It will keep your partners going the extra mile, forgiving some minor transgressions on points 1-4 and keep the best people wanting to work on your account. Consider going beyond the one on one thank you to a more public acknowledgement. Allow them to present your work at conferences, thank them publicly when presenting the ideas internally, even share some credit in the press. Acknowledgement for work well done, helps keep Agencies strong by attracting high caliber talent and clients. This will benefit you in the long run.

Plus it's just good manners to acknowledge other people's hard work and positive contributions and ...god knows we could all use more of that.

That's my point of view. What's your twist?
How do Clients shine or stumble?

5 Key Agency Mistakes

I spent the first 20 years of my career on the agency side (Grey, Interbrand) and then I became a client (Virgin).

Boy, do I have a whole new perspective now.

It’s like that movie “Switch” by Blake Edwards

Don’t know if you seen it, but this man womanizes one too many women and is shot by his angry jilted lover. Instead of dying, God sends him back to earth in the body of a woman to see what it really feels like to be on the receiving end of all his wrong doing.

The body he inhabits, by the way is Ellen Barkin’s body ( not too shabby).

Anyway, it’s full of lots of funny sight gags and some touching insight into how the “other half” lives.

I feel lucky to have this unique, albeit somewhat different, perspective now too.
After almost 3 years as a client, I’ve sat through a fair number of pitches and worked with all sorts of agencies (e.g. advertising, branding, web, and research) and I think I’ve gained some valuable insight.

Most of this is actually blindingly obvious and probably things that you already know. But the question is, are you following these principles? Or do you get lazy, or tired, or scared and revert back to bad behaviors?

Here’s my advice for Agencies (from someone who’s been on both sides. Note: these are my personal opinions- they don't represent a formal Virgin point of view:

Top 5 Agency Mistakes

1. Stop showing your “proprietary” model. You may think your pyramid,triangle, hexagon, trapezoid is unique. Trust me, it's not. Everyone's got a shape. The more important thing is how do you think? And the best way to demonstrate this is to actually come in with a point of view about my brand. It can be way off base. It doesn't really matter. As long as you've done your homework, maybe some man in the street research, and made some logical assumptions. The important thing is to show (not tell) how you get from point A to point B.

2. Choose the right team to bring to the meeting. Don't bring people who genuinely don't like each other. You may think it doesn't show but it does. After meeting one agency, we weren't ready to hire them...but we did seriously discuss pitching in for their group therapy. The dysfunctional nature of the team was that obvious. Also don't bring too many people, and people who don't have a role in the meeting. It's a foreshadowing of large, ineffective and expensive project teams to come.

3. Once you win the business start right away. It's like having a great date and then having to wait days and months to see each other again. It takes the buzz off the romance. The contracts and terms need to be worked out, but don't let that get in the way of harnessing the positive chemistry and beginning to work together. The day after you get the good news, take the client to breakfast or drinks, and just start talking and maybe even a bit of back of napkin sketching.

4. Once you pass the honeymoon period don't disappear. I understand the economics of many of the Agency pricing models. It certainly doesn't make financial sense to maintain 100% of the Creative Director's time as the project moves from the idea to implementation phase. However, that doesn't mean they should become a ghost. There are low cost ways to keep in touch. Give a call from time to time, drop in for lunch etc. It's by staying in touch when you are not really needed that you prove loyalty and stay top of mind for the next project.

5. Ignoring your own internal culture. Many brands like Virgin have strong internal cultures. We gravitate to Agency's that also do. They have a good time, don't take themselves too seriously, and celebrate their people and their culture. This could mean sending out fun and inexpensive tchotchkes, sharing interesting facts about their own people on the walls or website (even in the bathroom stalls) and generally putting some action behind the overused assertion that "our people are our greatest asset/differentiators". Often I'm invited to Agency celebrations, and most of the time I can't or don't go. But it's important to know that they are happening. Because usually that means they are attracting and keeping talented people. And that's good for everyone.

That's my point of view. What's your twist?
How do Agencies succeed or fail on your eyes?

Becoming Digitally Fluent

I’m on a journey…to digital fluency.

It’s a long and bumpy road, but I’m glad I’m on it.

Everyday I encounter new obstacles and things I don't know. But I am committed to staying on course.

I've been thinking alot about the lessons I've learned in the relatively short time that I've been climbing this mountain.

I thought it might be interesting, helpful, dare I dream...inspiring ...to share what I've learned so far.

To make it seem a bit less overwhelming I’ve come up with this acronym, which incorporates 5 key steps to digital fluency. I call it SMART.

S- is for Start. Take the first step. Every journey begins with one. Depending on your current level of fluency that could mean joining Facebook, signing up for Twitter, or in my case… starting this blog.

M- is for making connections. The real point of social networking is to connect with people. So it’s not enough just to join a network and ignore it. You’ve got to reach out to other people. Leave comments on their posts or updates, retweet interesting content. Get involved in the conversation.

A- is for Ask. Ask questions when you don’t understand something. I spent most of the day at the Wired conference on Monday wondering if "the cloud" everyone was talking about was the real one looming omninously outside. I finally asked my seatmate and realized it was the computing one.

R- reach out to people that have a higher level of fluency than you do and ask them to teach you. Twitter is actually an amazing way to engage with experts. I reached out to Steve Farnsworth on Twitter and he was incredibly generous with his advice.

T- is for making time to actively explore this new world. It doesn’t mean you have to drop everything to Tweet all day. But it does mean recognizing that technology, like all skills and hobbies, can't be mastered in a day. Set aside 15 minutes every morning to surf interesting blogs or read a magazine on technology (like Wired), or even just the wikipedia definitions of terms you keep hearing but don't understand.

SMART. Maybe a oversimplification, dare I say a dumb, way to look at it.

But as I said, hey at least I'm trying.

That's my point of view. What's your twist?

What are you doing to improve your digital fluency?

Disruptive by Design

Monday I went to a Wired Magazine conference called “Disruptive by Design”. (Twitter#WiredLive).

It had great speakers like Jeff Immelt (GE), Elon Musk (Telsa Motors/SpaceX), Shai Agassi (Better Place)and Vivek Kundra (the Information Technology czar for the Obama administration) just to name a few.

All of these guys were mesmerizing with their passion and conviction around technologies and business ideas that are disruptive and game changing.

But far and away my favorite of the day was Jeff Bezos (Amazon founder).

He made the pursuit of innovation personal and accessible. He talked about his conviction even in the early difficult days that Amazon would make it and his passion for his latest invention, the Kindle.

Here are a few choice tidbits from his speech (quoted semi-accurately, but you'll get the meaning):

"If you are going to be disruptive, you have to be willing to be misunderstood for long periods of time."

"Companies over dramatize failure. Failures of commission (taking action) are rarely that expensive. The real danger is in failures of omission (not seizing an opportunity)."

"Amazon makes decisions on business extensions by working backwards from consumer needs or working forwards from our skill sets."

"I always told my staff not to take fluctuations in stock prices too seriously. If you feel 30% smarter the day our stock goes up by that amount, are you going to feel 30% dumber the day it drops down?"

He says he knew that Amazon was going to make it even when the stock was tanking partly because it's harshest critics were among their best customers.

He talked about the power of the Kindle being that it is a singular focused device. He thought multi-taking devices were often over-rated.

"I love my smart phone, I love my Swiss army knife, but sometimes when I'm sitting down for a great meal, I love my steak knife."

I think it's fascinating that he's taking on books, which for many are sacred objects, and declaring "they've had a good 500 year run" but it's time for something new.

His problem with books? Too heavy, hard to turn the page with one hand, hard to find your place again, always closing at the wrong moment.

His problem with reading on another "multi tasking device" like a laptop? Too hot, too cumbersome, and not that easy to curl up in bed with.

I haven't tried a Kindle yet. But I'm curious. The people I know who have them seem to be passionate advocates. (Always a good sign).

I think time will tell if the Kindle really is a better mousetrap. But I know for sure that whether it fails or succeeds, Jeff Bezos is someone who is not going to stop disrupting.

That's my point of view. What's your twist?

Is the Kindle a disruptive innovation or a fad destined for failure?