[imagination and creativity are not one and the same]

Which one comes first?
How do they help us lead better lives?
What impact do they have in our culture?

[our thoughts create reality]

We approach work, using conversation as a dumb pipe rather than a tool to “work together.” When we're able to pay attention to our fears and mental blocks while we listen, we begin to create the space for true collaboration.

[Happy New Year!]

hoping you had the opportunity to take a short break during the holidays and spend time with family and friends.

[marketing in 2017] my #prediction

2017 will be about value and conversation as a tool for customers to get more of what they want and for brands to keep engagement high. This means marketers will need to be super clear on the benefits of their message, connect it deeply to solving a problem or creating an opportunity for the customer, and deliver on the promise.

Specific, niche, visual and interactive, longer form as well as short bites will coexist within a structure that will help brands build momentum by taking customers on a journey.

[what if?]

We prefer to tell ourselves a story that is more consistent with our view of the world, or current actions. What if there was a better way?

[problem solving]

there were many missions before we finally landed on the moon, including taking a look at earth from space for the very first time.

[with practice, we see more and better]

Seeing better is the result of being able to set aside our preconceptions about what we see.

[energy and not time]

To increase value we should work on where and how we use our energy!

[on surprise]

This was a nice surprise today. As I'm sure it was lovely for the other 99 who were included. Surprises are good - and we might want to think about going beyond them to delight for our customers. It doesn't have to be a big thing. We can create impact with a series of small simple tips, simplifying our process, making something easier to do... test a few things, see what works.

[holiday reading list]

What books would you recommend to someone who wants to increase their effectiveness in #conversation?

here's what we found

[what we do vs. what we say shows who we are]

Despite the multitude of channels and tools, clear communication in conversation is taking a beating; second place in a culture that favors the sensational, the indirect, the automated, and the expedient.

[what kind of problem do we have?] the sooner we figure it out, the faster we can fix them!

There are private and public failures, but the process is the same for both we need to understand why something doesn't work. The most important thing we need to do when failing in public is not to let our feelings and emotions have the best of us. This helps us get to the lessons faster.