In today’s economy, all of us—even those of us who aren’t trained as designers—must become design thinkers. -Daniel Pink
iPad To Go
It’s been a hectic but interesting summer crisscrossing the Atlantic for work. I like catching up on reading during long flights but hate schlepping books, so the iPad is a Godsend.
The sleek tablet lets me carry an array of books, films and music. When I’m too jet lagged to read a dense book, I skim magazines or catch videos. It’s thrilling to have such a wide assortment of mind candy.
One of my favorite apps is WIRED Magazine’s developed by Adobe Digital for Condé Naste. The app lives up to its hype of providing an immersive, highly interactive experience. Gorgeous images and crisp typography rotate with the device, and the layout is just plain sexy. I find myself returning to the app to figure out why it’s so alluring.
Invest time in languages and intercultural awareness. Focus on becoming part of global citizenry. In exchange for the opportunity to participate everywhere/anywhere in the world you have the obligation to do something productive, which will improve the world. ~C.K. Prahalad
Distinguished scholar and visionary
The distinguished business scholar, C. K. Prahalad, died unexpectedly last week of a lung ailment at the age of 69. His contributions to the pursuit of business strategy and innovation are unparalleled. He’s had an enormous influence on my work and that of my peers.
Dr. Prahalad was more than a celebrated management guru, he was a visionary. He redefined the way that a growing number of global businesses deal with developing markets, and he helped to shape a new economic paradigm.
“So you got to let me know, should I stay or should I go?” ~The Clash
Why customers do what they do
It feels like we’re at the dawn of a new era in understanding how people — namely our customers — make decisions, and some businesses will benefit enormously. More importantly, customers will soon enjoy more kinds of services designed to better meet their needs.
Our collective thinking is being informed by discoveries in behavioral sciences and behavioral economics about the role of the unconscious mind and the centrality of emotions in driving behavior. Many of these findings are now verifiable through neuroimaging tools.
Among other things, we’re realizing that people aren’t Vulcan-like beings who make choices on a cold, purely rational basis. Individuals — our customers — are complicated and swayed by factors beneath the level of consciousness.
One of the more satisfying experiences at year’s end is reaching out to clients, partners and colleagues to thank them for their business and their stalwart support. It’s even sweeter this time while reflecting on an entire decade going back to the early days of my business.
You never know with these things when you’re trying something new what can happen. This is all experimental. ~Richard Branson
Over the years, there have been surprisingly few breakthroughs in the airline customer experience - until recently. Sir Richard Branson’s venture into the U.S. market, Virgin America, (VX) is redefining air travel by providing passengers with a fresh, distinctive on-board experience. The carrier is less than two years old but it’s quickly becoming a template for what’s possible in the future.
The choices VX is making demonstrate a “customer experience mindset” that’s all too rare in the industry. It’s evident that the VX team devoted their attention to passenger comfort and convenience. Features “baked in” to the customer experience include seats with power-outlets and USB ports. Cabins in their new A320s have soft mood lighting.
The events of the last quarter have radically changed the game plan for service providers around the world. Business rules are being rewritten; success is being measured by new criteria. Investments in your business must produce greater returns as “breakevens” are reduced. In these times, it makes sense to rethink what you offer and how you present it to your customers.
While it seems like everything has changed, the axioms of business remain constant. Customers still want exceptional “value” – in fact they’re demanding it. They’re more motivated than ever to look for it. If they can’t get it from you, they’ll go to your rivals. They’ll find value in new, atypical ways to get their needs met. Help them solve their problems and the market will beat a path to your door.
Delivering exceptional value in lean times requires smarter tools and an atmosphere that encourages collaboration and continuous innovation—always thinking: how can we make this better, cutting out what’s unnecessary.
Nearly every business we’re working with is re-evaluating if not totally rethinking their economics. Businesses in every sector will have to revise if not fundamentally restructure their business models.
Companies have begunb scrutinizing their value chains from the bottom up and the top down because none of our customers has the extra time or money to be wasted by underperforming partners or suppliers. The smart firms have already started this process in earnest.
Organizations we work with are mustering the self-honesty and diligence to impose greater process discipline and rigor while, at the same time, becoming “turn-on-a-dime” adaptable. To succeed in this low-demand cycle, businesses will have to focus on what matters most to their customers and relentlessly discard what’s leftover.
Some comments I’ve received from readers indicate some confusion about what’s I mean by ‘analytics’. Let me try to clear that up. At my company, we use the term to mean the approach to as well as the practice of mining and analyzing data as well as the tools and practices.
Our practice is concerned as much about the human and organizational issues enabling the successful application of business intelligence and analytics. These include management vision and commitment, organizational alignment, culture, and skills. We’ve learned that buying “yet-another-tool” seems easier than solving these broader challenges, but it’s rarely the answer companies are looking for.
The most successful practitioners of analytics somehow manage to create an environment where decisions across boundaries are made on the basis of evidence that comes from rigorous analytics. Management at those companies enncourages a “test-and-learn” approach to refine products, services and offers. So analytics encompasses the tools and practices that produces insights as well as the way the company uses the insights to contour its offerings. Hope this is helpful.
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