Sometimes
we wonder why people don’t understand what we are saying. Lots of time
people wonder what are we saying. In these instances their is a gap in
understanding who is communicating what and why to whom.
Understanding comes from knowledge. When we talk to people who have
specific knowledge about something that we don’t have sometimes it is
difficult to put the conversation into context.It doesn’t work.
The Mind Frame of Business
Ever had someone view a problem differently than those who have the
problem? When you are not close to a problem sometimes your perspective
sees things that those close to it can’t. The reason is that
paradigms, beliefs based on experience, become barriers to seeing
things differently and more importantly paradigms inhibit innovation.
If you haven’t noticed businesses are adopting social technology at
mind warping speeds. Many view it as another marketing channel while
others try and build communities around their brands and then try to
entice and capture consumers into their community. Even with the
proliferation of “how to use social media effectively” many seem to
ignore the message from the market and instead believe they understand
the market better than the market.
The Mind of The Markets Attention Is Shrinking
The market of attention is shrinking because everyone has limited
attention. Initially social media is appealing because it represents a
new way of communicating. After the initial newness wears off people
tend to migrate to people and sites that have strong affinities to
their primary interest. Additionally, once people learn that not all
social media sites have good intentions they tend to migrate away to
those whose intentions are relational and practical.
To get the markets attention you need two things. Innovation that is meaningful to your market and knowledge to understand what is meaningful.
Improve & Innovate Or Die
As I watch and read the events unfolding in the social media space the solution seems obvious to me. Then again I am outside the media industry but that could be a good thing.
As a strategist I see several thing that must change in order for
businesses to not only survive but thrive in these challenging times.
These are:
- Expand your reach. This means you must communicate
but doing so in the terms markets can understand and the intent has to
be relational. In other words drop the corporate speak and focus on
the needs of your audience.
- Leverage technology. Technology is exploding
daily. The technology is social in that it enables you to reach markets
like never before. But the technology is only as good as your knowledge
of how to use it effectively and efficiently. Institute learning
throughout your organization starting from the top down. Start by
learning to think differently.
- Collaborate Rather Than Compete: If you all are
chasing the same old market and that market is shrinking then to expand
you must collaborate. Competing for a smaller pie means you all get
less. Collaborate and expand your collective market by using knowledge
about new models, methods and markets ripe for innovation. This will
require new thinking and that will require new knowledge. Learn
together.
- Innovate or Die: Lets face it. Your old models
don’t work. Your capital is shrinking and your facing a slow but
definitive decline. Innovation comes from thinking outside your
existing system and working together to create new markets, new models
and increased revenue for all. Innovation doesn’t come from silo
mentality. It comes from collaboration and ideation.
- Don’t Wait For Tomorrow: A sense of urgency is
needed and the current market ought to give you enough urgency to do 1
-4 above. Tomorrow isn’t likely to bring you the markets you want
rather they are there waiting for you to come to them. The markets are
waiting for you to change, move and communicate like never before.
If you are ready say so. If you are not well then stand aside and watch others who are take your market. You see there is a bridge you must build to get to the new market and it requires new thinking.