Change the Conversation, Change the Game

It doesn't matter where you see yourself fit in the hierarchy or, if you're lucky, the ecosystem. Public relations, marketing, social media communications - we're all in the business of understanding each other and what we want and need and by doing that transforming what is now into what is next.

This is the time of the year when we begin to look back at the predictions for 2008 and put a stake in the ground for trends we see for 2009. Stakes are good, they allow us to focus on what we commit to. However, I would suggest that the process for how you will achieve what you want to achieve (your strategy) is an even smarter travel companion - you get better mileage.

As part of the process, we need to challenge some assumptions.

• Business as usual will not work - do you have a new plan? How does this new plan address the dialogue between employees and customers, for example? How does your plan address the dignity of work and the respect for individuals?

• It's not about you, it's about "us" - call it what makes you comfortable, this means two ways to be: one listening, the other giving. Imagine what would happen if we all did that - everyone would be getting without ever taking. When you're kind, you become one of a kind.

• Value and brand are in the purpose and meaning business - talking about value props (perhaps they are props) and messaging the brand are futile if you do not have a purpose and do not give meaning to the words by being a living example. The same goes for all the other highly leveraged words.

• It's not just the words, it's how you say them - meaning comes also from intention. Maybe it starts as a checklist of things to do, when you say it to yourself as if you meant it, soon it starts taking on those connotations.

• Promises are running on empty - make fewer and make them count. Clarity is the most undervalued asset a business has. It's amazing how powerful it is in aligning everyone behind purpose in the creation of meaning. 

John C. Bogle said it better in his new book, Enough, these are the titles to the chapters [hat tip Tom Peters]:

"Too Much Cost, Not Enough Value"
"Too Much Speculation, Not Enough Investment"
"Too Much Complexity, Not Enough Simplicity"
"Too Much Counting, Not Enough Trust"
"Too Much Business Conduct, Not Enough Professional Conduct"
"Too Much Salesmanship, Not Enough Stewardship"
"Too Much Focus on Things, Not Enough Focus on Commitment"
"Too Many Twenty-first Century Values, Not Enough Eighteenth-Century Values"
"Too Much 'Success,' Not Enough Character"

To which I add what could be chapters in my own book:

Too many meetings, not enough meetings of the minds.
Too many barriers, not enough entries.
Too many people (who have to buy in), not enough diversity (of ideas).
Too many numbers, not enough real contribution.
Too many games, not enough of them game changing.
Too much concentration (of power), not enough conversation.
Too much control, not enough connection.

Conversation leads to connection. It allows you to understand issues and to change business processes before the business itself has moved away from what used to be successful and is no longer. Maybe your customers are not online, in that case you should pick up the phone. Social media may be the modern version of the telephone but it has single-handedly (through many media, actually) challenged the underlying assumptions of the way things were.

What I think has not hit home, yet, is that if you are in the (fill in the blank) marketing, public relations, social media communications business, you are in the changing the conversation business. And changing the conversation is game changing.

© 2006-2009 Valeria Maltoni. All rights reserved.

Comments

[shikha]

Too many meetings, not enough meetings of the minds.

I believe everybody will agree on this point..we are always in a series of meetings, discussing the plan, execution , implementation..
meeting of minds hardly takes place..what is more prominent is arguments, power establishment, proving of a point..

[Maria Reyes-McDavis]

This is great insight for all businesses participating in the social internet :-) Great stuff.

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Shikha - I call it planning to plan and I am especially fond of proving a point. Good to meet you, virtually.

@Maria - thank you. You are very kind and energizing. Keep up the good work!

[Earl]

Aligning everyone (and all of my personal actions and interactions, too - always being willing to live it) behind purpose in the creation of meaning is so revolutionarily freeing and motivating! Thanks for the fresh take - I'm looking forward to sharing it!

[Leslie Carothers]

This post just NAILS it.

read this, pass it on, paste it on walls, give as Christmas present, send in Christmas cards to business associates, use it as start to featured discussion in real life for end of year VALUES planning, keep in mind all year long..make a wallpaper out of it.

There..I think you know how I feel now, but just in case it's not clear: THIS POST ROCKS.

And, THANK YOU to Chris Brogran, who, as always, calls out the great and genuine stuff on Twitter.

[Melissa]

The perfect statement: "Conversation leads to connection. It allows you to understand issues and to change business processes before the business itself has moved away from what used to be successful and is no longer."

[Ed]

Excellent post. I hope you'll do a part 2, and dig into the actual changing/resulting conversation aspect.
Thank You,
Ed

[Valeria Maltoni]

@Earl - I don't know if I'd call it revolutionary, it is living in integrity.

@Leslie - I'm glad you liked the post and will probably use it as a starting point in your explorations. I thank Chris Brogan on a daily basis for his inspiration and kindness, too. Thank you for the enthusiasm - we need people with energy like you.

@Melissa - thank you for visiting and for the kind words.

@Ed - the changing is an ongoing part of conversation. Talking and interacting actually do change our brain, it would be nice if we were willing to change our mind, too. Thank you for the idea.