Richard Merrick

Surprise, delight and disappointment

I missed my train yesterday morning, so got a later train that required a change en route - which i normally avoid. The change took me onto Virgin, and the rest of the journey was a delight - little things - quality and friendliness of service, speed, free, good breakfast, wi-fi. It made my morning.
Coming back, I opted for my normal route using East Midlands trains. By comparison, dowdy, dull, poor service and slow, It's only upside is is goes straight to St Pancras.
with both journeys the same price, it's not enough. My travel plans have just changed, for the medium term at least. It's that quick in the current climate. Forgiveness is a rarely afforded luxury....................

Thinking straight

According to one body of research, our brains can process around 126 bits of data per second. An average conversation uses 40. In order to assimilate additional information, we "chunk" it into convenient packages, determined by our cultures, upbringing and experience. It's where biases, prejudices and the like come from. Pre packaged thinking.
In many organisations, we add to this through standardised processes and systems (even worse, the organisations that educate our children do it). It ensures we get consistency and are not surprised.
The issue is that this makes all organisations more or less equal. Processes and systems can be plagiarised - we call it benchmarking. it becomes a race to the middle.
The thing that really differentiates organisations is their ability to think new thoughts - original thinking that uses some of the 86 available bits left over after the conversation (more if we shut up more and don't interrupt)
Original thinking can be uncomfortable to those who rely on standardised responses, or a joy to those of more anarchistic persuasion - but it is the one thing that will differentiate more than any other.
Look after your anarchists.

Risky Business

One of the features of the current business environment is how people have been sensitised to Risk. Ask anybody, and the normal perception is that there's a lot of it, so many decisions are avoided, delayed, or otherwise neutralised. It's a bit like our action after being booked for speeding - for days, we slow down, even though the risk of being caught is likely to remain constant.
The problem is, taking no action is often a bigger risk than taking some - so when we are forced to make a decision, the stakes may well be greater. Doing nothing may well allow us to slip deeper into the quicksand. There's an article in this weeks Economist that covers the argument well regarding traders.
Right now, there's a lot of people in the long grass. Be aware of what might happen when we all decide to start emerging. It will be a dangerous time.........................

Ken Robinson - the element

Right after I posted last, I fell on this, which complements my last post.  I'm a huge fan of the RSA (and a fellow) and love what they are trying to do.

The Intelligent choice?

There is an interesting article in today's Financial Times on the benefits - and drawbacks of high IQ. It is a very singular measure of ability, asnd like many standardised tests, is limited in scope. Ken Robinson, in his excellent book "The Element" covers this in an easy way ( and a short video, that covers some of the points, is on TED). The film is a short inspiration, the book a longer one.

The poinit is, in my view that we have a habit of limited scope when we measure things - from quality to people. And we miss opportunities. We focus so heavily on a limited range of measures that we reduce - significantly - the chances of giving our products, services. and businesses a unique character, and the appeal that goes with it.

Every great product has a flaw that gives it character, from a Morgan car to an Mac. The Flaw is rarely serious, but is in a unique point.  A huge IQ is great - but not if it is carried round by someone who cannot communicate, relate ot have fun.

Renny Gleeson on antisocial phone tricks | Video on TED.com

Renny Gleeson on antisocial phone tricks | Video on TED.com.

This is a great 3 minute film, and a good addition to the debate on us vs. social media - who is in control. I'll come back to this later...................

Selective deafness

Picking on bankers and politicians is easy meat at the moment. Their arrogance and apparent inability to restore some of their shattered credibility by listening, and acknowledging that there might be some substance for the scorn being shown them amazing.
But this mornng i realised why. Their systens are programmed to make getting effective feedback impossible. I received an automated call from my bank, querying a transaction my wife had made while travelling overseas. This is a beneficial and welcome service, and should reinforce the relationship we have with them. However, their total reliance on automated call systems shredded that possibility. It took ten minutes, a web search, and some creative answers to voice recognition systems to get to talk to a human. The human was friendly, but totally restricted in authority, and unable to do anything of any practical use. My wife will now have to talk to their international robot in the middle of the night in a time zone far far away. We have been with the bank for over 30 years, but I suspect it will not make 31.
But the point of this is not a diatribe at the banks - as I say, they are just too easy a target. The thought that struck me was that many of us are in glass houses, and have to be wary of throwing stones. In my own businesses we do not use any form of automated systems. The phone is always answered by humans, and our mobiles are given to all our customers, to be answered at any time.
But what about our web sites and other direct contact substitutes? Do they behave like the banks, and make it clear that we want to do anything other than talk to our customers? As one fascinated by the potential of technology, it came as a real and immediate reminder that people do business with people, not systems, and that the banks ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory is not isolated.
I'm reviewing all my points of contact. Now. On a bank holiday Saturday. It is that important.

Community

I made an interesting discovery earlier this week. In trying to do something I believe in, I got it wrong. The lesson was in the response of those I was working with. They understood my intent. It did not stop them making their points and criticisms, but it was their intent in doing it that shook me. It was entirely supportive, and I learned things I would not have done otherwise.

My point is simple. The same applies to our products. if our story is true, and our intent is transparent, we can get it wrong, and grow as a result. No risk, no learning, no gain.

But choose your communities well. Be prepared to work in their interest, in the knowledge that yours is inextricably bound to it.

The power of story

As those who read me know, I am convinced of the power of good storytelling to engage audiences on difficult topics. Found this a very instructuve set of slides from a great site slideshare. Worth a look.

Stories and permission marketing

Brand Personalities and Mission Statements are mass market. They convey a uniform image that is supposed to be universally attractive. Like a Marks and Spencer suit. you do not get to tailor, take the bits you like and leave the bits you don't.

Stories are different. They are 3rd person. you can watch from a distance, and choose which bits you want to identifiy with, and which bits you don't. You give the story permission to influence you. It's a unique designer suit - you have the only one of its kind. And you can build a wardrobe.

Why look like somebody else, or follow the herd, when you can be you.

Stories, not Brands.