Things I Want To Learn About

This one's kind of random, but there is no cost of admission.

• Innovation. Not the why or what, but the how. How do I spur more innovation in my work, and across my organization. Focus on the skills, not the output.


• Design. Innovation is a tool of design, but design is the higher discipline. Design is the intersection of efficiency and desire. What's this all about? How can we leverage in our work?


• Sustainability. How do we turn the corner from idealism to realism in bringing sustainability into our workplace. Common sense, shareholder friendly sustainability at a corporate level.


• Economics. How can we use economic models and approaches to enhance strategy development. They get cause and effect, macro thinking.


• Insights. Beyond research and understanding. Consumer insights are the strategic nuggets, the intuitive leaps that enable us to step ahead. They are why we do research. Need innovation here, new approaches, techniques. Design thinking is an example, but I suspect it is no longer the edge.


• Collaboration. In highly specialized work environments it is essential. What do we know about current thinking on collaboration? What blocks it? What encourages it?


• Advocacy. Digital platforms are just that, platforms that enable new ways of interacting with current and potential consumers. Just like TV was in the 40's. I think we're past the "understand the platform stage"...we need to jump to the end game. What do we use them for? One key objective is to leverage the inherent viral nature of digital to drive brand advocacy. What do we know about advocacy in general, word of mouth theory, best in class examples. What can we learn from politics?


• Crowdsourcing. From product design to customer service to customer experience there are lots of applications, but how do we get there? Is this a tool for internal use also?


• Community Building. Building an authentic, brand-centric community is kind of the holy grail. Not talking about getting likes on facebook or follows on twitter. Talking about brand as the catalyst for user relationship, conversation, social interdependence, personal identity, brand as a movement. Apple, Starbucks, NFL, Tea Party. Can we bring any of this thinking to bear on our categories?

So what do you want to learn about?