Rational thinking might be overrated - especially during a recession, argues Collette Eccleston, senior vice president of Material.
Stuck in a rut? It might be time to start adopting new strategies.
For many businesses, it can be difficult to resist that gut instinct to “batten down the hatches” at the first sign of trouble. But playing it safe isn’t what makes a brand recession-proof. The truth is that times of uncertainty can offer one of the best opportunities for your brand to make new connections with customers - that is, if you’re willing to think outside of the box.
If you’re a car rental company in bankruptcy, would buying 100,000 Teslas make any sense? Anyone would find it to be completely irrational and totally reckless. Yet Hertz made this decision, as part of their bigger vision, which in turn led to a remarkable turnaround for their company in just over a year.
Like something straight out of a science fiction movie, Hertz now owns the largest fleet of autonomous vehicles. Thanks to a $4.2 billion investment, Hertz has managed to propel themselves ahead of the pack in a race to transform the car rental industry.
Hertz’s recent move shows that decisions that may seem irrational on the surface irrationality can often pay off. So, why do the rest of us judge irrationality as a flaw in human behavior? Irrationality in our professional lives is often exactly what’s needed to unlock the next million-dollar idea.
To be irrational is to be human
Running your business on rationality alone assumes that the people you serve are also rational. Humans make tens of thousands of decisions each day - most of which are not driven by logic at all. It’s our gut instinct that gives us the ability to quickly assess how we feel about the many choices that cross our paths.
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That’s not to say rational considerations such as affordability don’t matter. For example, if someone needs a pair of shoes, they might select the $24.99 pair over the $25.99 one. It’s only a dollar less but they could rationalize cost savings as the motivator. What about choosing a pair of shoes priced $100 more? Emotion becomes the motivating factor in making that purchase. This is where behavioral science and psychology shed some light.
Something like the four fundamental human needs - belonging, appeal, security, and exploration - are a helpful lens for interpreting the motivation behind certain behaviors. When seen through this perspective, splurging $100+ on a pair of shoes starts to make sense; it just follows a different set of motivations. For example, this pair of shoes might unlock a consumer’s need to be a part of a community (belonging) or improve their confidence (appeal). Perhaps they find security in paying a little more for a brand they trust (security). Maybe they’re drawn to an innovative design that promises to boost performance (exploration). This is where an otherwise thrifty customer might be tempted to replace a functional need with a pair of high-end kicks.
Humans simply are not rational beings, so it makes little sense to appeal to consumers through rational means alone. It takes tapping into unconscious and emotional needs - irrational needs - to change behavior and benefit brands. By embracing irrational thinking, we expand what is possible in the process of designing products, services, and experiences for our customers and employees.
Irrationality belongs in business - especially during a recession
Some of today’s most successful brands were built on once irrational concepts. And in fact, we’ve seen how times of uncertainty can provide the best opportunity to take that calculated leap. Airbnb is one such success story.
During the Great Recession of 2008, the brand got its start by tactically driving consumers to do something we’ve all grown up being told not to - enter a stranger’s home. Since then, Airbnb has not only been successful in effectively changing the industry and our cities, but also consumer minds and habits.
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Behavioral science and psychology help brands, like Airbnb and Hertz, decode “irrational” consumer behaviors and provide context for the human experience: Why we say one thing and do another is irrational, but when applied to business, it expands innovative thinking.
Here’s a formula for escaping this rut and bringing structure to the process:
See the world devoid of constants. Get into the required headspace for irrational thinking. Set aside all assumptions about “absolute truths” and give yourself room to play in a world without limits.
Create an irrational vision statement. Create a vision to be your North Star. Identify your role and purpose and what you want to achieve in this ideal and limitless world. If a decision doesn’t move you in the desired direction, then don’t do it.
Stay the course with one-degree decisions. This is how you complete the equation, taking the small steps that will get you closer to making your irrational vision a reality.
Returning to the example of Airbnb, we could imagine a world where it’s possible for people to truly feel at home everywhere. Through this perspective, we can see how Airbnb’s vision of belonging was born. It’s simple, compelling, and deliciously irrational (you can’t really belong everywhere, can you?). But it comes to life through a series of one-degree decisions: services and features executed through design and technology that deliver on one of the most fundamental of human needs - community.
Reaping the benefits of irrationality will require more than an exercise in creative thinking. Brands need to commit to embracing irrationality before they have proof of what can be achieved. When brands move past the status quo and champion deep human understanding, they’ll find themselves among the most influential companies of tomorrow.
Collette Eccleston, senior vice-president, behavioral science and Ben Gaddis, executive vice-president, digital products and experience at Material
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The headline that humans are irrational caught my eye as, in a work environment, I have always seen myself as a very rational human. Indeed the term 'think outside the box' used in the article can make my mind go blank and provide a sense of dread!
But, in the current economic times we face, the author highlights the need for businesses to think irrationally and supports this using strong examples of Hertz and Airbnb. I also appreciate their view that for business to be successful it needs to be more than an exercise in creating thinking and businesses needs to champion deep human understanding to make an impact which particularly resonated with me. I hope it resonates with you too.
"Stuck in a rut? It might be time to start adopting new strategies.
For many businesses, it can be difficult to resist that gut instinct to “batten down the hatches” at the first sign of trouble. But playing it safe isn’t what makes a brand recession-proof. The truth is that times of uncertainty can offer one of the best opportunities for your brand to make new connections with customers - that is, if you’re willing to think outside of the box.
[...]
Behavioral science and psychology help brands, like Airbnb and Hertz, decode “irrational” consumer behaviors and provide context for the human experience: Why we say one thing and do another is irrational, but when applied to business, it expands innovative thinking.
Here’s a formula for escaping this rut and bringing structure to the process:
See the world devoid of constants. Get into the required headspace for irrational thinking. Set aside all assumptions about “absolute truths” and give yourself room to play in a world without limits.
Create an irrational vision statement. Create a vision to be your North Star. Identify your role and purpose and what you want to achieve in this ideal and limitless world. If a decision doesn’t move you in the desired direction, then don’t do it.
Stay the course with one-degree decisions. This is how you complete the equation, taking the small steps that will get you closer to making your irrational vision a reality.
Returning to the example of Airbnb, we could imagine a world where it’s possible for people to truly feel at home everywhere. Through this perspective, we can see how Airbnb’s vision of belonging was born. It’s simple, compelling, and deliciously irrational (you can’t really belong everywhere, can you?). But it comes to life through a series of one-degree decisions: services and features executed through design and technology that deliver on one of the most fundamental of human needs - community.
Reaping the benefits of irrationality will require more than an exercise in creative thinking. Brands need to commit to embracing irrationality before they have proof of what can be achieved. When brands move past the status quo and champion deep human understanding, they’ll find themselves among the most influential companies of tomorrow.
Collette Eccleston, senior vice-president, behavioral science and Ben Gaddis, executive vice-president, digital products and experience at Material"
An interesting article on how backing an 'underdog' can reap business rewards. I'm not sure I personally like the term 'underdog' in the context of this article preferring the use of 'hidden gems' later on. And if, unlike me, you are not into sport and may not want to go past the example of the Canadian hockey players, do continue as it is inspiring how companies such as Ultranauts are not inhibited by bias and embrace the skills of people that may not otherwise be seen as hidden gems.
Following statements by the U.S. Business Roundtable in 2019 and 2021, the basic purpose of the corporation has been expanded from maximizing value for shareholders to maximizing it for all stakeholders. The implications of this are that performance must now be measured along many more dimensions than before and that leaders have to help employees transition to a stakeholder mindset, broaden participation in strategy-making, and make sure that their strategies really do reflect purpose.
Sally Brownbill's insight:
An interesting piece that discusses the changes organisations are making to advance their corporate purpose. It's great to see some examples of visible change from the top down.
Téa Ivanovic has found creative ways for profit and purpose to co-exist for her restaurant group. Here’s her advice bringing beliefs into business.
Andy Gale's insight:
An inspiring example of how working in partnership to tackle issues that the world is facing today can be successful. I thought their idea of an 'Engagement Menu' was inspired. That, together with their online magazine 'The Think Table', has built their brand and created a closer connection to their customers.
This has all combined to mean that through the power of their mission they have successfully navigated the pandemic and have proved that making a profit and making a difference to peoples lives can work.
George Serafeim is the Charles M. Williams Professor of Business Administration and the Faculty Chair of the Impact-Weighted Accounts Project at Harvard Business School. In this article talks through the thinking behind the Impact-Weighted Accounts Project.
Matthew Farmer's insight:
The Impact-weighted Accounts Project at Harvard led by George Serafeim is a concerted effort to measure the true cost and impact of a company's operations.
Traditional accounting just looks at the financial numbers and everything else is externalised. Although there is wider acknowledgment that issues like sustainability and good governance will have an impact on share price, Serafeim argues that too much of the negative and positive impact that a company has is missed if we only rely on looking at things through this lens. Consider for example the cost to society of a company producing food that has a big impact on obesity and diabetes. The costs of this can be huge but the bill is picked up somewhere else (in healthcare systems etc ) and not on the company's traditional accounts unless there is some form of fine or legal implication.
Using the mantra of 'what matters gets measured', Serafeim and his team are creating a set of metrics that will help analyse the full cost and benefit to society of what a company does. Many would argue that it is only when we think of things in these terms that we can properly move the needle on the big environmental and social issues of our time.
"The coronavirus crisis is a major and imminent social problem. But, unfortunately, it’s far from the only social problem that the world in 2020 faces. Climate change, income inequality, population growth, resource usage, the displacement of workers through automation – the list is endless. Who should solve these social problems? We typically look to governments …
Doreen Wanja Mutero's insight:
Alex Edmans, Professor of Finance at London Business School and Academic Director of the Centre for Corporate Governance presents rigorous evidence that pie-growing creates profit for investors and value for society compared to pie-splitting. In his book, Grow the Pie: How Great Companies Deliver Both Purpose and Profit, Alex argues that by investing in stakeholders, a company grows the investor pie, ultimately benefiting both investors and society. To grow the pie, companies must ask a fundamental question: “how is the world a better place by our being here?”
Reputation Institute’s third annual report about the trends affecting reputation in 2020 identified 10 global priorities that are shaping reputation and impacting businesses this year. Those trends include higher purpose, data privacy, climate change, influencers, and CEO activism.
Of the trends that have been ranked each of the past three years, only two are gaining importance: higher purpose and data privacy.
Matthew Farmer's insight:
Here's more data on how important #Purpose is to corporations - this time from the Reputation Institute who run the RepTrak surveys geared toward Corporate Communications specialists.
Part of the challenge for Corporate Communications specialists is that Purpose is a complex thing to navigate in an authentic way. After all it goes to the very core of why you exist.
At the launch of the World Economic Forum in Davos, founder Professor Klaus Schwab calls for the world to coalesce around a different form of capitalism - stakeholder capitalism.
The Davos Manifesto is the World Economic Forum's view of 'stakeholder capitalism' and the best response to today's social and environmental challenges.
Doreen Wanja Mutero's insight:
That people are calling for a change in the system in which we operate is not new. That increasing numbers of business leaders should do so, such as Larry Fink at Blackstone, Marc Benioff of Salesforce, the US Business Roundtable and now Klaus Schwab and the World Economic Forum is what's different.
The WEF's rallying cry behind a more enlightened and broader view of capitalism calls for companies to be accountable to a wider group of stakeholders (not just shareholders). It calls for a restructuring of executive pay to recognise this. It that states that the role of a company is to serve society and that global companies need to appreciate that they are stakeholders and stewards of our future - they have a duty to address societal challenges through their activities and collaborate to achieve success.
For us to be successful as a society in making this transition, we need great Systems Leaders who can understand the bigger picture and operate in the complexity, finding the levers to success. We also need great ways to develop Systems Leadership that enables large numbers of people to be able to embody the kind of thinking and behaviour required that will create these shifts and reinforce lasting change.
Becoming a better leader calls for 3 critical behaviours: as outlined by Jill Ader, Chairwoman, Egon Zehnder. Curiosity which means an appetite to ask great questions and listen for the answers about yourself, others, situations and the world: tapping into your capabilities for adaptability, flexibility, expressiveness, empathy and intuition; as well as having an understanding your purpose.
Doreen Wanja Mutero's insight:
Having a deeper clarity on one ‘s own values and those that drive an organization provides the impetus to navigate uncertain times. What’s more, purpose-driven organizations are realising the benefits of supporting their teams find purpose in their work: a more engaged workforce, better team effectiveness, a sense of organizational pride and better retention.
A refugee camp is one of the seemigly unusual places to challenge our thinking around the meaning of work and the role businesses can play in helping to address humanitarian crises. According to research by Reshmaan N. Hussam who teaches the course Business, Government and the International Economy to MBA students at Harvard Business School, "almost 1 million Rohingya refugees are sinking deeper into despair while sitting idle in a camp they can’t easily leave. But the opportunity to work might provide a resource more scarce than cash: hope." She continues to suggest that "work means much more than just an income. It gives you a sense of identity, of purpose, of a larger goal. It gives you an opportunity to build a social life.”
Doreen Wanja Mutero's insight:
When we say that businesses can be a force for good, then we can be bold enough to explore the possibilities of what this means in preventing and addressing humanitarian crises. Traditionally, governments and not-for-profit organizations have been on the forefront of helping those displaced by conflict and natural disasters. This HBS article suggests that businesses too can play a role in integrating these vulnerable individuals through employment. Work gives more than an income, it gives hope, it gives purpose. In the end, businesses win, the world wins, we all win!
We live in an age where companies and brands with a compelling sense of purpose seem to have a significant competitive advantage. I read articles every day about how purpose-led companies outperform those that are not.
Sally Brownbill's insight:
For Emerging World, Purpose is the guiding strategy and defined role that an organisation has in taking on the challenges we all face in the rapidly changing world. It enables an organisation not only to achieve individual success but to be connected to systemic issues that they positively impact through innovative activity.
This recent blog by Matthew Farmer looks at how companies can capitalise on the purpose through immersive experiences.
Laws in India state that companies must spend 2% of their profit on CSR activities. However, attempts to enforce such a policy effectively have proven to be problematic. This move is the latest development by the newly elected Indian government to support the law though legislation. Although this is arguably a downgrade on previous policy which stated that failure to comply was a penal offence punishable with a jail term.
Matthew Farmer's insight:
I am travelling to India later this week to facilitate an immersive leadership program for Salesforce. The program will involve senior leaders working with Indian non-profits and so I am particularly interested in the India CSR law, which stipulates that 2% of corporate profits go toward funding non-profit activity.
It is the only country I know of that has such a law and while on the face of it, it sounds like a great idea for mobilising corporate resources to tackle the country's social issues, the policy has proved troublesome. Enforcing the policy has been tricky and some companies have found 'interesting' projects to put the money into that are not perhaps in the spirit that the law intended.
It has not helped that some of not-for-profits that can be funded are government associated entities, which makes things open to the possibility of corruption. However, another challenge is just how far 'at arms length' you should be with your investment. Investing in projects too close to your business may not be philanthropic enough and simply lead to subsidising existing business activities - too far away and there may be no strategic alignment and the creation of a string of unsustainable pet projects. I already heard the name nickname 'Chairman's tax' being given to the law because money can often end up in a project that the senior leadership is personally interested in but few others in the organisation.
Nonetheless, the law has led to a lot of money becoming available to good Indian not-for-profits to fund their activities and I'm looking forward to understanding more about how they are leveraging the resources to do important work. If anyone has any other information about how other companies legislate for this kind of thing beyond tax incentives, I'd love to hear them.
There is a movement where employees want a job that gives them a sense of purpose and customers want to buy from companies whose brands are based on values that they identify with. Here's why purpose has become a powerful force giving companies a competitive advantage.
Matthew Farmer's insight:
It was the German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche who considered that "He who has a ‘why' to live can bear almost any ‘how.'"
It is perhaps the earliest, but one of many references in this article that explains why 'Purpose' is such an important consideration for companies. The article also cites increasing amounts of research showing that companies with a strong sense of purpose are more likely to have better retention, higher productivity, reach more customers and drive higher profits.
That makes it very attractive to companies but the catch is that it needs to be authentic. When humans ask 'why?', they can be good critical evaluators and see through the hype - Nietszche would have been proud.
Sustainability is essential for corporate strategy, to meet investor pressure, consumer demand, regulatory requirements and attracts talent while maximizing productivity
Sally Brownbill's insight:
There's no escaping the news about climate change. We hear about more and more individuals are making more changes and choices that are sustainable and environmentally considerate. So, it's quite surprising to see the the lack of sustainability implementation within organisations discussed in this article.
Now, more than ever, your social impact strategy plays a critical role in driving employee engagement and protecting brand reputation.
Andy Gale's insight:
An interesting article on the evolution within organisations to an environmental, social governance approach and the three key trends happening as part of this evolution as identified by the World Economic Forum
On the Principled Podcast, LRN Chief Advisory Officer Ty Francis talks about corporate purpose, stakeholder capitalism, and innovation with Mark Hatch, CEO of SiLi-ion and leader of the Maker Movement.
Andy Gale's insight:
An interesting listen into how having a higher purpose can lead to operational success. And how the synergy of a growth strategy, culture and a defined corporate purpose provides a business advantage. Importantly, these factors provide the foundation for companies to embrace 'radical innovation'.
And, being a big sports fan, any podcast that ends on a quote from the great NFL coach Vince Lombardi is worth a listen!
"Perfection is not attainable but if chase perfection we can catch excellence."
What's a company's purpose? It's not the same as mission or vision, which change when leadership changes. Strategist Ashley M. Grice explains the power of pu...
Andy Gale's insight:
The power of storytelling to explain the importance of purpose in a business makes this stand out for me. Ashley Grice explains how important authenticity is for purpose to be successfully implemented and I was particularly interested in her recognition that for purpose to be embedded across an organisation it has to be meaningful for all, highlighting the roles middle-managers and front-line employees have in, ultimately, delivering the organisations purpose.
'The Covid-19 crisis requires our societies to make critical choices about the kind of economies we wish to rebuild. Coming on top of the financial crisis, and the climate change and heightened inequalities widely experienced in the last decade, the global pandemic has raised serious questions about the nature of our economic system.
The world faces profound economic, environmental and social challenges, but many of the policies implemented over the last forty years or so are no longer able to improve economic and social outcomes in the ways they once promised. Four trends are combining to make the need for change pressing.
Accelerating environmental crisis is the most urgent. To keep the average surface temperature rise to 1.5C, global greenhouse gas emissions must be approximately halved by 2030, and reach net zero by around 2050. That is a transformative task of unprecedented proportions, made greater by the need to tackle simultaneously biodiversity loss, soil degradation, and pollution.
Rapid technological change is transforming many aspects of our economies, changing the numbers and kinds of jobs and the ways they are organised. Multinational companies, including digital platforms, have grown to positions of market dominance unrivalled in the modern era.
New patterns of globalisation are also emerging. Investment and trade continue to shift to the south and east of the world, as large transnational corporations form complex global production networks and supply chains.
Demographic change underpins each of these trends, with ageing societies calling into question the ability of those of working age to support non-working age populations. Intergenerational inequalities are compounding inequalities of income, wealth, gender and race.
Matthew Farmer's insight:
As this report from OECD outlines, 'the Covid-19 crisis requires our societies to make critical choices about the kind of economies we wish to rebuild'.
Five years ago, when the study was originally commissioned, the writing was already on the wall for GDP growth as the primary driver of policy decision-making. Our experience of 2020 has only made it blindingly obvious we need to pivot somewhere different. This report contains quite a few suggestions.
It's more arm to the bow that our current predicament can be a wonderful opportunity for positive change.
This Forbes article by Nell Derick Debevoise takes us back in time to create an understanding of coroprate purpose and it importance today. What's useful is to look at the "increasing integration of our work in our lives" and how that "leads us to hold higher expectations of the companies we work for and buy from"
Doreen Wanja Mutero's insight:
People across age groups are demanding that their organizations operate purposefully. Fuelled by the ever-blurry lines between work and life and a confluence of personal and organizational values, purpose, ambition and identity, purpose has become an increasingly fundamental conversation. Borrowing from Henna Inam’s description, purpose feeds the soul of the organization and keeps those who work in organizations energized, powerful, and resilient in the face of a rapidly changing world. It is what people need if they are to deeply engage in the work they are doing, as if it was their life calling.
There is an old Chinese saying, ‘May you live in interesting times’ When someone said that to you, it was viewed as both a blessing and a curse. A blessing, because interesting times meant change, volatility and uncertainty which invoke adaptation, transformation and a reaching beyond the existing status quo into new found heights. A…
jamie's insight:
As we head into another decade, it is a time to reflect on where are heading. The next 10yrs will be defined by disruption. Across our work lives, our home lives and where we live; multiple social and environmental challenges and technological advances will test us in many ways. It is a time for corporations to rapidly shift the way they think and act. We need them to become centres for rebalance, regeneration and radical solutions.
IESE Business School´s Conor Neill shares the seven mindsets for a happier and more purposeful life. According to David Maister, Harvard Professor "Success is enjoying your life. If you don’t enjoy what you do, the company of the people you do it with, and the impact you are making in the world… it cannot be considered success.
Doreen Wanja Mutero's insight:
Purpose and happiness are intertwined. Purpose and success are intertwined. Success and happiness are intertwined.
A purposeful organization is I believe the sum total of a purposeful value lived out by its people. What is helpful towards becoming a more purposeful organization or individual is to start off by making a shift in thinking. This article points out a couple of shift ideas and one that I find interesting is the shift from a goals-based focus to a process-based focus. Small choices or actions over time produce the desired big results!
"No longer is merely making money a sufficient corporate purpose; rather, businesses must “share a fundamental commitment to all of their stakeholders,” including customers, workers, suppliers and the broader communities within which they operate"
Doreen Wanja Mutero's insight:
How can we build business for good? This is increasingly becoming a fundamental question in today's complex world where not only is stakeholder value important for the business but also its impact in the wider ecosystem. Businesses are beginning to see the need to take a more wholistic view of their corporate purpose and as discussed in this World Economic Forum article, making a lasting committment to change will require a significant shift at the very core of how businesses operate.
The BBC reports on the launch of a new report from the British Academy on the Future of the Corporation entitled Principles for Purposeful Business. We urgently need to rethink the role of business in society, says the it's author Colin Mayer of the British Academy.
One of his findings is that the UK has particularly extreme form of capitalism. "Most ownership in the UK is in the hands of a large number of institutional investors" reports Mayer, "none of which have a significant controlling shareholding in our largest companies".
He goes on to argue that, "the state has an important part to play. But we should think about the state in a more imaginative way, as to how it can promote successful business, how it can reform the nature of business in society."
This will require strong government and positive public will.
Matthew Farmer's insight:
Today sees the launch of of a new report from the British Academy on the Future of the Corporation entitled Principles for Purposeful Business which proposes a new formula for corporate purpose: "to profitably solve problems of people and planet, and not profit from causing problems."
As the BBC says, purpose is not going to go away anytime soon. But it's also interesting to think about what the role of the state should be and what will be required on companies like Mars that are largely in private ownership and have more freedom to make choices than publicly listed companies.
Is business a legal entity to generate profits? Or something else? (Clue: it’s something else)
jamie's insight:
A great article about why business should exist. The maximising-profit at all costs model is clearly broken, educating and training those in business to truly understand and deliver real Purpose needs help and Immersion has a great role to play in that.
The future direction of big business is starting to take shape. No longer will it be maximising profit at all costs nor CSR tokenism, it won't even be about 'doing good'. The future of business will reshape capitalism wholeheartedly because the current model has been shown to be woefully underserving to the majority of people on the planet and the planet itself. It's a long road to change with huge inertia but change will happen; through necessity or leadership. This article shows that leadership might be emerging and is a great sign of hope.
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"Stuck in a rut? It might be time to start adopting new strategies.
For many businesses, it can be difficult to resist that gut instinct to “batten down the hatches” at the first sign of trouble. But playing it safe isn’t what makes a brand recession-proof. The truth is that times of uncertainty can offer one of the best opportunities for your brand to make new connections with customers - that is, if you’re willing to think outside of the box.
[...]
Behavioral science and psychology help brands, like Airbnb and Hertz, decode “irrational” consumer behaviors and provide context for the human experience: Why we say one thing and do another is irrational, but when applied to business, it expands innovative thinking.
Here’s a formula for escaping this rut and bringing structure to the process:
See the world devoid of constants. Get into the required headspace for irrational thinking. Set aside all assumptions about “absolute truths” and give yourself room to play in a world without limits.
Create an irrational vision statement. Create a vision to be your North Star. Identify your role and purpose and what you want to achieve in this ideal and limitless world. If a decision doesn’t move you in the desired direction, then don’t do it.
Stay the course with one-degree decisions. This is how you complete the equation, taking the small steps that will get you closer to making your irrational vision a reality.
Returning to the example of Airbnb, we could imagine a world where it’s possible for people to truly feel at home everywhere. Through this perspective, we can see how Airbnb’s vision of belonging was born. It’s simple, compelling, and deliciously irrational (you can’t really belong everywhere, can you?). But it comes to life through a series of one-degree decisions: services and features executed through design and technology that deliver on one of the most fundamental of human needs - community.
Reaping the benefits of irrationality will require more than an exercise in creative thinking. Brands need to commit to embracing irrationality before they have proof of what can be achieved. When brands move past the status quo and champion deep human understanding, they’ll find themselves among the most influential companies of tomorrow.
Collette Eccleston, senior vice-president, behavioral science and Ben Gaddis, executive vice-president, digital products and experience at Material"
#metaglossia mundus