OK, just like that first day returning to school at age 9 or so, Yesterday was that combination of excitement, and that big gulp feeling of realization that -there-are-ton-of-amazing -people-here-and-I-don't-know-them-all.
First step was my pre-TED Inner Circle hosted by TBWA in their incredible LA offices (surfer bar, anyone, for your morning coffee with a colleague? Prefer a quick game of basketball on the court right in the middle of the offices? It's that kind of environment). And the group Wf360 assembled for the conversation was wonderfully diverse: Niall Murphy who is a South African now living in Geneva; Andy Hobsbawm is a Brit, Jose Rueda is a Mexican who was educated in Canada who now lives and works in Hong Kong, Canadian Lib Gibson...you get the idea.
Laurie Coots, my co-host, had suggested the topic focus on purpose-driven business. It initially sounded way too squishy for me so I'm glad she prevailed. This is a rich topic with a variety of opinions about what purpose means (is it just a branding gimmick? Or is it a reflection of deeply held values? Little of each?) And, beyond that, how the size of a company, the involvement of founders, the constraints of regulation and economics and other variables influence the likelihood that a stated purpose is sustainable.
I invited Linda LoRe, a Committee of 200 friend who is CEO of Frederick’s of Hollywood. She is wicked smart about consumerism and had lots of smart things to say. So did Tena Clark, the mastermind behind DMI Music & Media Solutions, the people who provide brilliant strategy and songs, melodies and more to major corporations eager to connect to their consumer base through music.
We managed to cover a full breadth of issues including why in China the values driven business is not relevant and how Gen Y people are demanding that the companies they work for have meaning beyond the traditional bottom line. We even discussed how the quarterly earnings focus of western corps has a chilling effect on values-driven businesses.
Am still digesting all the intel that came out of this.
And now, TED! I'll be back.
Author of I is for Intercourse: The ABC's of Conversation, Susan Bird is the visionary behind Wf360, and a sought-after speaker around the world for her views on leadership, the strategic importance of conversation, entrepreneurship, and the role of women business leaders.
The constraints of regulation and economics and other variables influence the likelihood that a stated purpose is sustainable.
Posted by: penny auctions | July 28, 2011 at 11:36 PM