Do Not 'Get Set'
And... Free Marketing*
Guess which word in the English language has the most meanings. Some say it’s run; some claim the word run has over 600 meanings… but the word with the most meanings in the Oxford English Dictionary is set.
set, n.
Tendency, inclination; determination (of the mind, character, action, etc.) in a certain direction; often = settled direction, fixed habit.
It’s easy to get set in our ways and our attitudes. Its easier than the alternative, constantly being open to new ideas and technologies and ways of doing things. Paradoxically, the current generation of AI platforms encourage old ways of doing things by averaging past behaviour and creating a kind of accepted wisdom of the crowds.
Balancing the insights gained from experience and specialisation with the opportunities provided by new methods and discoveries is a difficult thing to do, especially if you have your head down in ‘business as usual’ activities and decision making.
Not being open to different ideas leads to confirmation bias - you write your job descriptions within the context of where your mind has been set, perhaps a tool you used a decade ago, but it seems like yesterday. You evaluate proposals based on your set view of your predetermined ideal solution.
So how do you avoid getting set in your ways and ideas and making sub-optimal decisions?
Travel.
I just spent a week in Dubai. It doesn’t matter what you do, what stage of your career you are in, if you haven’t been to Dubai recently, you should.
If you think you understand retail, if you think the concept of the Mall is dead, then you need to stand in a mall in the UAE and challenge your assumptions.
If you have been told by oligopolistic retailers that there are only 3 brands of smartwatch in the world or that the best TVs are made in Korea, then you need to visit a consumer electronics store or a hypermarket in Dubai.
If you are an author of thriller or cyberpunk novels, you need to see what the near-future looks like today.
Hire Fractional Resources.
Here’s the pitch. Sometimes you can’t get out of your business, not even for a day. The deadlines and targets you have imposed on yourself or that have been imposed by stakeholders like investors don’t allow for the luxury of testing new ideas. Hiring a full-time, on-site resource like a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) just imports their set ideas and practices into the business, but…
Top Tip. If you are going to hire an expert. Let them be the expert.
Engaging a Fractional CMO allows to benefit from cross-pollination of ideas from different companies, cultures and countries while leveraging experience and specialisation.
Free Marketing*
I don’t want to get set. I want to keep travelling and I want to keep my mind open to new ideas, technologies, strategies and innovations. So here is the deal. I want to work with you and your sales and marketing teams. I want to observe and understand why you are doing the things you are doing, the strategy behind your decision making and your challenges. I want to be present on your stand at trade shows and exhibitions and talk to your customers…
In return, you will get insights and recommendations and a fresh perspective.
* You pay travel and accommodation expenses.