I don't know about you, but in my case I can tell you that when they were passing out the genes for creatvity I was either sick or on vacation. It's a good thing for me that my wife got more than her fair share otherwise both our house and my home office would look like it was decorated in an "early Salvation Army" motif, and that's only on the personal side.
On the business side they simply have stopped asking what I think about the design of anything be it print or electronic. After all, back in the day, I thought the Edsel was cool looking.
All of which is to say that I hold anyone who has design talents in awe. Not just because of the professional talents they bring to what they do, but also because of the frustration they must feel in dealing with something so subjective. How they ever get clients to agree with anything is beyond me.
If you have read this far you are probably wondering (and rightfully so) what, if anything, this has to do with the title of this post? Such as it is, here's the link:
A few days ago we got a notice from the Connecticut Food Bank that a donation had been made in ExecuNet's name (specifically on behalf of our VP & Executive Director Lauryn Franzoni). The donation was made by Rob Hudgins the president/creative director of a graphic and web design firm down in Florida called 50/50 Design. Rob has been a prime design resource for us for years.
As it turns out, Rob's company marked their 10th anniversary this past July, and to mark that occasion rather than spend lots of money on self-serving hoopla, he decided to go to each of his clients and have them select a charity of their choice to which he then wanted to make a donation on their behalf as his way of saying thanks to the companies who have helped bring his business to where it is today.
When I learned all this, it got me to thinking that before any of us know it, the holiday season will be here (Sam's Club has Christmas stuff out already and it isn't even Halloween!) and lots of businesses big and small will be thinking of how to say thanks to their customers/business partners, etc.
While it is true that the economy is slowly trying to pick itself up off the floor, as we all know for millions of folks through no fault of their own, getting off that floor is still many months away.
So, if your company is looking for a really nice way to say thanks and give some extra help to those in need, you might want to borrow Rob's idea when someone asks "does anyone have any ideas of what we should do this year."?
4 comments:
Love this idea, Dave. Though my customer appreciation gifts may be modest, over time, the accumulation of such gifts donated to a charity in need could be significant.
Appreciate your sharing your story!
Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter
Dave, I love the idea of giving and it dawned on me as I read your post that when every business gives - we all win.
Since I work with tossing more intelligences into leadership - your post inspired me to see Christmas or holiday gifts that flow from each intelligence. How so? Those strong in: VERBAL INTELLIGENCE could publish a note of thanks to somebody often passed over, 2). MUSICAL INTELLIGENCE might organize a carol sing for shut-ins, 3). MATHEMATICAL INTELLIGENCE might organize and help budget for a struggling client or employee get-together to ring in the season, 4). SPATIAL INTELLIGENCE might create a brilliant Christmas or holiday card based on another's most successful 2010 design idea, 5).KINESTHETIC INTELLIGENCE might build a train station with needy kids and give to a hospital, 6). INTERPERSONAL INTELLIGENCE could match up mentors with teens for look at the best career options for the new year, 7). INTRAPERSONAL INTELLIGENCE may offer a poem of reflection to inspire successful holiday memories in spite of tough times, 8. NATURALISTIC INTELLIGENCE might take families on an adventure to secure a tree and then replant one as a sustainable opportunity.
Just a thought from your refreshing blog post - to explore possibility that the most meaningful giving often comes from multiple talents shared - to meet diverse holiday needs. Thanks for the inspiration – the MITA International Brain Center will look to give in new ways this season because you did!
Ellen,
Many thanks for your thoughtful and stimulating additions. You obviously got a lot of those creative genes that I didn't!
Hope you enjoyed the World Business Forum as much as I did.
We at ExecuNet are very much looking forward to and are excited about being the engine that will be driving the World Business Forum Community for the next 12 months and certainly hope you will be an active participant.
Dave
Thanks Dave, for your kind and generous comments and the wonderful news that ExecuNet plans to keep World Business Forum community alive and interacting. Makes me think of George Lucas’ words on creativity: “We are drowning as a society (business community) and we need to create knowledge and pass it to the next (business) generation.”
You are doing just that but extending the rich discourse from #WBF09! That in itself is creative genius – yet I’d still like to challenge your reflection on creative genes as they operate your own brain! As we roll out new approaches to address questions on innovation we also grow more creative dendrite brain cells by so doing. It’s how the brain work and your team is leading us there. Bravo!
I’d like to see 5 questions addressed in the coming year by experts who lead the next generation, that were rarely addressed in the last one. http://bit.ly/oHKAs In so doing I think we inspire the innovative minds in the business community - that are silenced by broken systems that chase other agendas. 'Nuff said – but thanks.
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