Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Jack Welch on managing creativity
I've been a big fan of Jack for a long time, and I'd never question his ideas when it comes to managing a gigantic, Fortune 100 company with dozens of layers of bureauacracy and a dizzying array of business units. When it comes to managing a creative organization, though, I always kind of figured his limits would be obvious.Turns out I couldn't be more wrong. It seems that the wisdom of Jack Welch knows no bounds.
The latest Welch Way (the column he writes with his equally intelligent wife Suzy in Businessweek) asks if managing creative people is different from managing other kinds of people- and the answer is a resounding "Yes!" Jack and Suzy refer to the challenge of managing creatives as "Wielding The Velvet Hammer," which couldn't possibly be more accurate.
First of all, you should listen to the podcast, because it has a lot of excellent tips on getting the most out of creatives without upsetting the rest of the company. Second, it's a good reminder of exactly how much experience counts in business. There's really no substitute for sweat equity.
Don't ever doubt Jack.
Listen to the podcast here
Labels: design management, links
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Ice Cream!
Living in Ohio, I'm lucky enough to have two great ice cream companies in my backyard. Graeter's and Jeni's can both serve up an impressive treat, but this is a tale of two brands. Graeter's is a family-owned, 137-year old ice cream parlor that serves up classic flavors, best known for enormous chunks of soft chocolate in each scoop. Jeni's challenges the norm, with 15 seasonal flavors (and 9 signature ones) including Ohio sweet corn with blackberries, Thai chili, and coriander with fresh raspberry sauce.Graeter's has spent many years perfecting their classic flavors. The equivalent of your grandmother's pie or your mom's fried chicken, it's so good it connects with people on an emotional level. Customers relax as they enter the old-fashioned ice cream parlors, knowing that they're about to be comforted by something special.
While sweet corn ice cream may not be for everyone, creativity and invention are major elements of the Jeni's brand. One anticipates the surprising new flavors they'll sample each time they visit. Not only is it a delicious and exciting experience, it's a smart business move on their part. Unlike most ice cream brands, Jeni's understands that it would be impossible to make a better black raspberry chip than Graeter's 137-year old version. Instead, Jeni's focuses on giving its customers a dynamic experience that keeps people coming back for more. Because of their differences, there is room in the ice cream market for both of these brands to be successful.
If you're making ice cream, you need eggs, milk, cream, and sugar. If you're going to sell it, you'll need to understand how you can be unique.
photo courtesy of Apartment Therapy
Labels: branding
