It’s only mid-January, but for most of us the holidays are already a distant memory.
Still, as I look back at my holiday gifts, both given and received, I can’t help but reflect on how design influenced my choices (on what to give others and what to keep from among my own gifts) and how those insights might be helpful to you, particularly as you design or redesign products or services in the New Year.
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Source: thedealeyo.tumblr.com
I recently traveled to Ireland and the United Kingdom, where I experienced and thoroughly enjoyed an abundance of what author Daniel Pink refers to as “emotionally intelligent signage”—signs in public places designed to forge an empathetic connection with the viewer. Such signage doesn’t bark orders (“Keep off the grass”) or reprimand people (“Don’t be a jerk—pick up after your pet”). Instead, it appeals to people’s principles and emotions. While in the UK, I even saw a sign that said: “Please, try not to smoke.”
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By now you’ve surely gotten the memo: Storytelling is “it” in business and communication today.
In a recent interview, Peter Guber, renowned entrepreneur and author of Tell to Win, said that in order to connect emotionally with others, you must: “Aim at the heart. And what you have to aim at their heart is the story.”
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By kallerna (Own work) via Wikipedia
To be sure, silos, or departmental divides, are detrimental to organizational success.
In his Forbes.com post Breaking Down Silos, consultant John Kotter contends that silos destroy trust, cut off communication, foster complacency, and must be prevented or eliminated for any company, regardless of size, to act quickly and productively in today’s fast-paced business environment. I absolutely agree.
“Designer.”
It’s the ultimate one-word job description of every leader.
Why?
Because, now more than ever, it represents what smart, successful leaders do: They design.
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