Figmentations

So, who’s going to invent the next form of advertising?  [I must acknowledge that I first came across this question from an iTunes podcast of Chris Anderson discussing his new book “Free: The Future of a Radical Price” with “Bloomberg on the Economy” dated 7/13/2009.]  

As I wonder what the new form of advertising will look and feel like, I also wonder whether it will be discovered accidentally or invented purposefully.  I’m guessing, it will probably be a combination of both because: (1) we will always have Inventors and businessmen who are actively looking to discover the next “Pet Rock”; and (2) like viral advertising, which is effective in its own right, it is always unpredictable to know what will take off and what will not.  Read more »

I’ve always known that Ethics can get complicated and many times falls into a big gray area.

And, I personally place honesty and integrity quite high on my list of values. Yet, I’m surprised to be finding more and more people raising arguments to justify why it’s okay to get close to crossing the line on ethics. And, I’m starting to wonder if I might not need to be more flexible in my judgements of people that do flirt with or actually cross that line.

Intentions do make a difference. If someone does something wrong (and, of course, that is all relative, too), but if it is done out of ignorance or out of good intentions, then that should be taken into consideration in our evaluation of that behavior.

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A recent newspaper article contained an intriguing combination of words that caught my attention. (See: The Star Ledger, “The Global Monster”, 4/24/08, p10) The phrase was: “a coincidence of interest”. It was used to describe a scenario that arises when an unscrupulous seller is eager to supply whatever a desperate buyer wants to buy.

The context of the article focused on how mobsters or organized crime groups are getting more involved in global markets, immigrant smuggling, and with terrorists, etc. primarily for the purpose of making money in the global marketplace as well as domestically.

My thought is this: what would a “coincidence of interest” look like in the hands of the positively-intentioned world citizens?

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In this new “era of social media” (as per PNI), we are being given the opportunity to show up (as per Mari Smith):

• consistently
• transparently
• authentically
• genuinely
• with a win-win attitude
• adding value
• as a thought leader

I pledge allegiance, in my heart and soul, to the concepts of honesty, integrity, and quality in business. I recognize that the cornerstone of success is treating all stakeholders fairly, with compassion, and with a commitment to service. Working from abundance, I recognize that even my competitors can become important allies. I will not tolerate crooked practices in my business, from co-workers, direct or indirect reports, supervisors, managers, suppliers, or anyone else–and if I encounter such practices, I will refuse to go along with them and report them to appropriate authorities within and outside the company. I pledge to support the “triple bottom line” of environmental, social, and financial responsibility. And I pledge to participate in a serious effort to focus the business community on these principles, by sharing this message with at least 100 other business leaders.