How do we as marketers create value for our brands? For our employers? For our departments?
The question came up in discussion last week at a networking event. The answers it prompted varied considerably from individual to individual, reflecting the diversity of the crowd and the levels of experience and responsibility represented.
It all reminded me of a GetSynchronicity/SEAL survey* from a few years ago in which we asked event marketing professionals to “Pick the top 3 attributes that your company’s culture most values.” Respondents could choose from among twelve positive traits such as leadership, decision making and integrity.
Respondents overwhelmingly reported that the top attributes valued by their organizations were, in order:
Positive attitude (18% of respondents)
Team player (16% of respondents)
Problem solving (14% of respondents)
There was certainly nothing wrong with any of those answers. They’re all highly desirable traits. Now take a look at the attributes ranked lowest by those same respondents:
Outside the Box Thinking (6%)
Calculated Risk Taking (4%)
Creativity (3%)
Do you see the same disconnect that I see in those responses?
We’re saying that our companies want us to be good problem solvers. At the same time, we’re saying that our companies do not value creativity, outside the box thinking and calculated risk taking.
If that’s true, then our employers are handcuffing us in the worst possible way.
Throughout our history, nearly all of man’s innovation, scientific advancement and invention has resulted from outside the box thinking, calculated risk taking and creativity. It’s true for almost everything from the steam engine and pasteurization to disposable diapers and post-it notes. Organizations that place low value on outside the box thinking, calculated risk taking and creativity are destroying human capital and limiting the potential of future revenue streams.
Interestingly, 50% of the survey respondents were event marketing professionals with job functions that included at least some tactical responsibilities. That leads me to wonder: do their responses actually reflect the organizational bias of their respective companies or do their responses reflect their own personal bias? Might there be greater rewards in the workplace awaiting all of us but we don’t think outside the box and we don’t take the calculated risks required to achieve creativity?
Are we handcuffing ourselves?
Like the discussion at the networking event, all of this suggests that we’re conflicted about what we believe is valuable to our organizations, our careers and our personal value systems. To become valued contributors – and happy ones – those attributes should come into closer alignment.
*Survey: 136 (8.1%) individuals responded out of a poll of 1,671 event marketing professionals.