Kem Meyer on Less Clutter & Noise

We started family night in August. It was one of the steps I took to be intentional in this season. It started as an act of discipline...you know the drill...put first things first because it's the right thing to do. I didn't anticipate how much fun it would be and how much it would bond our family together.

The benefits of our family night:

We're just getting started but I can tell you this is a Meyer family tradition that's going to stick around for a long, long time.

Ethnography uses fieldwork to provide a descriptive study of human societies. Many cultural anthropologists consider ethnography the essence of the research discipline. This may or may not be surprising to you, but many of the primary research techniques they employ are soft and emotive not scientific and absolute:

But, sociologists aren't the only ones applying this discipline. National advertising companies, consumer marketing consultants and political strategists study people to sell products and get votes.

They're investing their life and resources to learn what it is people want and think they need. They're working hard to figure out how they can answer the questions the people are asking. They're finding the space in which people rally, and they're going there.

Richard Reising [who looks a little bit like Vince Vaughn] tells a simple story that brilliantly demonstrates what this looks like in a very practical way.

Hey, Church:

Starbuck's salted caramel hot chocolate. Don't get tripped up on the "salted". It left me stupefied...I almost passed out it was so good.

Corporate's telling the truth when they say: "This delicious sweet and salty combination brings together our rich, indulgent Signature Hot Chocolate and the flavors of buttery caramel and smoked sea salt. It is topped with whipped cream, a swirl of caramel and a sprinkle of our sea salt topping - a combination of artisan sea salt and Turbinado sugar from Hawaii."

I believe the BEST team members are the ones who communicate what they think. There is no penalty for disagreement. And, for the record, people on my team frequently disagree with me. I'm frequently wrong.

But, I don't take that personal.

And, neither do they.

I believe in (and thrive in) a culture that promotes honesty with each other about everything.

Not honesty in the context of negativity, irrelevant advice or directionless opinions ... but honesty in an environment that allows people to express what they see; even if that means they see something different than me.

No, make that especially when they see something different than me.

Because, when my team members feel free to be honest about what they see, it allows me to see the entire picture--the sum of opinions--to make decisions about what needs to be done.

And, at the end of the day, we all agree on what needs to be done. Because, we all care more about the success of the team than our own part or opinion. And, we're in this as a team. One for all, all for one.

But, I don't believe we could or would be as united without the room to disagree. This type of culture allows us all to wrestle with an idea, to see all sides and land on our feet to move forward better, faster and stronger* together than we ever could alone.

You know who else likes a team that's not afraid to disagree with him? Ed Catmull, Co-Founder and President of Pixar Animation Studios. And, he seems to have a pretty productive gig. Wouldn't you agree? It's ok, if you don't. I won't take it personal.

He talks about this concept and more in this Harvard Business Review article about creative collaboration.

* Shout out to Proverbs 27:17! Just like iron sharpens iron; friends sharpen the minds of each other.

The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make by Hans Finzel

Thanks, Chris, for the recommendation.

Nice framework & talking points from Daniel Burka's slide show.

A few weeks ago, my friend Lisa made this post on her blog.

The correlation to politics and church fighting is almost instantly obvious. But, when I read it. I immediately thought of something else.

I'm going to stick my neck out on this one. But, somebody has to say it. The verbal ribbing and good natured competition between MAC and PC users has reached a tipping point. It's not spurring good-natured competition, but fostering division and discontent.

Turning brother against brother.

Sound dramatic? Maybe, but it's been a burr in my saddle for quite sometime and I'm curious if anyone else sees what I see. Advocates on both sides of this choice are starting to resemble fanatical partisans and religious zealots.

In Branding Faith, Phil Cooke says that branding has become a religion.

I think this is what has happened with the MAC/PC tribes.

Where do I stand on the choice? I believe they are both great tools. I could use either one and be happy with what I have. I think you should choose what you want based on your own preference, needs and budget. But, just because you use one doesn't make the other bad.

Food for thought.

If you live near Phoenix, Dallas or Atlanta you'll want to read Tim's top 10 list.

Did you miss Innovate08 this year? Maybe you were there and want to see a session again or share it with a friend. Well, Happy Birthday to you... you can watch all the general sessions online for free.

As a bonus, we threw the film festival on there for you, too.

Start with Session 1. See why the Church is on Fire.

This Innovate Media Player was made possible thanks to the generous brainiacs at AspireOne Media. Want to customize one for your site? They can do that, too.

Since we're on the topic (two posts yesterday), I thought it was worth mentioning PC Magazine has put together a "10 Most Absurd Social Networks" list.

Sadly, it includes LineForHeaven.com, a website which allows you to earn points for a ticket to heaven, and Dogster.com, the self-explanatory canine social network.