Here’s a clip from a recent keynote for an insurance association at their annual conference in New Orleans; I’m speaking about the challenges that emerge in the industry as the pace of innovation in the world of insurance shifts to Siilcon Valley, and a new generation of mobile-enabled customers demand different methods of interaction.
Two Types of Farmers: What We Can Learn from the World’s Oldest Profession!
Caught your attention, didn’t I, and you obviously want to point something out to me!
But now that I have your attention, think about the honorable profession of farming — it’s been around almost since the beginning of time.
And it’s a profession that has involved a lot of trial and error; failure and success; and a heck of a lot of innovation.
Often, during a keynote, I will tell the story that there are really two different types of farmers in the agricultural industry. And I make the point to the audience that their attitude towards innovation should be considered in the light of the attitudes carried by each type of farmer.
The first type of farmer is what we might call the ‘apathetic minority’, who share these attributes:
- they are not optimistic about the future
- they tend to seek the “same old advice” from the “same old sources”
- they have a high intolerance for risk
- they’re not convinced they can continue to make a comfortable living despite all the contrary evidence
- they’re skeptical of their potential since they feel they’ve seen too many ups and downs in the industry
Then there is the second group we might call the ‘future positive‘ type of farmer. They share these attributes :
- they’re quite optimistic about the future
- they’re very business-minded, using all the latest tools and ideas at their disposal
- they are very innovation-oriented, willing to approach everything in a new way with new ideas
- they are very collaborative for advice, seeking ideas from anyone and everyone
- they’re often focused on planning, profit, growth, with clear objectives in mind
So here’s a good question: when it comes to you, or the organization that works for, what type of farmer are you?
Here’s a good video clip where I go into this storyline on stage. Enjoy!
In Praise of Mothers-in-Law!
It’s Mother’s Day in North America, a tradition that has extended back in some time. It’s a wonderful day to remember and treasure your mom as a special person, and also celebrate and be in awe of the love you have for your wife, the mother of your children.
But all too rarely does anyone seem to acknowledge the “other mother” who has played a major role in your family life.
That would be your mother-in-law.
In my case, that was Susanna Steube — or someone we simply knew as “Oma.” She took me under her wing when I started getting serious about her daughter, Christa, in 1997.
She took it as her mission that I should be fed — and well. She always welcomed us into our home with a big smile, a big meal, and the German afternoon tradition of “coffee and cake”. She took delight in the arrival of our sons, and each and every visit over 23 years was just a very, very special time.
So on Mother’s Day, it’s also probably just a great day to also recognize and treasure the moments that we also got to spend with our spouse’s mom! To Oma!
“The Package is the Brand”
Back in February, I was the opening keynote speaker for the Innovation Takes Root conference, organized by NatureWorks.
I’ve often spoken around the theme that ‘the package is the brand’, and this is becoming even more so the case with intelligent packaging technology!
PackWebAsia.com
USA – Orlando, Fla, The Innovation Takes Root conference, organized by NatureWorks, brings together Ingeo users from across the product’s different global vertical market segments to share the innovative solutions being created using the PLA (polylactic acid) biopolymer, reports Trina Tan.
In the spirit of the conference theme, the program kicked off with a keynote presentation by Jim Carroll, a futurist, trends and innovations guru, who challenged the audience to reconsider their attitude towards innovation, and their willingness to adapt to change in our economic, social and environmental global ecosystem.
One of the interesting points raised by Carroll was about how packaging is increasingly becoming THE brand (think about the consumer experience of opening an Apple iPhone packaging), which in turn makes it even more vital for brand owners to make use of the Package to market themselves, and push the packaging supply chain to innovate.
Bearing in mind the constant shifts in the market, Carroll said, “We need to learn to look at the market trends, and see the opportunities that lie behind them.”
“Some people see a trend and see a threat – Innovators see the same trend, and see opportunity”
A quick clip focused on ‘the velocity of change …. based on one of the best phrases that I think frames the mindset of those who are relentlessly focused on the opportunity for innovation by riding future trends!
Keynote: Flavor & Extract Manufacturers Association – The Acceleration of the Science of Food
New taste sensations used to take 5 years to go from a high-end restaurant to the mainstream – but can now just take a matter of months, driven by the impact of social media influencers. Attention spans are disappearing, and food-is-fashion is the new reality in this era of hyper-change. Old brands are out, and new brands redefine entire industries literally overnight. I covered the trends – and defined for the audience the innovation path forward!
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