Innovation, ‘Thin Skin’ and Customer Experience.

Ughh. Having ‘thin skin’. It’s not something that’s usually welcome. The thing is, these days the awareness meter is becoming an attractive tool that creates the impressive wisdom required to connect with customers, colleagues and partners for quicker and greater innovation, conflict resolution, learning and longer-term progress. Being able to sense what’s needed, what’s possible, imagining, being open to what’s there… it’s important. If you’re someone with thin skin, tips on how to be emotionally strong include ~ * Choose who to listen to. Feedback is a reflection of the person giving it – you can choose whether to listen to it. * Develop listening to yourself and what’s important. Having thin skin balanced with an openness to relevant feedback is an advantage. It gets you closer to beauty for you and others.

FOR WHEN YOU CAN’T ROADTRIP.

Wander. Roadtrips are great for the feeling of endless time; subjects flow amongst quiet moments. Stops at interesting places. A wander with a friend through your local villages can be similar. I enjoyed one recently, walking though Melbourne’s CBD via a great conversation at the fromagerie at the Spring St Grocer, an affogato at their Gelati Store, seeing wild sights at the Exhibition Gardens, cobblestone streets of Fitzroy, a canoe on Brunswick St, Snow White apples from the organic store, happy people at The Rose sitting outside in winter, seeing the Crumpler staff hurriedly pack up, seeing Spacecraft and a parfumerie’s beauty on Gertrude St. Walking towards town the idea of a movie popped up and off we went to the Kino and afterwards a feed at Yamato. A wander and a wide ranging conversation. Wonderful! Who are you wandering with next?

Let My People Go Surfing ~ Yvon Chouinard

Great inspiration via “Let My People Go Surfing” by Yvon Chouinard… from doing business with future generations in mind, to being more aware of the wider environment, tips on building great cultures and doing what’s there to be done. Wonderful business philosophy for Patagonia employees and perhaps your’s too. Highly recommended. I’ve many favourite comments, here’s a couple:

If you don’t get to the book, enjoy these insightful quotes.

Free Thrills.

It’s been a while now that I’ve worn un-matching socks. Until recently, nobody commented (or noticed).

Then I started karate and one of the classes is with under 10 kids who’ve started commenting, with confusion, that I wear un-matching socks.

Good fun.

Smile!

Favourite reads & listens:

• Blockchain introduction:1. Satoshi’s original Bitcoin paper is definitely worth reading – even the Introduction on the first page as it explains the role of blockchain / cryptocurrency and going beyond third party trusted sources. Especially important to read if you are a consultant advising clients. 2. This Forbes podcast: “The blockchain is about to transform every trust-based interaction of our lives, from financial services to identity, from health care to our Internet of Things devices. In this podcast, host Laura Shin talks with industry pioneers across tech, financial services, health care, government and other sectors about how the blockchain and fintech will open up new opportunities for incumbents, startups and everyday people to interact more efficiently, directly and globally.”More blockchain reading is here.
• Fascinating: 48 hours in VR.
• Alexa buys Wholefoods
• Heads up Facebook [thx rosshill]“Treat Facebook as the private walled garden that it is. If you want something to be publicly accessible, post it to a real blog on any platform that embraces the real web, the open one.”
• Help kids thrive.
• Delighted to see the tiny homes trend take off. Check out the beauties: here and here.
• Another inspiring image of future transport. We’ll start to realise how restricted we’ve been with a steering wheel and seats facing forward. Thanks Elon and the Boring Company.

Great online presence:

• ABC Australia r+d’s entrancing website and their megatrends report which clearly articulates the trends ABC is aware of through their work of engaging with and providing interesting watching for their customers for decades to come.“if you’re aware there’s a computer there, we’ve failed.” Bill Buxton on Invisible design
• This may have you dream up your next project.

The Surfcoast conditions continue to be wonderful, Nic’s just done her first 4 days of yoga teacher training, a few of us are celebrating the passing of a big-hearted friend, others, a family member. Nick’s home at the end of the world (!), Ross and Anne are NYC’ing, SJ’s in AUS, Wends is dealing with a (happy) unwell child, a few friends are sick (maybe from the change in the seasons), two friends are preparing for interstate relocations at the end of the month… much happens as the globe turns. Wishing you and yours well and happy,

~ Sam

RunwayDigital.com

P.S. Interesting natural phone amplifier (from Russell in reply to the last newsletter).