by Francine Carb, President

I just returned from a major industry trade show in a metropolitan city and I have to say, it was pretty dull. The demonstrations hadn’t changed much in five years when I last attended; the booths for the most part were good looking, but no one had anything interesting to say; and the speakers were drier than a James Bond martini. I felt like the entire industry had lost their excitement about innovations, successes, and plain old American ingenuity.

What happened? In some cases, companies became fat and happy, so they don’t have to try so hard, but I don’t buy into that. I honestly think we forgot how to have fun and enjoy yourself while presenting products and services. Yes, there’s regulatory compliance to think about and a conservative executive suite. Certainly, budgets are always under scrutiny. But again, these are just excuses, and poor ones at that.

I think we’ve lost the real pleasure in telling our stories, experiencing healthy competition in a collaborative environment, and injecting some creativity into our businesses.

The solution? One CEO recently scrapped everything—including his management team, in order to gain a new perspective; but that extreme approach is not for everyone, nor do I advise it! You do, however, need to set yourself free from bad habits and complacency that lead to mediocrity.

I do suggest some clear thinking—outside of your office—facilitated by an expert. Maybe even followed by a fun activity or group outing. One colleague suggested creating a consortium of like-minded companies that can leverage each other’s experiences and cultures to create something completely fresh—and for no other reason than to improve the customer experience.

If you’re feeling yourself and your company getting stale, ‘step on the gas’ and call the creative minds at Markitects. Our Markitecture process can help you shake up conventional thinking and tap the hidden creativity within your leadership team. And please don’t give me any excuses of why you can’t; just ask, when can we start presenting products and services in a more creative way?