The Changing Meaning of Business

Probably my favorite part of the TEDGlobal Issue of designmind is the series on the changing “meaning of business.”

The series of four pieces is an expansion of themes that frog VP of Marketing and Communication Tim Leberecht began exploring in an earlier designmind piece called “Wanted: Chief Meaning Officer.” The basic premise of the series is an attempt to understand how good – social, environmental, and more – is coming back to the center of the business equation.

An introduction to the series by Leberecht provides a great overview of some of the most important recent thoughts in this space, linking out to works by folks like Umair Haque, whose Harvard Business Review blog has been churning out manifesto after manifesto about the reshaping of the business landscape.

The first of three main pieces is called “Innovation Starts with Empathy,” and is a great look at how in the new era, it’s all about being able to walk in other people’s shoes and cultivate an internal culture of empathy that can extend beyond the company’s walls. Author Dev Paitnak writes: “The line between inside and outside the company starts to blur. Rather than seeing yourselves and your customers as us and them, you start to see yourselves as part of the same tribe. You start to think like your customers and feel confident enough to rely on your intuition. You find yourself anticipating what real people are up to and what they’re looking for from you. The effects can be profound.”

The other two articles are equally interesting and provocative. In “Success and the Power of Research” the head of Nokia’s Research Center argues that companies that invest in serious R&D right now – in spite of the downturn – will be in the best position to lead the recovery. Finally, the Chief Marketing Officer at GE shares an imperative to “Optimize Today, Build Tomorrow” by seeing marketing as more than a delivery mechanism for a message but a vital channel through which to dialogue with customers.