Enjoyed the NINES experience last month sponsored by Leadership Network.  There were many beneficial leadership nuggets to glean from the experience.  As I always lean into thoughts on personal development, team development, and leadership, I want to share a simple but significant take-away regarding relationships.

In whatever you do, personally and professionally, you want to give your best, right? But have you really thought about giving your best to the people around you who are by your side in those important times – and who really are the reason that the best of you and the cause happen?

Matt Carter, pastor at Austin Stone,  at the NINES,  when speaking on a personal level about the importance of his relationship with his wife said, “It doesn’t matter if I win the heart of the city if I lose my wife.” That was intense and profound. But we can extrapolate. What about your team? How do you treat them? Do you value your team enough to consider what it would be like if you lost them?

How you treat the people closest to you reveals the deeper you.  That is what people hear and respond to.

So what choice are you going to make?  How are you going to speak to the most important people in your life?  In ways that build them up, encourage relationship and team, and propel your mission? How will you invest in those relationships – and those people? In what ways are you willing to invest in them to keep them engaged, inspired, and feeling valued.

Sure, we want to give the best of us to everything we do.  But be sure you are not giving the best of you to the big idea to the neglect of the people in your life that support you and encourage you, and your cause, daily.

Just simple adjustments to your focus, communication style and attention to those around you will have a huge affect on your mission.  And I suspect, when you give attention to those around you, just by giving of yourself, will also have a real affect on you, too.

You know who they are – the logos above. They are distinct and iconic. (in case you have been stranded on a desert island, these are Starbucks, Nike, and Apple) We, at Auxano Design, spend many hours behind the scenes and in conversation with our clients in order to create logos for them that really stand out. Our goal is to provide each with a memorable mark that will be an entry to their distinct identity – an identity that will differentiate them from the rest of the crowd. When creating and selecting a logo there are some significant points to keep in mind whether you are the brand architect, designer, or the organization building your brand. Before looking at the important points, let’s start by asking a few questions.

What makes an effective logo or brand mark?

Why is it that some logos or brand marks really stand out in a crowd and get noticed while others don’t? Why do some seem to be long lasting and continually build equity and awareness while others don’t? These are questions that many have asked and there are some key ideas and principles that enable some brands to distinguish themselves from others and be more effective. Among those ideas and principles are the following: an effective brand mark is unique, meaningful, differentiated, flexible, consistent and sustainable.

Unique – Every organization is unique with its own set of ideas, attitudes, characteristics and values. It is this DNA that defines the organization and distinguishes it from its competitors. The logo or brand mark should reflect this unique essence and align with the organization’s distinct personality to help it stand out in a crowd.

Meaningful – Does the logo tell a story? Is it somehow connected to the mission, strategy, values or brand promise or is it just a cool design? It’s the story behind the logo that gives it meaning and significance. For example, the familiar Mercedes three-pointed star originally represented vehicles on land, at sea and in the air. However, as the brand has evolved, the symbol has now become associated with luxury, high performance and excellence.

Memorable – A great logo creates a strong awareness and recognition in the minds of consumers. It’s this identity or mark that people connect to the brand. The logo is not the brand but it is the entry point to the brand. The brand is the overall experience and is created through every form of communication.

In fact some logos like Shell, Apple and Nike are so memorable and recognizable that the companies have even dropped the names and we know and recognize them by the symbol only.

Differentiated – To be effective and avoid confusion in the minds of consumers, the logo must stand well on its own and be distinct in shape and color especially among competitors.

Flexible – The logo should be easy to reproduce consistently and work well at a variety of sizes and across all media. It should work well in black and white as well as color.

Consistent – The logo should always be used consistently. That means the positioning, proportions, arrangement and colors should never change. Think of Coca Cola for example. You never see the Coca Cola script in a color other than red and the script is always exactly the same. Many times we see a variety of logos being used within the same organization. Any time a variation of the logo is created unintentionally, it diminishes its overall effectiveness and creates confusion both internally and externally.

Sustainable – Styles and trends will always come and go, but an effective logo will be enduring. Some logos have remained virtually unchanged for decades. Others have gone through periodic updating and modification to give them a fresh look but still remain firmly connected to their original identity and meaning.

Why does it matter?  Because we are surrounded by visual stimuli and competing messaging and images all day long.  To capture the attention and imagination of the people you are trying to reach, wouldn’t it be a valuable investment in your organization to create an identity that helps you stand out in a crowd?  The logo is just the starting point or entry to the brand – but as such, it is doorway for engaging and inviting people to experience what you have to offer.  Spend a little time doing a self assessment.  Ask a few people on the outside of your organization their impression.  If you think you could do better, contact us to start a conversation.  You can see some of our favorites that we have designed as spotlighted by Will Mancini.

Many thanks to James Bethany, Auxano’s Creative Director for sharing this based on his years of experience designing and developing brands.

I ran across a TED talk today and discovered a jewel.  Garr Reynolds is a marketing professional and currently is an Associate Professor of Management at Kansai Gaidai University in Japan.  His bio includes management at Apple Computers, branding, effective corporate communications, and blogging.  But I would add compelling story teller and thought leader.  In this TEDtalk Garr shares lessons from BAMBOO – yes the plant.  The talk is engaging.  The take-aways have huge implications for leaders (professionally and personally as well). I have included the summary of the 10 lessons here.  I encourage you to spend some time after reading this to consider the implications this can have on how you live and lead.

(1) Remember: What looks weak is strong

The body of even the largest type of bamboo is not large compared to the other much larger trees in the forest. But the plants endure cold winters and extremely hot summers and are some times the only trees left standing in the aftermath of a storm. Remember the words of a great Jedi Master: “Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size do you?” We must be careful not to underestimate others or ourselves based only on old notions of what is weak and what is strong. You do not have to be big and imposing to be strong. You may not be from the biggest company or the product of the most famous school, but like the bamboo, stand tall, believe in your own strengths, and know that you are as strong as you need to be. Remember too that there is strength in the light, in openness and transparency. There is strength in kindness, compassion, and cooperation.

(2) Bend but don’t break. One of the most impressive things about the bamboo is how it sways with the breeze. This gentle swaying movement is a symbol of humility. The foundation of the bamboo is solid, yet it moves and sways harmoniously with the wind, never fighting against it. In time, even the strongest wind tires itself out, but the bamboo remains standing tall and still. A bend-but-don’t-break or go-with-the-natural-flow attitude is one of the secrets for success whether we’re talking about bamboo trees, answering tough questions in a Q&A session, or just dealing with the everyday vagaries of life.

(3) Be deeply rooted yet flexible The bamboo is remarkable for its incredible flexibility. This flexibility is made possible in part due to the bamboo’s complex root structure which is said to make the ground around a bamboo forest very stable. Roots are important, yet in an increasingly mobile world many individuals and families do not take the time or effort to establish roots in their own communities. The challenge, then, for many of us is to remain the mobile, flexible, international travelers and busy professionals that we are while at the same time making the effort and taking the time to become involved and deeply rooted in the local community right outside our door.

(4) Slow down your busy mind We have far more information available than ever before and most of us live at a very fast pace. Even if most of our work life is on-line, life itself can seem quite hectic, and at times chaotic. Often it is difficult to see the signal through all the noise. In this kind of environment, it seems all the more important to take the time to slow down, to calm your busy mind so that you may see things more clearly.

(5) Be always ready As the great Aikido master Kensho Furuya says in Kodo: Ancient Ways, “The warrior, like bamboo, is ever ready for action.” In presentation or other professional activities too, through training and practice we can develop in our own way a state of being ever ready. Through study and practice we can at least do our best to be ready for any situation.

(6) Find wisdom in emptiness It is said that in order to learn, the first step is to empty ourselves of our preconceived notions. One can not fill a cup which is already full. The hollow insides of the bamboo reminds us that we are often too full of ourselves and our own conclusions; we have no space for anything else. In order to receive knowledge and wisdom from both nature and people, we have to be open to that which is new and different. When you empty your mind of your prejudices and pride and fear, you become open to the possibilities.

(7) Commit yourself to growth & renewal Bamboo are among the fastest-growing plants in the world. It does not matter who you are — or where you are — today, you have amazing potential for growth. We usually speak of Kaizen or continuous improvement that is more steady and incremental, where big leaps and bounds are not necessary. Yet even with a commitment to continuous learning and improvement, our growth — like the growth of the bamboo — can be quite remarkable when we look back at what or where we used to be. You may at times become discouraged and feel that you are not improving at all. Do not be discouraged by what you perceive as your lack of growth or improvement. If you have not given up, then you are growing, you just may not see it until much later. How fast or how slow is not our main concern, only that we’re moving forward.

(8) Express usefulness through simplicity Aikido master Kensho Furuya says that “The bamboo in its simplicity expresses its usefulness. Man should do the same.” Indeed, we spend a lot of our time trying to show how smart we are, perhaps to convince others — and ourselves — that we are worthy of their attention and praise. Often we complicate the simple to impress and we fail to simplify the complex out of fear that others may know what we know. Life and work are complicated enough without our interjecting the superfluous. If we could lose our fear, perhaps we could be more creative and find simpler solutions to even complex problems that ultimately provide the greatest usefulness for our audiences, customers, patients, or students.

(9) Unleash your power to spring back Bamboo is a symbol of good luck and one of the symbols of the New Year celebrations in Japan. The important image of snow-covered bamboo represents the ability to spring back after experiencing adversity. In winter the heavy snow bends the bamboo back and back until one day the snow becomes too heavy, begins to fall, and the bamboo snaps back up tall again, brushing aside all the snow. The bamboo endured the heavy burden of the snow, but in the end it had to power to spring back as if to say “I will not be defeated.”

(10) Smile, laugh, play The Kanji (Chinese character) for smile or laugh is 笑う. At the top of this character are two small symbols for bamboo (竹 or take). It is said that bamboo has a strong association with laughter, perhaps because of the sound that the bamboo leaves make on a windy day. If you use your imagination I guess it does sound a bit like the forest laughing; it is a soothing sound. Bamboo itself also has a connection with playfulness as it has been used for generations in traditional Japanese kite making and in arts and crafts such as traditional doll making. We have known intuitively for generations of the importance of smiling, laughing, and playing, now modern science shows evidence that these elements play a real and important role in one’s mental and physical health as well.

These are just ten lessons from the bamboo; one could easily come up with dozens more. These are not things that we do not all ready know, of course. Yet like many a good sensei, the bamboo simply reminds us of what we already know but may have forgotten. Then it is up to us to put these lessons (or reminders) of resilience into daily use through persistence and practice. You do not need to be perfect. You need only to be resilient. This is the greatest lesson from the bamboo.

Below is an excerpt, but I encourage you to follow the link for the rest of Martin Lindstrom’s article.

“The term “smashable” dates back to 1915, when the Coca-Cola company asked a designer in Terre Haute, Indiana, to design a bottle that consumers could still recognize as a Coke bottle, even if someone flung it against a brick wall and it shattered into a hundred pieces. Coke is a smashable brand. So are Guinness, Ferrari, Harley-Davidson and, of course, Apple (take a sledgehammer to an iPad and you’ll know what I mean). Which suggests that the logo as we once knew and loved it–from Citibank’s Scowling Umbrella (I don’t know what else to call it), to Nike’s Swoosh, to Starbucks’s Whoever-The-Heck-She-Is–needs to be re-considered if it’s going to play any role in future brand-building.

Let’s do a little experiment: Erase the logo from every single one of your brand identifiers–products, stationary, signage. Close your eyes, now reopen them. Is there anything left? Would consumers still recognize those items as belonging to your brand? Look at your packaging, your copy, your colors, your design, your font, your spacing. Do any of them convey your brand’s identity? Or without a logo are you adrift and bailing water?”

While I do  not agree with all of the comments made about logos, what is clear is that a logo alone is not a brand.  It is not a pretty and cool mark that creates a brand. BUT, it is an important clear and simple communication that can create a first, then memorable, impression in people’s minds. So,  what is the big idea here?

Your logo alone is not your brand.  You are.  Remember Everything speaks.

The personality of the organization, the physical environment and every experience, including the online experience, the primary messaging, the consistent reinforcement of the verbal and visual identity, use of color, font, style, attitude…”  Have you defined that and rigorously communicate and reinforce it? (if you found a piece of glass on the beach that was thick and green would you say, “wow, this is an old Coke bottle?”

Starbucks is actually a great example.  While the tweak of the logo was controversial, the Starbuck’s experience extends far beyond the logo. (yes, they have taken heat recently and refocused) Also, Apple.  Admittedly I am an Apple geek – but the experience of opening a new product – the packaging, the first screen, the ease of sync, are all part of the Apple brand.

Think about your most memorable brands.  Without the logo, would you still know who is sending the message? Remember, the logo is an entry point to a brand.  But a brand is experienced through every interacation on behalf of your organization.

Ask yourself, have you created a brand that communicates your essence and your vision, or a cool logo that you really thought was cool?  Are you smashable?  Do you live your brand and create an experience that is memorable beyond one image?

I leave you with this from Martin’s article:

“So reserve a brick wall, cock your arm, aim, and begin smashing your brand. While you’re at it, smash your website, to ensure your brand remains consistent via your web pages’ navigation, style, ease, and/or special features. Now ask yourself: does my brand “own” this cross-sensory experience, from web to wireless to PDA, right down to the bricks-and-mortar product I’m gripping in my right hand? If not, your carefully crafted logo might as well not even exist.”

Enjoy and laugh.

But consider –  what does your culture unintentionally do that excludes people.  And better yet, what can you do to prepare people for full engagement and participation.

mountain biking

Often, even with a clear vision in place, teams can struggle with polarity because they have not been provided tools that make team synergy and alignment easier. But often the team members are not to blame. If you asked them they might just say, “If we only knew what we were supposed to be saying!”

Give your team the gift of an aligned communication strategy. Develop your brand, provide key messaging and a style guide for your leaders. Communication tools will make your expectations clear because you have established a common way of seeing and saying who we are and where we are going. Just take a look at the before and after samples below.

Not only will you enhance synergy and alignment, but through clear and consistent messaging you will be understood more readily by the people you are trying to reach.

Try this:  Gather a sample of all your communication tools. (Include images of your website and social media.) Assess whether your message, both verbal and visual, are consistent and clear. Are they aligned across ministries and platforms? Have you given your people a clear pathway to assimilation into the church? Have you given your leaders tools to help them with aligned communication of the church’s vision and direction?

(If you are interested in having us help you with a Communications Assessment contact us and let us know how we can help)

\’blam-,stör-ming\ n. [From Latin blasphemare, to blaspheme; and Old English styrian, to stir]

1:  Business meeting that devolves into finding fault for projects gone wrong rather than looking for successful results.  2: A discussion between colleagues involving major finger pointing. USAGE: Blamestorming can last hours until a culprit is identified for each step of a failed project.  In excess, it can be characteristic of weak management.

EXAMPLE: “Where is everyone?” “Oh, they’ve been in that blamestoming session for hours.  No wonder we can’t get anything done around here.”

Thanks to Southwest Airlines in-air magazine for this great entry in their “Spirit Lexicon” business dictionary.

Do you want to create energy and innovation for your next project?

Avoid blamestorming! You can either focus on failure or you can focus on the future.  Blamestoming is an energy sucker.  It sucks wind of of the sails of enthusiasm, it sucks motivation, it sucks innovation and it sucks the life out of momentum.  (OK, it just sucks….. sorry)

Sure, it is important to determine what caused the project to miss the mark, BUT do it without pointing fingers and getting hung up on the need to place blame.  Keep ideas at the center of your dialogues and remember to always focus all conversations on learning and results for the future.  Energy spent there is energy lost moving toward results that will propel your organization forward.  Look toward the future and encourage your reports to do so as well.

A few things to remember:

1. Your behavior as a manager transfers to your reports (don’t create a culture finger pointing)
2. Look for learning not blame – always lead with results and solutions in mind
3. Focus on ideas not people
4. Use those ideas to generate innovation that will drive your organization into the future

Whatever the reason, suppress any urge you have to waste energy on BLAME.  You will have more innovative, productive and enthusiastic teams when you focus on the future.

Does your team collaborate well and make decisions with absolute clarity?

Often when I work with team leader about building healthy teams, the frustration of how to attain consensus (agreement) and come to decisions that people are ready to implement is a key topic.  Frequently, the roadblock to moving an initiative forward is that a clear direction and decision has not been agreed upon.  Take a new look at collaboration and decision making.

Do you and your team have guidelines for how you collaborate and make decisions? Do you dialogue around an idea? Have you established a signal that indicates when the team has arrived at an agreed upon decision? Often, expectations are not met because there was never a point after some great ideation and brainstorming that the team had landed on a decision. Everyone felt energized by the flow ideas, but after the fact, no one was ready to act – mostly because they were unclear about what decision was reached.

Try this simple technique next time you have a team meeting. After robust dialogue around a decision that must be made, indicate to the team that it is time to commit to an agreed upon decision. We simply say, “Decide/Commit” and abbreviate it D/C. Then use the 100/80 rule of consensus. Rather than thinking about consensus as 80% of us are 100% on board with a decision, lead with the idea that you should have 100% of the team 80% (or better) on board with the decision. When your entire team is 80% in agreement, you can move ahead with everyone clear and moving in the same direction. And you avoid the possibility of having 20% of your team feeling dissatisfied. Expectations clearly stated. (for a closer look at collaboration and a tool to help you, check out collaborationcube.com).

If you would like to learn more about how to integrate this into your team meetings, contact me cheryl@auxano.com

You wake up every morning with ONE thing – one focus.  PROTECT THE CULTURE.  If you do that, the culture becomes so potent that if anything tries to invade, disrupt or dilute your mission and culture, that the culture itself will expunge it [or them].

Imagine creating a culture that is so strong that intuitively stays on mission.  That it creates a missional force so strong that it protects itself with a powerful centripedal force as people are drawn to the core.  That the strong center actually (counterintuitively) results in a powerful centrifugal force of energy outward – away from the center.

Personally,  I think this is a great way to think about what the best leaders do.  Create a dynamic and powerful culture that releases its people to energetically live out the mission.

Cool.