Services
Information --> Impact
Can anyone say honestly that they aren’t swimming in information today?
It’s everywhere, in every moment of your working day. And many of us are addicts, still looking for more.
Yet consider this:
Data is not knowledge
→ Knowledge is not insight
→ Insight is not action
Data becomes knowledge when humans add context to numbers and facts. Knowledge spawns insights when many contexts are combined and connections are made. Insights only become useful when they are spun out into scenarios relevant to the business, then chunked into the actions necessary to achieve the goals.
It’s no surprise that precious little data ever marches down the long path to real action.
The Information --> Impact
program has two complementary goals to help you:
1. Work more effectively with what you have.
2. Build practices that keep you ahead of the trends.
 First, sharpen your current practice.
As the tennis pro Arthur Ashe said, “Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.” This first step will help you get the most leverage from the knowledge already in your business. It’s about the human side of using knowledge.
Here are the primary steps:
Identify what information is key to sustain your critical path marketing processes. This includes determining when and how often the specific information is needed, and who on your team will most benefit.
Scan where (if anywhere) this information is currently stashed — in data bases, people, or other sources.
Add what you need.
Combustion. In this step, we work together to design a systematic approach to bring your people and your information together consistently. A workshop will help your team establish a common foundation of knowledge. However, a one-time event isn’t enough to significantly change what you’re doing now.
Next, we follow-up with small-group or individual activities, such as coaching, to help people refine their skills in analysis, synthesis, and strategy and convert those insights into action.
Second, build practices that keep you ahead of the trends.
 While the first step focuses on building the skills and knowledge base within- and across-staff in your business, the second stage links your internal organization to your external environment.
Identify the leading sources of change in your market or industry. Start with the visible shifts over the past ten years. Consider – at a minimum – changes in these areas: in your customer’s internal life (e.g. values, attitudes, aspirations), in products and services offered in your market (e.g. features, functionality, performance, price), in the culture (e.g. customs, values), and in the environment (e.g. technology, business processes or models).
Recruit your cross-functional team. Yes, you’re looking for diverse viewpoints, but you’re also looking for people with enthusiasm for the task.
Build your consistent process for scanning, gestating, and applying your insights. This begins with selecting resources to monitor the leading sources of change in your environment that you identified in the first step. This action can be as simple as buying each team member a subscription to a publication that taps into the four areas mentioned above. Or as complex as assigning responsibility for watching major and minor forces, from the economy or global business to consumer attitudes.
The key to deriving value isn’t in the amount of information your team accumulates, but in your repeated, consistent exploration and application of the ideas your team produces.
The company that will get the most from the Information --> Impact solution has a clear brand identity. The marketing staff has more on their task lists than they can handle. They’ve experienced some success in the marketplace, yet feel that the process to get from identifying a new opportunity through to market launch is too long and yields less-than-great success.
Individual team members are often looking for information or insights to guide decisions. In fact, the company is likely to be spending significant time searching for data, with different people often conducting similar searches. The organization is ready to consider managing its dynamic knowledge differently.
Are you ready for this? Contact us at 425.688.1125 or email to evaluate your options.
Next >> Return to the main services page or if you need a dynamic speaker for your next organization — Linda Williams can help...
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