More Of/Less Of in 2018: Talk Less, Listen More

This advice from a philosopher known for his criticism of the social institutions of his day seems to be an ideal prescriptive as we end a year that has offered endless examples of theamp160perils of too much talking and not enough listening amp160amp160Inequality in the workplaceamp160 The increasing culture divide amp160The echo chamber amp160Each is an outcome of the combination of closed ears and open mouthsamp160 amp160amp160So in the spirit of the season let39s consider some New Year39s resolutions starting with what we need more of and less of in 2018 to move away from our current polarization and toward the constructive debate amp160ie talking and listening amp160that enables positive change amp160More of amp160Real Diversity Less of amp160Quota GamesNothing illustrates the industry39s tendency to combine hyperactive tongues with clogged ears than the dramatically homogenous speakers39 roster with which CES will launch the new year in Las Vegas amp160We are an industry that lives and dies by talent and we claim meritocracy asamp160the only way to attract nurture and retain it amp160Butamp160at the coreamp160of meritocracy isamp160the assumption that everyone has the same opportunity to prove his or her merit andamp160situations like the monolithic CES stage confirms once again that we are very far from that goal amp160Please see Editor39s Note belowCertainly there are many agencies marketers media owners and tech platforms thatamp160are doing better than othersamp160amp160and these are the voices to which we should be listening rather than simply trying to match someone39s volume amp160Successes should be celebrated and learnings distilled discussed and shared amp160I am personally against quotas because I think that approach defeats meritocracy and I am very aware that as a straight white middleaged man that39s something easy for me to say amp160However I also believe that progress usually requires regular shocksamp160to the system first to jumpstart the reaction and then to keep the engine runningThe CES situation proves that unfortunately we are not yet ready to walk away from the quantitative side of diversity just yet amp160Can we take this mistake and turn it into a sustainable solutionMore of amp160FactsLess of amp160Fakeamp160NewsThanks to the former host of The Apprentice our entire political and cultural identity can be defined by the way we react to the words quotfake newsquot amp160It has become the great cultural divide with facts and fake news on opposite sides of the ravine amp160While in the macro sense the facts vs fake news war is waged over issues that literally are a matter of life and death the phenomenon is impacting industry dynamics as well amp160We spend too little time talking about the fundamentals of the marketing and the business economy factsamp160and too much time on announcements and pronouncements that distract us from the core issues of branding and sales amp160Six second ads amp160New filters amp160240 characters amp160We39re learning the wrong lesson from the broader news environment and in both casesamp160it will require voices of reason to reverse the trendMore of amp160DiscoveryLess of amp160Bubblesamp160There is an Italian expressionamp160that perfectly sums up the negative impact of living in a bubble social or otherwise quotParla come mangiquotamp160quotSpeak like you eatquotamp160amp160Bubbles serve a limited menu think of them as a diner that only serves comfort foodamp160 Satisfying as it might be it39s both unhealthy and limiting even boring amp160Choosing to dine there day after day after day you are effectively denying yourself the opportunity to discover something that you39ve never tried before something perhaps that you39ve never considered or never thought you39d find appealing amp160Something that may actually challenge you amp160This certainly is true of the social bubble and I for one am resolved to vary my consumption menu in 2018The same can be said for the industry bubble in which we think create and strategize for our clientsamp160 We39d do well to recall the words of the legendary David Ogilvy who once said quotThe consumer isn39t an idiot She39s your wifequot amp160Antiquated gender timestamp aside that takeaway is still valid today ie you can39t look at the consumer through your own reality amp160Step outside of the metrotechnoespresso bubble and discover what matters between the coasts amp160Parla come mangi amp8230amp160ma prova alcuni piatti nuovi but try more than one dishHappy HolidaysEditor39s Note amp160MediaVillage is proud to be a title partner of the Advancing Diversity Honors being held during CES where our community will honor eight companies organizations and individuals who have demonstrated leadership in advancing diversityClick the social buttons above or below to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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More Of/Less Of in 2018: Talk Less, Listen More

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