Keynote Peter Sheahan, International Expert on Leveraging Business Trends and New Market Opportunities, certainly powered up the audience to see the opportunities ahead. While we’re all still strongly impacted by unsure economic times, Peter helped to change our mindset on how we can attack and succeed. Many possibilities for success are within our control – or better yet, out of our control.
First advising that we need to be careful about assumptions we make today about the future! Given the rapidly changing landscape, technology and economic conditions, looking too far out based on only what we know today is actually limiting.
Peter’s forward thinking is actually based on a number of very smart tenets:
- Innovation isn’t always sexy. We aren’t all Apple, and all our innovations won’t have a sleek design, fancy name and memorable campaign. But we have all the ability to innovate, find ways to find new value and determine the talent needed and the culture needed to support this talent. This is what will take us further.
- Give up control. Best ideas don’t always come bottom down. Now days given the crowd sourcing and social networking of our current work environment, trust those on the front line to come up with the innovations. Provide support and structure to allow the conversation to bloom.
- Cost restrictions don’t have to limit innovations. Trust your talent, often times they’ll come up with innovations that improve programs/services and manage costs without cutting budgets.
- Tell the story of CRE. A great narrative will outweigh a rational thought process on decision-making. Turn the assets of CRE to leverage rather than to allow others to continue to see CRE as a cost to be managed.
Great inspiration, useful thought process no matter your individual CRE role, and a positive kick-off to Business Unusual here in New Orleans.