A bad website has the same effect as nose-picking. It kills the attraction. 10 words that shaped 2016.
“What is a perfect work day for you?” What a lovely opening question for a podcast. The soothing voice of the interviewer took away my stress. And there I was, sitting in a small room in my house with my iPad on my knees and a bunch of unpaired socks behind me. A room where the ironing normally gets done.
“Please go and sit in a small room. Because of the sound quality”. The technical man said. He and the other interviewee were dialing in from New York. Paul Miller, who was leading the podcast, called in from London. And I was in Antwerp. The four of us interacting at a temporary digital workplace. Long live technology!
So, back to the initial question. What brings a big smile on my face and sparkles in my eyes at the end of a day’s work?
Beauty.
“Beauty?” Paul Miller asked.
In my imagination I saw Paul sitting behind his desk in London with the deep purple jacket he was wearing the last time we met. Paul does impress. Not only by his elegant accent, his extensive vocabulary and the sharpness of his thoughts. But also by the way he dresses. I have seen Paul twice. Once in Paris and once in Cologne. At both occasions I was fascinated by the colour of his jacket. One you would only find at Paul Smith’s and only the stylish British gentlemen would wear.
“Beauty indeed!” I repeated. And I noticed I had raised my voice. “Beauty in physical things. Carefully designed magazines. Or a café with nice furniture and lots of newspapers. Beauty in music. Like these Jewish chants I heard, chants coming from the open windows of a Hasidic school on my way to a meeting. Beauty in words too.”
Words fascinate me. Words capture ideas. Words shape insights. Trigger.
Paul Miller’s initial question inspired me to make a list of 10 words that shaped 2016. Let’s call it a “Small 2016 Lexicon”. Here we go.
10 words that shaped 2016
- Trans-, co- and inter-
Trans-, co- and inter- are often used prefixes to describe the skills and the mindset needed to thrive in the digital era. Transdisciplinarity, connectivity, cohesion, community-thinking, connected, interaction, interdependency, interconnection.
Esko Kilpi, a Finish thought leader and word wizard, describes the future of work as follows: “What emerges is creative, highly contextual work, a new design whereby work is interaction between interdependent people”.
By the way Esko also loves words. Writing is my tool for thinking. Social media are my tool for thinking together. Wish I had written that.
2. To augment, Augmented Reality (AR)
Will cognitive systems take over our jobs? Will humans be replaced by machines? In 2016 a lot of doomsday scenarios demonized technology. I prefer the positive message: men have always been shaping tools and these tools helped us to do our work in a more efficient way. And it is no different today.
I believe technology extends human potential. It augments human capability.
The new digital tools will help us perform more valuable work. That’s what researcher and cognitive neuroscientist Katri Saarikivi writes in “Perspectives on new work”. Well. Wish I had written that. Again.
3. Digital is the new normal
Seriously? Does this appear in our 2016 Lexicon? Come on! Peter Hinssen wrote a book on the topic six years ago!
You are absolutely right. But still. In the first half of the year I still received e-mails telling me digital transformation was just the next hype.
The tone suddenly changed at the beginning of October. The dismissal of more than 3000 bank employees marked the triumphant entrance of the word digital in our daily business vocabulary. Digital is hot. Organizations finally understand digital transformation is a difficult but inevitable exercise. Last week I heard ENGIE developed a Digital Compass: a learning track about digital skills for their employees. And the people working at KBC (a Flemish bank) have to get a Digital Driver’s License.
Peter Hinssen got it right. Digital is the name of the game. Digital is the new normal.
4. Customer Touchpoints
What do you see when you read the words customer touchpoints? I see two people falling in love. The brand and the customer. I see them talking to friends to get some information on the desired person, checking pictures on the internet, touching each other’s hands. All of that as a journey preparing them for the first date.
5. Customer journey
The customer’s journey should be without friction. I read once. Well finally! I hope 2017 is the year we get rid of all these websites where the acquisition of a product is a painful, frustrating and discouraging experience. Brands should never play hard to get. The purchasing procedure is one the customer’s touchpoints. A bad website has the same effect as nose-picking. It kills the attraction.
6. Customer centricity
This word makes me suspicious. Why emphasize the obvious? Isn’t the customer the organization’s reason for being? When people say “we are customer centric” I think in fact they see the customer as an annoying disturbing factor. A company who states explicitly its customer centricity is like a shop with the sign “free entrance”.
7. IoT, AI and VR
These abbreviations may have seemed a bit exotic at the beginning of the year. But in the second half of 2016 they passed easily from science-fiction to our daily workspace.
8. Platform thinking — Ecosystem thinking — Blockchain
Producers and consumers. They used to have separate roles. But in the organization as a platform their roles became exchangeable. Airbnb for example allows us both to be host and traveler.
In this new business model the firm no longer controls 100% of the value creation. The value is created in the ecosystem (aha! another word to be added on our list).
By the way. Could anyone tell me in which year we jumped from linear thinking to ecosystem, networked thinking?
The organization as a platform fascinates me. It is not just a new business model, it is the externalization of a bigger movement changing our world. A movement of emancipation and empowerment (another word). Our world is becoming flatter. Blockchain subverts the world of banks, the work of notaries and accountants. And we also see this happening in education. In the newest MOOCs learners are not just consumers, passive people depending from the teacher; they also create content themselves and give marks to their peers.
Platforms enable vibrant interaction to happen. Long live technology and the democratization of the tools of production.
9. Data — Predictive analysis
I remember 2015 as being haunted by the phantom of Big Data. Big like in Big Brother is Watching you. Did you notice 2016 dropped the word big? Data do not scare us anymore. We accept data driving our business. We even fell in love with it because they unveil customer’s secrets. When do people buy? What are they passionate about? Data allow us to quantify and predict behaviour.
10. Working Out Loud #wol
Working Out Loud is more than just sharing your knowledge in online communities. It’s about self-leadership. Taking control over your own development. The practice of #wol stimulates us to be reflective practitioners; to translate our insights and ideas into public utility; to develop a digital identity and to participate in feedback loops. Working Out Loud is a step towards building digital capability.
John Stepper — I like to call him the High Priest of Working Out Loud — has followers all over the world and #wol circles have spread to more than 20 countries.
10 buzz words?
Buzz words! All of these are buzz words! Used by consultants to create unneeded work.
Does this idea cross your mind reviewing this list?
I understand what you mean, some people abuse words. They use them to create distance, hide behind smoke-screens, and make the other feel insecure and stupid.
But, as I said in the beginning of my text, I really love words. When used properly, they have the power to sharpen our minds. They shape the way we look at things.
Words also bring people together — oh YES, thank you Facebook algorithm! They assemble people and thus create worldwide movements allowing people to find each other. They initiate action and interaction.
Don’t be cynical about words.
I know this list is far from complete, but it is already December. So time to move on to 2017.
10 statements about 2017
- The banking sector will suffer. It will hurt. A lot.
2. The Digital Workplace will become the Social Workplace.
3. People will struggle with information overload. Time management will become obsolete. People will look for attention management courses.
4. Just imagine creepy bacteria resistant to antibiotics. Well. That’s e-mail in 2017. It will not die yet. But it might kill us.
5. The ecological claim of producing less waste will boost organizational changes. The cost of mediocre middle managers not creating real added value finally becomes a serious issue. You are right. This statement is in conflict with the one above.
6. AI will steal our hearts. What about a bot for Christmas?
7. Organizations that used to f**k the client will be punished. Customers will keep on raising their voice. Impossible to be ignored.
8. Facebook will try to imitate WeChat.
9. We are all marketeers. Strong organizations will see more and more of their employees become brand ambassadors. Even those employees without customer facing roles.
10. Reverse Mentoring will continue to help executives develop digital skills.
2 questions about 2017
- Influencers on social media. Will they really sell their souls to brands?
2. I wonder whether 2017 will become a new 1968, with our YouTube children protesting against old educational systems. Will they be chasing conservative teachers and politicians in a new Pokémon-Go game?
And by the way.
Just to end.
What is a perfect work day for you?
