Dec 11, 2018
Let's face it — trying to be innovative in a workspace that feels boring and stiff is hard. Yet, that's what most of us face every day — a workplace that keeps you siloed and doesn't help you think differently. I find it super frustrating so I brought on Shama Hyder to talk about the Empowered Workplace and the new frontier in employee and customer experience. She’s an author, business owner and was called the “Millennial Master of the Universe” by FastCompany.com.
Key Takeaways:
[1:02] Tamara opens the show by inviting listeners to go to iTunes or Stitcher and leave a review about the podcast.
[2:32] Innovation is hard when you’re in an environment that feels stifling, boring and stiff. It's a lot easier when you’re in an environment that fosters innovation, collaboration, and a new perspective.
[2:52] You might be surprised to know that Shama is a very fast reader. She aced the verbal part of her SAT’s.
[4:48] Shama starts things long before the trend emerges. She started Zen Media, a marketing and PR firm to help brands stay relevant in the digital age, long before most people knew what social media was.
[5:09] How does Shama identify the next big wave?
[6:39] The new marketing frontier is physical space. Things are coming full circle. The digital space is shifting to a more traditional space. Shama shares that experience helps to take the friction away. She shares that Chase Business understands that they aren't in the business of banking, rather, they help businesses grow through banking.
[10:54] How does Chase operate differently from other banks in day to day business? Tamara shares that Square Space is successful because they help other people make money. Not that they develop an easy web service.
[13:03] Shama commented in this LinkedIn article, The Future of Workplace Design: The FETCH Model, that today’s workspace needs to evolve to meet the needs of today’s changing workforce. Tamara believes that organizations are successful when they realize that their people come first, along with their customer.
[16:01] How do you create an empowered office?
[16:35] The physical environment is a huge factor in productivity. How are you facilitating the needs of your base? The answer is never a ping pong table in the middle of the office.
[19:39] Tamara and Shama talk about not perceiving things incorrectly and being open to the next wave of innovation and what’s really happening. Shama refers to this as ‘small bets.” She looks at patterns and what's changing.
[24:58] Tamara shares that one of her mass marketing professors would send students to Walmart to interview customers to try to understand why people would shop there. They couldn’t grasp that anyone would want to shop there because they didn’t shop there. Shama talks about diversity. She believes that we think about diversity but it’s often shortchanged. We don’t think about diversity in thought, perspective, and experiences.
[27:44] Tamara reminds LaunschStreeters that what’s important isn't what works for you, but what works for your customers. How do you create experiences online and offline?
[28:28] Listen in as Shama discusses customer-based philosophies.
[29:22] Connect with Shama on Zen Media, at Shamahyder.com, and on LinkedIn.
[29:49] Shama shares a few key pieces of advice from her book, Momentum. First, the idea of really putting the identity of your customer first, Second: the importance of curation. The book provides five guiding principles for how to do business to grow your brand in the digital age. The five principles are agility through analytics, customer focus, integration, content curation, and cross-pollination.
[36:02] What’s the one action you’re going to take in the new frontier of marketing?
If you are ready to:
get buy-in from key decision makers on your next big idea
be a high-impact, high-value member that ignites change
foster a culture of innovation where everyone on your team is bringing innovative ideas that tackle challenges and seize opportunities...
Join us on LaunchStreet — gotolaunchstreet.com
Mentioned in This Episode:
The Zen of Social Media Marketing: An Easier Way to Build Credibility, Generate Buzz, and Increase Revenue, by Shama Hyder
Momentum: How to Propel Your Marketing and Transform Your Brand in the Digital Age, by Shama Hyder