In 2010 Go Seek And Venture

Harvard Business Review’s August issue focused on managing in the ‘New World’, a title for the post-recession world where Government Regulation, Risk, the ‘New’ Economy and Leadership will differ. 

The articles in this issue are very thought provoking and make for a good read (especially when you are on a 16 hour travel day). But one article caught my eye. Paul Flatters and Michael Willmott wrote a piece on Understanding The Post-Recession Consumer where they make 8 post-recession predictions on how consumers will behave based on the experiences of the past year and a half. The eight trends they see are as follows:

The one trend that caught my eye is the arrested trend of what they call ‘Extreme-Experience Seeking’, but in fact describe as the consumer’s desire to accumulate experiences that differentiate them. In essence, Flatters and Willmott’s research predicts that consumers will no longer seek the kinds of experiences that are labeled “extreme”, “especially leisure”, “frivolous”, “risky” “exotic” or “environmentally destructive”. The authors site examples such as driving a race car and “excessive recreational air travel”. I don’t understand what they mean by “excessive recreational air travel”, flights to the moon aren’t scheduled to take off for a few more years. But seriously, while I can understand that consumers will demand more simplicity, become more thrifty and shy away from ‘excesses’ deemed unnecessary, I cannot understand why they would cease to seek novelties that will expand their horizons and differentiate them through experiences (and material possessions). Let me expand on this.

When I decided to author this blog it was important for me to focus on a broad theme that has been central to my own life experience: cross-cultural, cross-business, cross-social and cross-generational thinking to bring people closer together, and break down the ‘borders’ that will set the individual in us free. I believe the most beautiful thing about human beings is our individualism. While we live in societies and communities that require us to respect and somewhat conform to their customs and laws, what makes us special to that community is our individualism. And we are all different, thus making our own contributions and creating value in our own way. Gustav Eiffel built a monument in Paris that to this day attracts millions of visitors from all over the world and symbolizes the very essence of the world’s most romantic city. Zino Davidoff brought Cuban cigars to the world. Marco Polo went to China and that one trip brought the world past. Steve Jobs has given us Apple. What people do is driven by their individual passion, drive and motivation. There are influencers that play a part in forming our individual-self, but they are just influencers.

And so my message is pretty simple: in 2010 go seek and venture. It doesn’t matter what you do. It doesn’t have to cost a substantial amount of money. No matter what your passion, don’t put it off. Go out and make it happen.

When I read Flatters’ and Wilmott’s article it inspired me to make 2010 a bigger year for experiencing the kind of things that set me apart. So I looked back on 2009 and was surprised to see that I had visited 21 different cities around the world last year. I don’t keep count of my travels anymore, it’s a nomadic normalcy to wake up in one time zone and go to bed in another. But as I reviewed the trips and places I had visited in 2009 for both business and pleasure, it really hit me how important it is to experience new places and things. Of the 21 cities I experiences in 2009, several stand out: Istanbul, New Orleans, Tehran and Boston. I would live in Istanbul if given the chance. Turkish people, architecture, history, culture and food are rich beyond belief. And I’m vacationing in New Orleans in 2010, the city has a culture about it something so incredibly unique for an American city. Tehran, the capital of Iran, was a special trip for me. I hadn’t been back since leaving at the age of 6, and the trip was to see my aging Grandmother, a promise I had made to her years ago that I really wanted to keep. There is too much to write about this city of 15 million inhabitants, but it was mind-blowing and I would go back to experience more of the wonderful people, culture and food that is lost in all the political banter. And as for Boston, what can I say? I can’t believe it has taken me this long to discover this jewel of a city right here in the US.

In 2010 I am going to top 21 cities. Its been a good start, I have already been to 4 cities since Jan 1…how about you? What are you going to do in 2010 to differentiate yourself and experience new things?