Think-tank Tuesday

I just returned from a trip to Dallas HQ where I joined a group of company leaders who focused on ways to build our company for the future. We spent time holed up in the back room of the office for three days pouring over white boards with things like "digital media touchpoints", "company efficiency models", and "new business revenue strategies". Of course there was the occasional off the wall ideas like "Russian mail order brides division" and "sports-themed kegerator sales".

But, what I found to be most interesting this week was the makeup of the team. We had a quality mix of sales people (like me), marcom strategists, ops managers, hr, and one, as he put it, "recovering Vice President" (who showed up in a happy pair of bright customized retro NIKE's). It was a unique opportunity to truly understand what other areas of our company are doing and to comminicate face to face (which doesn't happen much due to our 50+ office locations).

One of the best discussions we had started with the question "What if in two years there is no more advertising"? Since radio broadcasting and sponsorships are the lionshare of our business it took a couple of minutes to really think about what it might mean to our business with the further advent or development of technology that allows the consumer to bypass our placed messaging. (see DVR's, satellite radio and on demand cell phone broadcasting).

Ultimately we touched on some great ideas and plan to sit on them for a few days before we start the upcoming discussions of now whats.

Another thing I realized is that when you are in a room with several other proven leaders and brilliant minds (not referencing myself here) it is sometimes hard to communicate as you might normally do. In this environment you are challenged on any and all ideas you submit and find that immediate acceptance of your idea is not likely without a spirited debate and this is only for the better.

I have long been a proponent of the "think-tank" and this latest experience reminds me of the importance of challenging yourself to think beyond the scope of what you know.

I think participating in this group has recharged me not only from a business standpoint but also in terms of organizations I volnteer with. I am excited to get back in the trenches and start rocking the boat to get operating ouitside of our comfort zone.