This week, I was privileged to take part in a exercise the object of which was to help determine what brands can do to turn consumers into loyal followers and enthusiasts.
Now, this particular meeting was conducted in accordance with the “Chatham House Rule,” which specifies that participants are free to use any information they receive as long as they don’t reveal the identities of the speakers or others present. So while I’m restrained from going into specifics about the people involved, I can talk about something else – my own reaction upon discovering that I was one of the oldest people in the room. This realization came as something of a shock, since for most of my career, I have been the youngest in the room when attending such functions. So, at least for me, this conference represented a milestone of sorts – that moment of truth we all inevitably arrive at, when we say to ourselves, “Yes, I have to admit I am getting older (if not quite old).”
But, beyond such personal reflection, the key question here is: how best can I and others who have reached such “maturity” (or perhaps seniority is a better word) use our collective experience and the wisdom that comes with it to help guide an enterprising new generation that is admittedly far more technologically savvy than ours?
Just how to go about this without appearing to be either arrogant or antiquated, so as to form a basis of mutual respect – ours for their novel ideas and mastery of new technology, and theirs for our battle-hardened understanding of things like strategy and diplomacy – is an important and delicate issue that we must increasingly grapple with. And I, for one, intend to give it a lot of thought in the coming months.
