Brian Solis's Blog, page 38
May 14, 2021
The Future of Work: Digital, Human and Connected
As the world begins to reopen, Salesforce executives share how it is approaching the future of the office, the technology that facilitates hybrid work, and how putting employees at the center of the equation will create success from anywhere.
While many employees now enjoy the flexibility of working from anywhere, many also crave face-to-face connection. Hallway conversations, coffee breaks, and team happy hours are happening virtually. And with the employees’ primary hub for connection – the office – not yet part of the daily routine, the employee experience has completely changed. If companies aren’t intentional about bringing people together, it can impact both employee engagement and productivity.
Via Sammy Spiegel, Salesforce News & Insights
Employees’ new favorite colleagues: AI and automation2020 accelerated the digital transformation and changed the landscape of work forever. Now, companies will need to find more ways for employees to excel in this new work environment.
AI and automation is changing the employee experience and companies are in the early stages of realizing its potential.
“Automation frees up people to be creative and curious, especially when combined with highly personalized insights and recommendations surfaced from AI,” said Brian Solis, Global Innovation Evangelist, Salesforce.
The benefit of this is a better employee experience.
“Not only are you optimizing business processes to deliver a new standard for customer experience, but you’re also freeing up creative human resources to do more meaningful work,” said Solis.
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May 10, 2021
Managing Machine Identities in an Era of Digital Darwinism and the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Digital Darwinism is accelerating because of the 4th Industrial Revolution. We’re witnessing the “rise of the machines” and also the “rise of the machine identity crisis.”
IoT, IIoT, 5G, AI, automation, mobility (work from anywhere), field services, edge computing, will in their own way empower a new generation of connected businesses to engage customers, work everywhere, unlock new applications, and scale in ways that are both unimaginable and also open to imagination.
Combined, everything sets the stage for disruption and opportunity.
Digital transformation is accelerating. And with it, new types of apps and systems are being created to deployed to help enterprises scale exponentially. And with it, new vulnerabilities are emerging along the way.
We do not yet have a playbook to thrive in this chapter of digital Darwinism. But the future is creating itself every day. We’ll have to write it as we go.
This starts with assessing digital AND uptime and security trends, paths forward, where we are, what’s missing, where we already excel, and how we help ourselves and our ecosystem thrive.
This is your time to build the architecture the future…automate, accelerate, innovate, forward!
Join keynote speaker BrianSolis on May 11, 2021 at the Machine Identity Management Global Summit for his presentation, “Managing Machine Identities in an Era of Digital Darwinism and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”
https://www.briansolis.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/S9F9ZQ6ayfqhCdL6.mp4The post Managing Machine Identities in an Era of Digital Darwinism and the Fourth Industrial Revolution appeared first on Brian Solis.
WTF: What’s the Future Podcast – The One Thing You MUST Do to Drive Your Disruption Strategy with Charlene Li
In episode 3 of WTF: What’s the Future, I spent time with someone who has had a profound impact on my life, Charlene Li. For those who don’t know, Charlene was my partner and mentor at Altimeter Group for nine years. Together, we helped pioneer research for traditional and also startup businesses to thrive in an era of digital Darwinism. Long before we were partners, she was a big inspiration in her work at Forrester and with her book, co-authored with Josh Bernoff, Groundswell.
I invited Charlene on the show to talk about her latest book, The Disruption Mindset, Why Some Organizations Transform While Others Fail.
To be competitive, it’s no longer enough to be innovative – you must have a strategy for disruptive growth, a plan to identify and seize an opportunity no one else has the audacity or confidence to reach for. Disruptors don’t just blow things up – they also create and build things that results in huge, positive change.
This book will help you build your own disruption mindset.
What’s the “one” disruption strategy that ought to be the heartbeat of everything you do?
It’s painfully simple, but incredibly difficult.
Focus on your FUTURE consumers, not your CURRENT ones.
It’s easy to talk about, but incredibly hard to pull off.
When you look forward and say, “THIS is the kind of customer that will drive our future growth, so I’m going to make THESE decisions to reach them,” that’s when you really start to unleash true disruption. How are YOU disrupting your marketplace?
Sound off below, and check out the entire interview with Charlene.
Thank you to the team at Sweet Fish Media for being my production partner in WTF. Sweet Fish produces podcasts for B2B brands.
About WTFWTF: What’s the Future? is a podcast dedicated to digital Darwinism, the evolution of technology and society. WTF host Brian Solis and his special guests tell the human stories driving innovation and the meaning behind the big changes we all face. Whether you’re looking to learn from today’s most influential leaders, disruptors, and tech luminaries or discover the impact that today’s and tomorrow’s tech trends are having on markets, society and us as individuals, this is the show to help you stay ahead of it all. Each episode features topics that explore the human challenges facing digital transformation, innovation and disruption, corporate culture, personal advancement and more.
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May 7, 2021
Futurist and digital anthropologist Brian Solis helps Greater Akron Chamber look ahead
Article via Akron Beacon Journal, Jim Mackinnon
The 2021 Greater Akron Chamber’s annual meeting explored how it had to change and transform to serve its members and the community during the pandemic, much of the program involved looking ahead, not back.
And that’s in large part where keynote speaker Brian Solis figured in.
Solis is a futurist, “digital anthropologist” who looks at how consumer behavior has evolved, book author, digital entrepreneur and frequent invited speaker who in 2020 was named the Global Innovation Evangelist at Salesforce.
He talked about digital Darwinism, innovation and more in a video conversation with Chamber President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Millard.
Digital Darwinism is a key pillar for business success, Solis said. The consumerization of the internet through companies such as Amazon and Apple had democratized the internet, he said.
“As things change, so must business,” he said.
The pandemic is forcing businesses to become digital first as a means to connect with people, he said.
People connecting to the internet get to explore multiple choices, Solis said. And that creates narcissists as people say “serve me faster. And move out of the way,” he said.
Solis said research shows 75% of consumers last year experimented with a new brand or service, and that many of those people are opting to stick with those new choices. People also are choosing to stop buying from businesses whose values don’t align with theirs, he said.
Iteration – doing the same thing better – and innovating in ways that make old things obsolete are necessary for businesses to survive and thrive, Solis said.
“If you don’t invest in innovation, you are stuck in iteration,” he said.
Domino’s Pizza is an example of a company that realized it needed to become “digital first” to survive, Solis said. It has hired numerous software engineers to develop an app, for instance, to connect with customers the way the customers like, he said.
Smartphones and similar devices and their apps are rewiring the human brain and not for the better, Solis said. They are creating more demand for attention in a way that “makes you insatiable” and gets people addicted to services, he said. “All these things are competing for your attention.”
Technology and the pandemic are forcing changes, Solis said.
“This is a once in a lifetime disruption and you have a choice about what to do about it,” Solis said. “The world is going to continue to change. A lot of it is honestly overdue. … If you don’t build that new future, it will be built for you.”
The Greater Akron Chamber, for instance, needs to look at how it provides value, Solis said.
“I don’t know that we can sit and wait for things to go back to normal,” he said. “I don’t know that we’ll go back to normal.”
Solis told the audience that they should seek out articles and information that challenges their conventions.
“Innovation begins with you. It just does,” Solis said.
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May 5, 2021
If Digital Distraction Inhibits Creative Flow and Happiness Correlates Directly to Creativity, What Will You Do Differently Tomorrow?
Via GetAbstract…
Looking to find balance? Looking for direction? Looking for meaning? It’s time to scale your life in this crazy world? GetAbstract has the summary to help you LifeSCALE! Get the key insights in just 10 minutes.
Your time and attention have never been more valuable. Tech companies vie for your attention and trade it as a commodity (have you seen Social Dilemma on Netflix?). They lure you into increasing your time on their platforms, and exploit neuroscientific discoveries to manipulate your online behavior. You succumb to the barrage of distractions, losing focus and creativity. “Digital anthropologist” Brian Solis noticed the demise of his own creativity and developed the Lifescale method in response. He provides a framework for recapturing your focus, rekindling your creative spark, and igniting a deep sense of purpose and well-being.
Digital distractions gobble your focus and attention.
People suffering addiction to digital devices often drop out of real life to sleepwalk, zombie-like, through a virtual existence. They lose the ability to focus, meet goals and fulfill responsibilities. The detrimental effects of never disconnecting from the digital world include decreasing attention spans, loss of empathy, and less energy for creative activities or critical thinking. Productivity drops as workers spend an average of two hours a day on their smartphones. The time you spend on apps, networks, social media and texts does not make you happier. It erodes your sense of well-being, increases stress and anxiety, and engenders feelings of loneliness and self-doubt.
Happiness correlates directly to creativity. Digital distraction inhibits creative flow. If you want to reclaim happiness and become more creative through learning how to resist the magnetic pull of distraction, consider “Lifescaling.” The Lifescale journey begins with developing awareness of why you succumb to distraction and relearning how to focus. You’ll define your values, and identify what brings you happiness…
Get LifeSCALE on Amazon for the full experience.
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May 4, 2021
Digitaal antropoloog Brian Solis: “Bedrijven moeten zich nú klaarstomen voor Generation N” [Video in English]
By Magali De Reu, Bloovi
Brian Solis is naast bestseller-auteur misschien wel dé autoriteit op vlak van marketing en sociale media. Als ‘digitaal antropoloog’ houdt de Amerikaan voortdurend de vinger aan de pols over de maatschappelijke verschuivingen die op ons afkomen. In een nieuwe Techmag episode geeft hij een blik op de toekomstige trends in het digitale landschap, en hoe bedrijven zich kunnen voorbereiden op het nieuwe normaal.
Business as (un)usual zonder leiderschapWanneer ik Brian Solis – in het dagelijkse leven Global Innovation Evangelist bij Salesforce – spreek, zijn het op z’n zachtst gezegd gekke tijden. De coronacrisis is dan ook niet de enige reden waarom hij momenteel thuiszit. Want as we speak zijn er in de Verenigde Staten – en ook in zijn thuisbasis San Francisco – rellen aan de gang naar aanleiding van de dood van George Floyd.
“Gisteren schreef ik aan een artikel, maar ik kon me amper concentreren”, zegt Solis met een diepe zucht. “We zitten nog steeds middenin een pandemie-uitbraak, en daar zijn nu ook protestacties en straatgevechten bijgekomen. Tegelijk werd de SpaceX Dragon Crew van Elon Musk de ruimte in gestuurd. Dat het voor sommige bedrijven nog steeds business as usual is, vind ik eigenlijk complete waanzin. En natuurlijk helpt het ook niet dat het ons land compleet aan leiderschap ontbreekt.”
Nu we zowat allemaal thuis zitten, is Solis uiteraard niet de enige die zich afgeleid voelt. We laten ons misschien wel meer dan ooit beïnvloeden door wat er binnenkomt op onze smartphone. Naar aanleiding daarvan schreef hij vorig jaar het boek ‘Life Scale: How to Live a More Creative, Productive, and Happy Life’. “Nu is het moment aangebroken om ons opnieuw uit te vinden”, gaat hij verder. “Anderzijds remmen polariserende berichten en verslavende apps zoals Facebook onze creativiteit af. Probeer nieuwe, kleine dingen uit – die stimuleren je geluksgevoel. En bovendien heb je geen tijd meer om eindeloos door je feed te scrollen.”
Brian Solis verkondigde die boodschap al een aantal jaar geleden, toen hij tijdens één van zijn keynotes aangaf dat technologie en maatschappij sneller evolueren dan ons aanpassingsvermogen toelaat. De komende tien jaar overkomen ons, oftewel overkomen ze anderen door ons, zei hij toen. Nu blijkt dat het misschien wel eens beide zou kunnen zijn.
“Ooit had ik het over Generation C – the connected customer – nu is dat Generation N”, gaat Solis verder. “Zij vertegenwoordigen een nieuw type klanten, die zich niet kenmerken door demografische factoren maar door heftige disruptie. Hun prioriteiten zien er compleet anders uit dan de onze, en dat beïnvloedt hun beslissingsproces en koopgedrag. In elk geval heeft het de noodzaak versneld van bedrijven om hun business model aan te passen aan een digitale wereld die we nooit eerder hadden gezien.”
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May 3, 2021
WTF: What’s the Future Podcast – 5 Destructive Personas That Are Killing Your Creativity with Chase Jarvis
In episode 2 of WTF: What’s the Future, I get to spend time with another dear friend, Chase Jarvis. In my mind, Chase is one of the most creative and inspiring artists of the digital economy. We’ve also had some of the most soulful conversations of my life all around the world. I’m proud to know him.
Chase joined me on WTF to discuss his latest book, Creative Calling: Establish a Daily Practice, Infuse Your World with Meaning, and Succeed in Work + Life. As Chase says, “Life isn’t about finding fulfillment and success – it’s about creating it.” The good news? Creativity isn’t a skill—it’s a habit, a mindset, and a practical lever that transforms our lives and delivers vitality to everything we do. Your personal power awaits.
Whether you realize it or not, you’re creative. We all are. It’s a deep topic I explored in my last book, LifeSCALE. Creativity means creating.
I talk to Chase Jarvis, CEO of CreativeLive and author of Creative Calling, about why mass culture is against creativity. What wears talked about: What creativity is & what it isn’t
Why creativity is mission critical
Reasons mass culture is against creativity
How our society is more creative than ever
3 things about creativity1) Creativity isn’t just art.
Paintings and photos are nice and all, but creativity means creating things.
You can create machines… breakfast… conversations…
You can also create possibilities (more on that later).
2) Creativity is a muscle.
Chase said you should exercise creativity every day by being purposeful about the things you create.
If you make a habit of flexing your creativity, it’ll get stronger and better.
Being intentionally creative gives you agency over your life by showing you that you have the power to create health, energy, success, fulfillment.
3) Creativity isn’t optional.
Not only is creativity valuable — it’s critical.
If you don’t create, then you’re just moving through your life passively without purpose.
Creativity is the impetus for why we do what we do.
All that said — why have most adults lost the creative joy of their childhoods?
Why does mass culture undervalue creativity?
Listen to my whole conversation with Chase to find out.
Thank you to the team at Sweet Fish Media for being my production partner in WTF. Sweet Fish produces podcasts for B2B brands.
About WTFWTF: What’s the Future? is a podcast dedicated to digital Darwinism, the evolution of technology and society. WTF host Brian Solis and his special guests tell the human stories driving innovation and the meaning behind the big changes we all face. Whether you’re looking to learn from today’s most influential leaders, disruptors, and tech luminaries or discover the impact that today’s and tomorrow’s tech trends are having on markets, society and us as individuals, this is the show to help you stay ahead of it all. Each episode features topics that explore the human challenges facing digital transformation, innovation and disruption, corporate culture, personal advancement and more.
The post WTF: What’s the Future Podcast – 5 Destructive Personas That Are Killing Your Creativity with Chase Jarvis appeared first on Brian Solis.
April 29, 2021
The Digital Transformation of Mindsets to Drive Exponential Innovation in the Novel Economy
Dr. Mik Kersten is someone I only recently met, but I’ve quickly grown fond of his thinking and work. In 2020, we organized an event together, “Transitioning from Project to Product to Thrive in the New Normal.” Our initial conversation led to an exploration of new possibilities in digital transformation in a time of global crisis, an era I called the “Novel Economy.” Then earlier this year, Dr. Mik and I hosted an executive roundtable that focused on strategy planning and OKRs.
This time, Dr. Mik and I got together again to talk about the “digital transformation of mindsets” to accelerate innovation in this Novel Economy. The result is an action-packed 30-minute podcast that I hope you’ll find time to dive into.
In this episode, we cover a lot of ground and discuss many key topics including:
How people should think about their digital transformations in order to change their thinking in 2021 and adapt to the novel economyAvoiding the pitfalls and traps of digital transformations and guidance on how organizations can successfully adaptThe importance of defining a product value stream and measuring transformations to increase customer value, fasterDriving innovative digital experiences in order to gain customer attention and loyaltyAdvice to the Digital Change Agents in order to get leadership buy-in and drive change middle-up instead of top-downAdditional Resources:
Digital Transformation In 2021 And Beyond – A Prediction by Brian SolisSalesforce Executives Predict the Future of Work in 2021 and BeyondWhy the Lean Start-Up Changes Everything by Steve BlanThe Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric RiesThe Digital Change Agent’s Manifesto; Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders From Within by Brian SolisMcKinsey Global Survey: How COVID-19 has pushed companies over the technology tipping point—and transformed business foreverMik + One: Project to Product · Episode 30: Mik Kersten + Brian SolisThe post The Digital Transformation of Mindsets to Drive Exponential Innovation in the Novel Economy appeared first on Brian Solis.
April 28, 2021
Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing Will Change our World Completely
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April 27, 2021
Greater Akron Chamber Annual Meeting & Conversation with Brian Solis
11:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Online – Virtual Event
Join the Greater Akron Chamber on Friday, April 30th for the 2021 Greater Akron Chamber Annual Meeting. This virtual event, held from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., will feature an update on the Chamber’s notable accomplishments and will provide a look ahead to what’s next relative to the Chamber’s strategic priorities and initiatives in areas like workforce; business support; and diversity, equity and inclusion. We will also leverage this opportunity to share insights on trends impacting the business community and region over the last year and outline opportunities for the region moving forward.In the theme of looking forward, we will also welcome Brian Solis, world-renowned digital anthropologist and futurist, for a candid conversation about business (r)evolution and new leadership as he shares his perspectives on concepts like digital Darwinism, digital transformation and the importance of leadership to drive change forward. Brian serves as Global Innovation Evangelist at Salesforce and is also an 8x best selling author and international keynote speaker. Among his many accolades, he has been called “one of the more creative and brilliant business minds of our time” by Forbes. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions to Brian following the conversation and a limited number of attendees will also have the opportunity to receive a copy of his audiobook X: The Experience Where Business Meets Design.
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