Screen Printing - October/November 2012 - (Page 12)

T H E P R E P R E S S W IRE WHERE ARE YOU COMING FROM? Mark Coudray This discussion evaluates the power of why in your business. Mark A. Coudray is president of Coudray Graphic Technologies, San Luis Obispo, CA. He has served as a director of (SGIA) and as chairman of the Academy of Screen Printing Technology. Coudray has authored more than 250 papers and articles over the last 20 years, and he received the SGIA’s Swormstedt Award in 1992 and 1994. He can be reached via e-mail at coudray@coudray.com. ne of my favorite places to go for new ideas and perspectives is TED.com. TED talks are addictive, 18-minute-long presentations by the world’s foremost thought leaders in all areas. There are over 1000 TED talks available, all free to watch. Of all the talks, my favorite is by Simon Sinek on “How Great Leaders Inspire Action.” I have watched this particular presentation at least 30 times, and each time I watch it, I find more. The underlying concept is so inspiring. Sinek talks about the way businesses see themselves and talk about themselves. They tell the world about what they do and how they do it. We’re conditioned to it. Think about it. When you meet someone for the first time, after you are introduced, the first thing you’re asked is, “What do you do?” He goes on to explain that the what and how are logical concepts, processed by the neocortex—the modern, logical part of our brain. It only makes up 10% of our active brain processing. This is the specification-driven processor we are all so familiar with. Unfortunately, specifications are easily substituted with less-expensive alternatives that still satisfy the requirements. This is the trap we fall into when positioning ourselves with a what and how model. The other 90% of mental activity takes place in the limbic mind—the lizard brain. This is the ancient part of our brain that processes and controls everything about how our bodies and subconscious work. It cannot communicate directly with us, but modern neuroscience has determined it records and stores everything in our lives from the minute we are born. This is the part of the brain that leads to feelings and intuition. Intuition is that gut feeling that something just doesn’t feel right about a deal. You can’t explain it, but the more experienced you become, the more you trust your intuition. That’s because your intuition is sending you a message, via a feeling, that is based on countless experiences, sensations, and cues. These are largely subconscious, and we are most often unaware of them happening. So what does all this have to do with you? The limbic brain controls the why part of our existence. Why is about the passion of what we do. Sinek elaborates: “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” 12 SCREENPRINTING O The most famous and relevant commercial example is Apple Computer. Using this approach, they have redefined the way we do business with them and, in the process, have become the highest valued company in the world. They have the highest brand loyalty and highest profit margins of any company. Their retail stores have a higher ROI per square foot than any other retail store, including companies like Tiffany & Co. or Cartier. They lead every performance index that is measured. But that’s not all. What really got me excited about this concept was that what you make and how you do it can change. The why does not. As long as you are clear on why you’re in business and what your core values really are, you can easily adapt to new products, markets, and services. Making any kind of sense of the constantly changing world around us requires the use of tools like these to remind us of who we really are and why we do the things we do. This is incredibly important as we morph our way into the new digital economy. Apple started off making computers, but now that part of the company’s business is a small proportion of its total revenue. Today, Apple makes computers, iPads, iPhones, iPods, iTunes, iCloud, and a host of other services, software programs, and hardware. Steve Jobs was absolutely driven, and brilliant, in his use of why. So far, I have been able to identify nine different whys. You can be motivated by more than one, but most people will easily identify with a primary motivator. Here is the short list of the nine: 1. To do it the right way. No shortcuts. Follow a path of successful outcome. This is often about being driven by the http://www.TED.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Screen Printing - October/November 2012

Screen Printing - October/November 2012
Contents
Newsworthy
New Products
Where Are You Coming From?
The Best Halftone for Different Styles of Artwork
Adding Dye Sublimation to Your Business
Best Practices in the Challenging World of 3D P-O-P
The Future of Screen Printing
Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives for Decals and Labels
Shop Talk
Industry Update
Classifieds
Distributor/Dealer Directory
Advertising Index
Editorial Insights

Screen Printing - October/November 2012