With all the back and forth over bailouts, stimulus plans, budget crises, opinion polls and the talking heads that comment on all of it, I  had reached my Deficit-Based Thinking quota for the month. And, just when I was about ready to tune out, I came across two separate but related examples of ABT in action. The first instance appeared in an Ad Age article covering the recent Advertising Research Foundation meeting at which some of the most respected researchers around were advocating a much softer touch in consumer research. The tried and true research methods of “crunching numbers and being statistical gatekeepers” aren’t enough anymore.

Kim Dedeker, market research VP for Procter & Gamble strongly advocated a shift to listening and seeing on the front end of the process. That is huge change from one of the biggest and best in the business. She put it this way.

“What we’ve lost, because of that focus is the opportunity to listen more on the front end and co-create with consumers and to sense and respond on the other side”

Softer Skills:

Several top players in the field advocated employing softer skills, such as finding and telling compelling stories or making greater use of ethnography and online communities. This is sweet music to this Asset-Based Thinker’s ears!

“Listening Softer” and making “Eye to I Contact” are simple and proven  ABT principles that Kathy and her colleagues at The Cramer Institute  have developed and successfully employed in their consulting and coaching practices.   And for good reason. It works. Kathy has a great take on this.

“We’ve all heard the term “listen harder” which implies narrowing your focus and blocking out distraction. Sometimes it’s more rewarding and productive to listen softer by showering your attention on a person and listening with your eyes and heart as well as your ears. Both parties hear and feel more”

The article cites some great examples of the benefits of listening softer from the success of Carles Schwab to President Obama’s presidential   campaign. (Here’s a pdf. A good read.)

Listening Softer In Philadelphia

Then I came across a great grassroots example of putting the listening softer principle into practice in Philadelphia. Mayor Michael Nutter has initiated a very interesting program of listening to aid in the development of the City’s budget in advance of presenting it for adoption. The City is facing a major budget short fall and, by law, the City muat have a balanced budget. The Mayor took a page out of President Obama’s campaign strategy playbook. He and his staff are getting out in the community to listen and learn before they act with a series of real workshops and personal meeting with Philadelphians. No surveys, polls or phone calls. People talking and interacting directly with each other. “Eye-to I ” contact. I posted an opinion piece on BlogCritics.org that I think you would enjoy reading.

It’s encouraging to see that sound ABT principles are finding their way into the marketing communications mainstream and the working styles and practices of local government officials.

Listen softer. See More. Do more.

Hank Wasiak