Transactional vs. Transformative
Imagine if your schooling was all math and science?
Arithmetic, Geometry, Trigonometry and Calculus.
Throw in some finance and a little Econ 101. Then for some spice, a little chemistry and a lot of computer science.
No literature. No history. No art.
That mostly math curriculum would prepare you well for today’s transactional workplace.
Because even if you’re in a “creative” industry, the conversation I hear the most about these days from my CEO, strategy and yes, creative clients, is about ROI.
Oh, and Revenue. Cost. EBITA.
In other words, no matter the endeavor: is the juice worth the squeeze? And how much is the squeeze? And what kind of revenue can we make on the juice? And can we do it all with AI?
This approach was always the dark side of Capitalism. At its core, the quest for the most profit at the least possible cost.
I liked the other side of Capitalism. The side where people could use capital to invent and create. To make things. To have freedom and markets. To have buyers and sellers and to have as many win-win moments as possible.
Rose-colored glasses? Pollyanna? Guilty as charged.
But that ain’t the world we live in. Especially these days.
One conversation I had this week which sticks out (and sticks in my craw) was this: A great strategy leader is working in a company where transaction is ruling over transformation. This strategist was talking about what she does well. Transformative things like using insights to inspire creative and famous work. She’s also good at identifying, developing and nurturing young talent. So much so that throughout her career, members of her team are cherry-picked by other companies and put in leadership positions. What broke my heart (and made my blood boil) was when she said this: “Are these skills even valuable anymore?”
The answer is yes and no.
Yes, in that the world needs people with ideas, taste and judgement.
But sadly, no. Because seeking efficiency and profit has become the default instinct.
The rules have changed.
So what keeps me sanguine and not saturnine?
Not much.
Only the notion that once you accept the rules have changed, that transaction leads, you can begin to hack the system.
In TBWA parlance, if transaction is the convention, how will you disrupt it?
That's a great question. And this is the stem of the problem. People are asking the wrong questions. To disrupt the transaction, how do you make the alternative more desirable?
We've lost our discernment about what needs to be transacted versus what needs to be transformed. As the self-proclaimed queen of un-networking I loathe transactional nature of some relationships, but there are some things that we simply need to exchange and keep moving. On the other hand it's the art of knowing when we need to go further that's worth distinguishing.