Over on the Harvard Business blog, they have a great post on 5 Tips for Stranded Evangelists that I think is a must read for any Brand Manager.

Often in business it is tough to be an innovator trying to drive change.  Companies are filled with “Corporate Antibodies” that will try to shut your ideas down.  Other times people will suffer from a “not created here” mentality and dismiss your ideas because they didn’t come up with them first.  But if you want to drive lasting change on your brand, you need to fight through these roadblocks.  The HBS blog posts gives a handful of great tips to do just that:

  1. Look ahead of the curve. If you’re relying on print publications to keep up-to-date in your field, you’re guaranteed to be 3-6 months behind… Find the top bloggers–the people whose ideas are too edgy to make it into the mainstream quite yet–and read them regularly…Follow twitterers who are posting innovative ideas and links. Cast a wide net until you find the smart, challenging voices that inspire you to think in new ways.
  2. Don’t tell people what they want to hear. Most of us spend a lot of time telling people what they want to hear–in meetings, in conversation, and on our blogs or tweets. But real innovators aren’t afraid to stick their necks out and say or tweet what they really think. Use your own blog, LinkedIn page or tweets to increase your comfort saying the unexpected (or the unwelcome) and to build your skill at diplomatic dissent.
  3. Follow your heart. If you try to think your way to the leading edge, you’re doomed. The volume of ideas and information online makes it virtually impossible to sift and analyze your way to the very best of the best. There always will be a new new thing, and in my experience, searching for the bleeding edge is just a recipe for blood loss… Follow your passions and instincts, and you’ll naturally be drawn to the areas of innovation that suit you.
  4. Get un-stranded. You may be the only one in your company who “gets it”, but that doesn’t mean you’re alone. Look for the people in your industry or field who are blogging or twittering about the kinds of innovation you’re advocating. Comment on their blog posts, or better yet, write your own blog post in response. Retweet their innovative ideas or respond by twittering your own.
  5. Hire a buddy. You wouldn’t swim alone; you don’t need to evangelize alone, either. Dig into that network for an employee, consultant or colleague who can back you up when it’s time to make your case. LinkedIn and Twitter are both great places to discover people in (or outside) your organization who will help build the case for innovation.

Their final comment on the blog posts is also particularly insightful:

It takes insight, courage and diplomacy to be a stranded evangelist for any kind of innovation. Just remember: today’s stranded evangelist is tomorrow’s visionary and respected leader.

This entry was posted on Monday, September 14th, 2009 at 7:47 am and is filed under Brand Management. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.